NIAC's Accomplishments
Since its inception in 2002, NIAC has grown to become the largest Iranian-American grassroots organization in the country, with supporters in all 50 states.
NIAC is a household name on Capitol Hill and has emerged as a trusted source on US-Iran relations and the Iranian-American viewpoint. NIAC is regularly quoted in premier media outlets as an authority on affairs related to the Iranian-American community, including US-Iran relations. NIAC often teams up with groups like the New America Foundation and Amnesty International to discuss issues like the diplomatic relations between the United States and Iran, the deteriorating human rights situation inside Iran and the Iranian nuclear program.
Accomplishments:
Preventing War
- Defeated a Congressional resolution that would have paved the way for a US-Iran war. More Information | Press coverage: Inter Press Service (IPS), Truthout, Washington Times, Iranian.com
- Blocked a Congressional resolution green-lighting Israeli strikes on Iran. More Information
Supporting Human Rights
- Championed the establishment of a United Nations human rights monitor on Iran to investigate human rights abuses. More Information | Press coverage: America.gov, Yahoo! News, JTA News
- Advanced the first targeted measures against Iranian government officials responsible for human rights abuses. More Information
- Ensured human rights were on the agenda when the U.S. began talks with Iran in October 2009. More Information
- Spurred President Obama to condemn the Iranian government's brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators after Iran's disputed election, while refraining from endorsing any political faction. More Information
- Helped remove sanctions on vital online communication tools like MSN Messenger, Facebook, and Youtube to ensure the free flow of information in Iran. More Information | Press coverage: Politico
Opposing Discrimination
- Led the campaign to fix the U.S.’s single-entry visa policy and to allow Iranian students to receive multiple entry visas. More Information | Press coverage: Voice of America Persian, BBC Persian, Chronicle of Higher Education
- Removed offensive and inaccurate portrayals of Iranian
Americans in the film Crossing Over. More Information | Press coverage: Reuters/Hollywood
Reporter, Los
Angeles Times, The Guardian
- Effectively opposed and stopped legislation that would bar every Iranian from entering the United States. More Information | Press coverage: Alternet
- Halted an offensive ad campaign that equated all Iranians with Ahmadinejad. More Information | Press coverage: CNN, Voice of America Persian
- Obtained an apology from Fox sportscasters for racially discriminatory remarks against NBA player Hamed Haddadi. More Information | Press coverage: ESPN Radio, Think Progress
- Compelled a retraction from Rep. Jane Harman for her statement regarding the "separation" of Iran's ethnic groups. More Information
- Ended Monster.com's discrimination against Iranian Americans. More Information
- Elicited an apology from MSNBC's Don Imus for a derogatory comment about an Iranian airliner crash that killed 43 passengers. More Information
Promoting Our Heritage and Community
- Corrected the National Geographic Society's 8th edition maps to read "Persian Gulf" instead of "Arabian Gulf." More Information
- Published the first-ever Census of the Iranian-American community. More Information
- Registered thousands of Iranian-American voters. More Information
Ongoing Work:
- NIAC leads the largest coalition of advocacy groups in Washington DC on US-Iran related issues.
- NIAC regularly hosts briefings on Capitol Hill for congressional staffers on areas of interest to the Iranian-American community. Some of our past briefings have focused on Iran's parliamentary elections, Iran's nuclear program, Iran's role in Iraq, and more.
- NIAC defends Iranian-American interests against corporate and media bias and governmental neglect.
- NIAC monitors, influences, and shapes national legislation affecting Iranian Americans.
- NIAC trains Iranian Americans through civic participation at dozens of workshops across the United Sates, strengthening future generations.
- NIAC gives our youth a helping hand through office internships and the NIAC Public Service and Journalism Fellowship and has supported youth-related efforts such as Iranian Alliances Across Borders' Camp Ayandeh leadership program.
