Letter to Presidential Candidates

 A Message from Americans of Iranian Heritage... ...to the 2016 Presidential Candidates
The prospective nuclear agreement taking shape between the P5+1 and Iran is becoming a central foreign
policy issue for the 2016 presidential election.
Irrespective of party affiliation, a robust debate among all presidential candidates over this important and
complex national security issue is necessary for the shaping of our foreign policy.
We believe however that the tone, tenor and context of the rhetoric employed during such discourse, will
prove instructive in our ability to nurture the good will that exists towards America on behalf of the Iranian
people. Whatever differences may exist with the government of Iran, presidential candidates must make a
distinction between the government and the people of Iran.
As an example, one of your fellow presidential candidates, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) recently said:
“My family owned a restaurant, a pool room, and a liquor store. And everything I know about the Iranians, I learned in
the pool room. I ran the pool room when I was a kid and I met a lot of liars, and I know the Iranians are lying.”
Outside of its proper context of the nuclear negotiations, Senator Graham’s comments were interpreted by
members of the media and Iranian Americans as suggesting that all Iranians are liars.
Such insensitive and incendiary remarks can potentially offend a very large universe of 80 million people in Iran
which can only be counterproductive and damaging to long-term U.S. national interests.
Iran is quite unique in the Middle East in that it maintains a sizable young, urban and highly educated
population that holds favorable views towards America. Repeated public opinion polls confirm that the people
of Iran want to engage with and connect to the world.
Out of context rhetoric and careless remarks only serve to alienate Iranians who want their government to
reform and engage the international community in a positive way and embolden those who seek the exact
opposite.
Moreover, such comments are offensive to Americans of Iranian heritage, by encouraging stereotyping, ill will
and hatred against a particular group of Americans.
The United States is host to the largest expatriate community of Iranians in the world. Americans of Iranian
descent are among the best-educated, highest achieving ethnic minorities, contributing to the economic
strength and cultural diversity of America.
.
We are public servants, members of our armed forces and law enforcement. We uphold the U.S.
Constitution and protect all Americans; we are scientists, educators, medical and business leaders.
Republicans, Democrats and Independents, Iranian Americans share our nation’s security concerns and
are supportive of every effort to ensure the security of the homeland and safety of all Americans.
A nuclear agreement notwithstanding, Iran is bound to be a significant focal point during the 2016
presidential election. We, the undersigned members of the Iranian American community implore all
2016 presidential candidates, to a) be cognizant of the distinction between the people and the
government of Iran; and b) refrain from broad generalizations that are likely to mischaracterize an entire
group of Americans
Mahnaz Afkhami
Founder and President of Women’s
Learning Partnership
Bijan Amini
Storch Amini & Munves PC
Robert Babayi
Managing Partner, Vector IP Law
Group
Morteza Baharloo
Chairman of the Board, Healix, Inc.
Bita Daryabari
Honorable Jimmy Delshad
Two Term Mayor and Current
Ambassador of Beverly Hills
Sassan Ghahramani
Founder and CEO, SGH Macro
Advisors, LLC
Honorable Cyrus Habib
Washington State Senator
Saghi Modjtabai
Hamid R. Moghadam
Chairman & CEO, Prologis
Ali Mojdehi
Forough Hosseini
Sr. VP, ICI Homes
Alireza Nader
Policy Analyst
Mori Hosseini
Chairman and CEO, ICI Homes
Dr. Firouz Naderi
Director, Solar System Exploration
at NASA's JPL
Nahal Iravani-Sani
Deputy District Attorney (personal
capacity)
Yousef Javadi
Maz Jobrani
Comedian/Actor
Azar Nafisi
Professor & Best-Selling Author
Oscar Nosrati
Principal, Americo Energy
Resources
F. Fred Pezeshkan
Ali Ebrahimi
President, Ersa Grae Corporation
Amir Kazeminia
President/CEO, OCI Associates
Inc.
Farshad Farahat
Zohreh Kazeminia
Milad Pooran, MD (Colonel, USAFRes)
President, Anacostia Medical
Associates
Erich Ferrari
Darioush Khaledi
Proprietor, DARIOUSH
Honorable Darius Shahinfar
City Treasurer, Albany, New York
A. Alex Lari
Chairman, Claremont Group LLC
M. Marty Youssefiani
CEO, Caspian Renewable Energy,
Inc.
Jalal Farzaneh
Mohammed Farzaneh
Hadi Ghaemi
Executive Director, International
Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
Mehrdad Michael Massumi, MD
Mohsen Moazami
Managing Director, Columbus
Nova Technology Partners
Alex Vatanka
Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute
and The Jamestown Foundation
www.paaia.org
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