In the past five months, millions of Iranians have been protesting worldwide, calling for the downfall of the tyrannical Islamic Republic regime that has been ruling Iran for the past 46 years.
The protests have highlighted the human rights violations and gender apartheid in Iran with “Woman, Life, Freedom” as their motto.
The Islamic Republic’s human rights violations are well-documented, with reports of torture, extrajudicial killings, and arbitrary detentions being commonplace. These massive protests have garnered support from people from all walks of life showing their support for liberating Iran from the fascistic rule of the Islamic regime.
Now, the Iranian American community in Southern California has been at the forefront of the fight against the Islamic Republic government in Iran in the United States. Approximately half of a million Iranian immigrants and their descendants live in the United States. Iranian Americans have started successful businesses, developed life-saving medical technologies, won Nobel Prizes, and enriched American culture with their art, music, and literature.
As members of the Iranian diaspora, they may face harassment, intimidation, and even violence from supporters of the Iranian regime, who seek to silence dissent and punish those who speak out against the government.
One of the most recent examples of this danger is the case of Masih Alinejad, an Iranian American journalist and activist who has been targeted by Iranian agents in the US. In 2021, agents of the Iranian government plotted to kidnap Alinejad from her home in Brooklyn and bring her back to Iran, where she would be subject to persecution and imprisonment. This case highlights the extent to which the Iranian regime is willing to silence dissent and intimidate those who speak out against them.
The Iranian-American community has taken various steps to raise awareness about human rights violations in Iran and garner support from U.S. politicians.
In Orange County, Costa Mesa-based teacher Hengameh Abraham, who is the Iranian American Engagement Director of the Orange County Republican Party, is among those working locally to persuade city councils to issue declarations in support of the Iranian people and against the Iranian regime. As reported by Voice of OC, Abraham’s personal experience growing up in Iran and witnessing the Islamic Republic’s brutalization of Iranian women motivates her to draw attention to the plight of these women and to demand justice for them. To date, over a dozen Orange County cities have approved such resolutions.
Why does this matter? Orange County has the second-largest Iranian population nationwide, and holding local representatives accountable is crucial in the fight against the Iranian government. The Iranian community in Southern California has experienced first-hand the atrocities committed by the Islamic Republic government. As Abraham rightly pointed out, it is their responsibility to speak out against these crimes.
The Iranian American community cannot do this alone. The Biden administration must never go back to the nuclear deal with Iran as it was negotiated by the Obama administration. The nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), gave Iran billions of dollars in sanctions relief without addressing its hostile activities in the region and its human rights abuses.
These policies of appeasement have failed to deter the regime from its destabilizing activities in the region and its human rights abuses against its own people. By standing firm against the regime and holding it accountable for its actions, the Biden administration can send a message that the United States will not tolerate Iran’s dangerous and destabilizing activities.
The human rights violations in Iran can have a direct impact on the United States and its citizens. For instance, the Iranian government has been known to sponsor terrorism and destabilize the region, which can have far-reaching consequences for American national security. By promoting human rights and democracy in Iran, we can help to create a more stable and peaceful region, which ultimately benefits Americans and the world.
Source » ocregister