ORGANIZATION

JJ Please don't censor my reply to Zion.

From NIAC website. It can't be more clear.

Fostering greater understanding between Iran and the United States by creating opportunities for Iranian-Americans to serve as a natural bridge between both peoples.

but then again, like others said, you may have other intentions we don't care about.

I think its AIPAC that really should be under scope. It's shameless and everyone should read this. its long but its not easy to dig into dirt.

//www.antiwar.com/orig/gsmith.php?articleid=1...

MasoudA

I suppose all the old timer Iranian-Americans have Americanized so much that they are working full time paying for the mortgage and the SUV payments and taking the kids to the soccer games on the weekends!

Honestly I don't care how long Trita has been in US or if he was born in Ahwaz or not. What matters to me is to see him actively engage with Iranian Americans, for example this board.

Other than that, Masoud jAn, like all of us, you are asking questions and offering no answers or making no moves.
Trita has!

MasoudA they MUST be doing something right

right?  otherwise why would some of us who are US citizens and have been here for more than 30 years and gone from hostage crisis through 9/11 support them? Besides, why should they apologize for being able to capture the support of Iranians? It is EASY to be against IRI.  All you have to say is death to IRI and you're done.  Pretty much nothing else to say beyond that other than extra super death to IRI.

Personally I am done with this subject. Same old boring stuff, for some of us.

Mehran

I don`t think Iranians have any special feeling against anything with Zion in it. Of course, the Islamist gang among them do suffer severely under this syndrome.

Now, the answer to your question is easy. There is an `Israel Public Affairs Committee` and it operates in the United states of America, so it is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Is having that name also a zionist crime?

Fair enough. If NIAC is a lobby group for Iran, it must come clear and identify itself as a lobby group. If it isn`t, then it shouldn`t act like one. If it does, then it shouldn`t try to shut up those who criticize it.
Very simple.

Again !!

 My problem is realy not with  Trita Parsi or NIAC - my problem is with the ease by which Trita Parsis of the world are injected into Iranian political arenas.    There are an estimated 4 million Iranian Americans - majority of them with grave love for Iran - have any of you ever asked yourselves why is it that we are represented by a 30 year old who just got to USA ?   Does he even have his citizenship yet ?  Who put him in a position to speak on behalf of 4 million of us ?  How was it done ?   I am sure part of the answer has to do with us being so "media" and "politics" shy.   When we are not there to represent us - we do get represented with the likes of Trita Parsi - which is a great "Designer" Persian name to earn our trust.   Are we realy as much of the baboons as they take us for ?   Even if Trita Parsi has no ill intentions or is his own man - could'nt the Iranian/American community find someone with more political experience to address US Congress ?   This guy indirectlyy threatened America at our expense - after Ahamadinejad had announced IRI has 20,000 "operatives" in America ?!!!  

As I said - my problem is with you Iranian Patriots - as great as we may be individualy - collectively we %$#@ !!   I am reminded of Giv Mirfeneresky's article - "the power of one" - how true.   

Hassan Daei is in court against Trita - It's a great opportunity for the Iranian American community to "Clean-up" a lot of the mess IRI's lobby fund has established - cease the opportunity - for a better Iran - better America - and a better world.

BTW - thanks to JJ - and I thought photo of that book - All the Shahs men - was a nice touch.   I am sure if you had more time you would have found a copy of Alam's memoires - the other bible for the Lobbysts.    

Dear Zion

Let's just say that we Iranians (like the rest of the humanity) have developed a leery attitude with anything that has a part of Zionist in it!

But really, NIAC is just another lobbying group trying to offset the aggressive behavior of another lobbying group in Washington called AIPAC.

Which bring up this question: what does "American Israel" mean in "American Israel Public Affairs committee" name? Is Israel really an American state or is it just wishfull thinking on Israelis and acting as it is such?

I would understand "American Israeli" but someone really needs to explain "The American Israel"!

Zion why don't you answer your own questions?

You don't seem to be interested in any answer.  Besides I am sure you already know the answers.  Don't you? These seem like rhetorical questions and we are not that naive you know?  Or is that a question too?

Questions still unanswered

I do not fully trust NIAC given its position towards the IRI interests. However I still do not have enough information about it. There are still issues that are unclear. Here is a thread about them with a lot of supporters, so it is a good place to ask my questions and look for the this information. I can`t find it on their website. Natalia asked me to check there and I answered her. Instead of this kind of pathetic defensive attitude attempt to discover my hidden intentions (Heard of the Inquisition anyone?) , why don`t you just give the relevant information?

Karim S, I have seen those sections. I did not ask for their sources of funding. I still do not have answers to most of the questions. If this is not a lobby group, if it is only concerned about the needs of the Iranian-Americans, then why so much focus on Iran-US relations, why being engaged in allegedly receiving secret correspondences between the two states? Why so much focus on US foreign policy? If it is not a lobby group why is it modeled after AIPAC? AIPAC is a lobby group. American Israel Public Affairs Committee. AIPAC does not claim to be a council for Jewish issues in America. Why such haste to use legal measures against any critics, why so much focus on silencing some of those same Iranian-Americans? It gives the names of a number of people who have formed the group. So? Why the 'National'? Was it the result of a nation wide campaign by majority of Iranian Americans who had chosen these few to form this Council, or did they decide it for themselves? Sending pamphlets about the issues that come up is not what I asked for either. Who oversees that the decisions are really made based on the collected pamphlets? Is there a board of directors? Is it possible to change the leadership? Are their periodic elections? The site claims:
NIAC does, however, advocate the interests of the Iranian-American community-as defined by Iranian Americans-on Capitol Hill.
but it gives no information on the election process of its board of if there is a board. Do you not see that given such a claim, there is the need for such information beside it?
I don`t know the answers, and I think it is a good policy for such a group to have such information readily available, especially if they are this concerned about their image.

Did any of you asked these questions at all before throwing in your support? I don`t know how old this army of loudmouth supporters in this thread are, but given the kind of comments and the evidently uninformed and unconditional support that is bestowed with such frenzy, I can easily see the same type of people shouting in the streets in the same kind of unconditional support of the Ayatollahs in 1979. Sadly the experience of the last 30 years seems to have taught some of you very little.

"Victim" of success

There was a time when NIAC was not "famous".  Then they started working and along the way showed up on some TV news programs and then people started noticing them.

This thread is a good example of how they have evolved and their standing. I think they are in the middle of their progression and not at their peak yet.

My suggestion to them is take note and continue your work instead of getting tangled in these silly debates.  Every time there is an article about or from NIAC, there are dozens of comments and attacks against "IRI" and some people's inability to understand the discussion at hand. 

Death to IRI is simple.  Anything beyond that is Calculus.  Back to you are either with us or against us argument.  What about me? what about me ...

On the other hand many of us get too passionate and simply start to get offended if anything wrong is said against NIAC.  I'd just carry on and talk about stuff that is real and don't get bogged down.  Those who are succeeding are beyond these side useles debates.  That cartoon while it can be funny and approved by NIAC, it may show NIAC trying to "please" everyone.  You can't please everyone.

As we say in Farsi and I don't remember the first part now :-)

In vez vez haw ke mibi-knee, magassaw-nand be dowr-e shirini.

Yes, but....

I’ve been reading the comments to this piece with interest. Clearly NIAC has many supporters, at least among the Iranian.com readership, who are more than prepared to be vociferous in expressing their support for the organization. And why not? They are fully entitled to do so and I support their entitlement to their opinions.

But I do have a small problem with some (by no means all) of the NIAC supporters’ comments here and a bigger problem with NIAC’s actions/policies.

My problem with some NIAC supporters is the unrestrained haste and abandon with which they label anyone who criticizes or even questions NIAC’s activities as “Dinosaurs left from Shah regime, Zionists and MEK traitors and Neo cons” etc. The inference is that no other Iranian could/would question NIAC unless he/she belonged to one or more of these groups. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it I were listening to typical intolerant Hezbollahi dismissal of anything/anyone dares be critical of their actions. But I’m not sure that’s not the case here, and maybe people are momentarily letting their emotions get the better of them.

Moving on to my bigger problem with NIAC itself, for the record let me first say that I’m not a member or supporter of the “Dinosaurs left from Shah regime, Zionists and MEK traitors and Neo cons”. I can’t stand the neo-cons or any traitor of Iran. Whether this will stop some people thinking or accusing me of this I don’t know, but hey, people can think and say what they like. As I said before, they are fully entitled to do so.

And now to my problem with NIAC, and more specifically one of their main campaigns, which is to lobby for the prevention of US military attack on Iran. And here’s the thing, I fully support the principle of working for prevention of external military attack on Iran. We have already witnessed the disaster wreaked on Iraq by the war mongers George Bush, Dick Cheney et al, who lied and deceived their way to a terrible conflict in defiance of the international law. As horrible as Saddam Hussein’s regime was, this awful war has made things far worse for the Iraqi people, who have been subjected to terrible suffering, not least because of their own tribal and religious divisions as well as the US actions.

So, in principal I fully support NIAC working to prevent a similar fate befalling Iran, which (under a full ground invasion – if it ever were to happen) would make for a far worse conflict, causing unimaginable suffering for the Iranian people. So, what’s my problem with NIAC? It’s this: it takes TWO sides to bring about a conflict. Certainly the Bush administration deserves condemnation for its polices and posturing towards Iran and we all know about the history of US interference in Iran, particularly the CIA sponsored coup that toppled Mossadegh’s government. But the main reason why Iran is under threat is due to the Islamic Republic (IR) regime that rules Iran. It is the IR that through its relentless hostile policies and actions for nearly 30 years has needlessly made Iran a target.

From the very outset the IR made its intentions clear with its “Marg bar America” and stars and stripes flag burning rituals, that have become a constant feature of the regime’s public gatherings in Iran, and its violent take over of the US embassy and taking hostage of the embassy staff. It was also the IR that, through its Lebanese Hezbollah allies, organized the suicide attack that killed 250 US marines on peace keeping mission in Lebanon and the numerous hostage taking of westerners in the same country in the 1980s.

More recently, it is the IR that (by using the Iranian people’s oil revenue) has been supporting, training and funding various extremist groups all over the Middle East from Lebanon, to Palestine to Iraq. It is the IR President that habitually threatens Israel (what business is the Israel/Palestine conflict of his or Iran’s; I don’t know). It is the IR that at the very least is the prime suspect in numerous other hostile and murderous acts overseas against many of its own citizens and citizens of other countries e.g. the bombing and killing 85 or so Jewish people in Argentina in 1994.

My point is that we should not be surprised that Iran has become a potential target. And, above all, the responsibility for this rests with the IR and its cumulative and relentlessly hostile actions and policies for nearly 30 years, towards the West and the US in particular. Somebody said earlier that there are already other groups working for the welfare and plight of people inside Iran, so no need for NIAC to do the same. But the fact that NIAC is campaigning to prevent an attack on Iran must mean that it is doing so principally in the interests of the people INSIDE Iran.

Now, I have not mentioned anything about the brutal repression practiced by the IR against the people inside Iran. So, for now let’s absolve NIAC from the responsibility of taking on that issue. But I have to ask: if NIAC is so concerned about preventing an attack on Iran, why is it taking only one side (the US) to task? Why is NIAC not addressing the other, and chief, contributor to the predicament that Iran finds itself in today, namely the Islamic Republic of Iran, too? Why do we not hear a peep from NIAC directed at the IR to change course and moderate, if not altogether drop, its relentless hostility towards the US and the West and help ease tensions between the two countries?

OK My Three Cents ;0)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTYg2Q-vDJ0&feature=related

Were caught in a trap
I cant walk out
Because I love you too much baby

Why cant you see
What youre doing to me
When you dont believe a word I say?

We cant go on together
With suspicious minds
And we cant build our dreams
On suspicious minds

So, if an old friend I know
Drops by to say hello
Would I still see suspicion in your eyes?

Here we go again
Asking where Ive been
You cant see these tears are real
Im crying

We cant go on together
With suspicious minds
And be cant build our dreams
On suspicious minds

Oh let our love survive
Or dry the tears from your eyes
Lets dont let a good thing die

When honey, you know
Ive never lied to you
Mmm yeah, yeah

NIAC’s Intention????

I am not so clear about NIAC’s intentions. Is NIAC advocating for dialogue with Islamic regime or Iranian people? There is a great distinction, you know! Islamic regime is neither a true representative nor advocate for Iranian people and their interests, inside or outside Iran. Even if it accepts the dialogue, it will only enter negotiations over its own interests and survival and the sacrifice will be Iran and Iranian people again (remember recent Caspian sea negotiations and arabian gulf consortium) . Perhaps NIAC needs to make this crystal clear to avoid skepticism over its intentions and activities, then it could become much more popular and Iranians inside and outside of iran would get behind its message and activities in great numbers.

Jamshid's intention

When it comes to Bush, the MEK, the Israel Lobby or anybody who wants to bomb Iran, you are full of trust and never question them. But NIAC is suspicious ha? Very interesting. So if NIAC let you or anybody else just walk all over its organization then they would be good? What are your real intentions? Why you only write negative comments against any motion towards peace for Iran?

Q is a magician

He can make a thing like Zion disappear. Actually, Q can make the Zion creature put its tail between its legs and disappear. Zion make Nazis look like beautiful people! Sometimes I wonder if Zion and Fred and such things are actually "hezbollahis" trying to destroy Zionists' image (as if Zionists need any help from them) by appearing to represent Zionist ideas in such a terrible fashion.

Excuse me, but...

is there somehow not enough people and organizations talking about human rights problems in Iran?

NIAC has a different mission involving Iranians here in the US, why should it not concentrate on that mission? There are already so many Iranian groups that are working on that.

Questions for NIAC?

for all of those who have questions for NIAC - pls don't waste your time on this forum if you are really serious (which i doubt you are). If you are serious - then go to NIAC's website. It's the most transparent Iranian American organization. you want to know about their finances? Well check out this link and download their tax returns (!!!). Now do you get that from their critics?

//www.niacouncil.org/index.php?option=com_con...

Want to get direct responses to the MKO accusations by Daieslam? Just go here:

//www.niacouncil.org/index.php?option=com_con...

//www.niacouncil.org/index.php?option=com_con...

I want to know why they are suing Daeslam for defamation?

//www.niacouncil.org/index.php?option=com_con...

now, i think the best thing NIAC has done lately is to sue Daoeslam. The politics of character assassination and defamation must be ended. NIAC is right when it says that putting an end to defamation is a prerequisite for our comunity to achieve our political potential in the US.

Now, those who are raising questions over and over again, are either ignorant and lazy - since all the questions are all answered by NIAC - OR they have hidden agendas.

I would suspect that they have hidden agendas mindful of the fact that they say NIAC's supporters are pro-IRI. Where on earth did they get that from? They are just making up stuff as they go along.

Its the politics of lying, lying, lying.

And NIAC is doing a wonderful job putting a stop to all this lying.

NIAC & Iranian.com synergy!

Thanks to NIAC and Iranian.com we are gaining some voice in US! I personally want to thank Trita and Jahanshah for creating venues and means so our voice can be heard. You have no idea how frustrating and debilitating is to have a grievance and not have a voice to express that. Our rights among them our civil rights would be violated with impunity if we have no representation and no voice.

I am glad that JJ visited NIAC. We have to gain visibility in this country. These men are our pioneers and trail blazers for generations of Iranians to come.

As for the annoying noise and a vocal minority on this site one has to wonder Since when those under banner of "Zion" have had anything good in mind for Iran and Iranians?! Keep up the good work guys. I can assure you both friends and foes are watching you closely and your efforts are not going to be in vain.

Trita

Well thanks JJ for "adjusting" your censorship level and thanks Jamshid for your good observation.
I think we all should expect NIAC and Trita personally be reading these postings as that is how NIAC can measure their success in gaining support from Iranian-Americans.
Honestly I would be surprised if they are not reading and discussing what is going on here.
I think it would be proper and even required for Trita to clarify some of questions and issues that are raised here.

Re: NIAC

We Iranians have been betrayed so many times during our history and specially in the last 50 years that we are left with deep psychological scars in our minds and in our thinking process.

We rightfully suspect everyone's intentions, specially when it comes to politics. We feel that we have the right to ask questions and to get answers. The last time we forgot to ask questions we ended up with the IRI.

Today many Iranians are questioning NIAC's intentions not because they are against NIAC's efforts, but because they suspect NIAC's intentions.

This stems from the fact that NIAC lacks a strong and firm critical position against the IRI's violent abuse of human rights, suppression of democracy and rampant spread of economic unequality.

NIAC has only recently voiced its concerns about human rights violations, and even then only under the pretext of improving the political relations between the US and Iran in order to avoid war.

Iranian-Americans are concerned about the dangers of a war, but they are also EQUALLY concerned about IRI's violations against its citizens.

NIAC can become popular among all of Iranians only when it addresses both of these two important areas, avoiding war and firmly demanding the IRI to change its criminal behavior.

Another critical area is NIAC's public relations. Since NIAC is currently being overwhelmingly supported by IRI supporters, naturaly a flag has been raised among those who are against the IRI; these are Iranians who constitute the majority of Iranians both in Iran and abroad. Remember that we Iranians are rightfully a suspicious bunch.

So NIAC has to launch a damage control campaign that would assure the rest of us that its efforts on behalf of Iranian-Americans are not to benefit the IRI, but to benefit Iran's people.

Filing a lawsuit against a person who is critical of NIAC does not help NIAC's public relations at all. In fact, it will have a lasting negative impact, as it only demonstrates NIAC's willingness to crush any serious critical voice raised against it, hardly a democratic behavior.

Jahanshah Javid

You can trust Trita as much as you like -

but right now the question is - can we trust you ?   after deleting my last post - it is clear you are part of a certain agenda.   Maybe even related to the court case.  

dear xrm, I certainly hope you are right

a mule would be easily suceptable to propaganda and smear campaigns.... would for example think that what Zion is posting is actually from a genuine concern and the honest desire for the answers.

But I'm glad most Iranians are not that way.

Q

Mr. Qumars,

Believe it or not most Iranians are not mules. We decide for ourselves who to like or dislike. Therein give us a chance.

Merci Beaucoup

Zion is not interested in answers, it's a smear campaign

I really wish people on this site would listen to me more often, this is what I have been saying for a long time!

Zion: NIAC is allowed to put whatever they see fit on their website which is same as any other similar organization. Have you ever asked the Zionist Organization of America about what is or isn't accessible from their website? What's the procedure for becoming the president of AIPAC? What can I do if I (rightly) mistrust their policies? How do I become a member of ADL? It's not clear from their website. Does that mean they are hiding something???

The real issue is have you asked them these questions too? Therein we find that you are not interested in the the answers.

Furthermore, you can always contact the organization itself and ask them questions (if you were interested in the answers), but I think anyone would be justified in responding with: who wants to know? Therein we find that you are not interested in transparency either.

Why the censor? why threats

Why the censor? why threats on zion? He actually represents the large silent majority of those who don't have any stakes in the Islamic Republic's surivial. Beside, zion poses questions that all of us should ask before this grotesque show of veneration and sevility toward someone who cannot defend himself and has to resort to lawyers???

Zion stop meddling w/NIAC &anything Iranian here!JustBomb Iran!

You really are too much! Let us practice our right of freedom of speech without intimidation and interference by agents of the zionist regime! NIAC doesnt need your advise and need not answer to you! Who do you think you are demanding an answer from them? Did they ask you for advice? Are they a threat to the zionists?

NIAC, keep up the goodwork! you are representing most of us, not the israeli intersts, and that is bothersome to some! Down with mollahs and Zion...!

Thank you

Thank you for your hard work,Braveness,Humanity and Love for Iran and Iranians. Thank You

Dear JJ

you are certainly out of line with your censorship. Either you are having a bad day or just letting your success get in your head.
In any case, my views about your site has taken a hit and we shall see what happens in future.

Anyone who cares enough to respond, gets doubly discouraged by unreasonable censorship. You seem to be quick to allow posts that reflect your views.
but then again, we don't know what rules you use to play god! else I will challenge you for your decisions.

Natalia

Indeed masoudA's post seems to have been deleted. We must have a bunch of
whining pansies in here who frivolously keep reporting posts as abusive or just
over zealous and trigger happy moderators/censors.

Zion

If you follow the link that JJ provided for NIAC you will find several tabs that will lead you to some of the answers, you seek. For example, yes anyone can be a member. The standard member fee is $40 and the price goes up as the level of membership does.

No, I am not a member of NIAC. I need to learn more about them and other political organizations before I decide.

Now, I hope people don't begin to think negatively about NIAC because they have a membership fee. I can tell you that many different grass roots organizations charge a fee to help them defray expenses.

Solh va Doosti (paz a vosotros)

Nadia (AKA)

Thumbs Up Zion!!

Thnx much Zion for your questions/comments.
Your inquiry with the NIAC board of directors & questioning their selection procedures proves that the wisdom still pays off well in this illusionary era.