PAAIA INSTRUMENTAL IN PROTECTING PERSIAN ARTIFACTS
August 2, 2012, Washington, D.C. – The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) is pleased to report that final version of Iran sanctions legislation passed by the 112th Congress will not impact the pending litigation over Persian artifacts studied by University of Chicago researchers for decades. At the urging of PAAIA and the University of Chicago, Senator Robert Menendez clarified the language of his amendment to the Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Human Rights Act of 2012 (S.2101), making clearer its focus on certain financial assets of Iran.
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STANFORD UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT RESPONDS DIRECTLY TO PAAIA OVER RETIRED PROFESSOR’S ANTI-IRANIAN REMARKS
January 14, 2011, Washington, D.C. – Stanford University’s president, Dr. John Hennessy, today assured PAAIA that controversial remarks made by a retired faculty member does not reflect the university’s views or admission policies.
In recent weeks, a number of Iranian American organizations and individuals have expressed concern over remarks made in an email sent by Jeffrey Ullman, a professor emeritus at Stanford University, in response to an inquiry made by an Iranian student about admission to the graduate computer science program. Ullman directed the student to a page on his university-hosted website, “Answers to All Questions Iranian.” Ullman went on to express in his email that even if he were in a position to assist Iranian students with admission to the program, he would not do so unless there is a change in Iran’s policy towards Israel.
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LINKEDIN TO REVERSE IRAN EXCLUSION POLICY
February 22, 2010, Washington, D.C. – Today, LinkedIn’s legal department notified PAAIA that following our request, the company would be reversing its policy of excluding Iran from their Education drop-down menu. PAAIA is grateful to our members who had originally brought this matter to our attention, and to LinkedIn for their prompt response. We hope to see Iran back on the site so that LinkedIn account holders who hold academic degrees from Iran may include that information in their profile.
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AVN DROPS ANTI-IRANIAN AD
July 9, 2010, Washington, D.C. – Due in part to PAAIA’s efforts, The American Values Network (AVN) dropped an anti-oil ad campaign that targeted Iran in favor of a new concept that promotes clean energy but shields innocent Iranians and Iranian Americans from a bad image.
In a letter to AVN, PAAIA expressed its concerns that by targeting and naming Iran as the enemy, the ads imply that all Iranians are enemies of the U.S. – a message that in effect encourages xenophobia and hatred towards Americans of Iranian descent. Such unintended consequences are not only damaging to Iranian Americans but to those living in Iran who are fighting for democratic freedoms.
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CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION CONDEMNING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST IRANIAN AMERICANS
June 13, 2007, Washington, D.C. – PAAIA’s connected PAC, IAPAC, worked on a bi-partisan basis with Congressmen Marty Meehan (D. MA) and Christopher Shays (R. CT) to assist them in their introduction of H.Res.476, which condemns discrimination and bigotry against Iranian Americans. The resolution, previously introduced in the 109th Congress, is a response to documented reports of discrimination targeting members of the Iranian American community. H.Res.476 is part of IAPAC’s broader efforts in connection with the “Iranian American Know Your Rights Campaign,” which was launched in cooperation with other organizations and which seeks to educate Iranian Americans about their civil rights and liberties, and other civic matters.
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