Community & Heritage

Empower Our Community & Preserve Our Heritage

NIAC works to: Provide the information and tools necessary for the Iranian-American community to be fully engaged in the American civic process. Ensure that the Iranian-American community has a strong voice in Washington, DC. Promote and protect our rich and historic culture.

Among the richest, most enduring cultures in the world, Iranian heritage spans four millennia and is responsible for some of the world’s greatest artistic, literary, and mathematical contributions to human history. NIAC is proud to honor, celebrate, and protect this heritage in America on behalf of Iranian-Americans, whether this means delivering the first-ever Congressional recognition of Norooz, the Iranian New Year; waging a full-scale defense to protect ancient Iranian antiquities; or educating policymakers about the proud heritage of Americans of Iranian descent.

One of NIAC’s top priorities is to protect the Persepolis Tablets, priceless artifacts that provide a unique first-hand account of life in the Persian Empire. The Persepolis Tablets are a part of Iran’s rich heritage that should continue to be shared at museums and universities. Unfortunately, lawyers seeking damages against the Iranian government have filed suit against American museums and universities to seize and auction the Tablets and other Persian artifacts. NIAC has led the Iranian-American community’s efforts to protect the Tablets, fighting in the courts, the Congress, and even the White House to protect the Persepolis Tablets. In order to permanently secure the Tablets and all other priceless Persian artifacts under threat, NIAC is working with Congress to change the law to protect all cultural artifacts held by American museums and universities so our heritage will never again come under attack.

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Related Legislation & Resources

Legislation		Position		Resources
Protection of Cultural Property - Protecting cultural artifacts held by American museums and institutions of higher learning from lawsuits against foreign sovereigns.		Support		Bill Text, One Pager
Nowruz (Norooz) Resolution (H.RES.267) - Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz, expressing appreciation to Iranian-Americans for their contributions to society, and wishing Iranian-Americans and the people of Iran a prosperous new year.		Support		Bill text

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Related News

Iranian-American Brothers Lead Charge To Reform US Educational System Thursday, May 9, 2013 By: Trita Parsi (Special to Iranian.com) Say Iranian-American and few will think social entrepreneur or political advocate. Engineer? Yes. Doctor? Certainly. Reality show star? Yes, a few. Lawyer? Definitely. But a force for political reform and change? Not quite yet.

Watch: Iranian-Jewish Dialogue on the Cyrus Cylinder Thursday, April 4, 2013 By: NIAC Staff - News Last week, NIAC co-hosted an Iranian-Jewish Dialogue on the Cyrus Cylinder with the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution (CRDC) and the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA).

Iranian-Jewish Dialogue on the Cyrus Cylinder Tuesday, March 12, 2013 By: Yasmin Radjy CRDC, FEZANA, and NIAC invite you to a shared panel and celebration in honor of the presence in Washington of the Cyrus Cylinder and its significance for the peaceful interaction of civilizations based on universal human rights and human dignity.

Introducing NIAC's 2013 Ambassadors Thursday, February 7, 2013 By: Sahar Fahimi - News After two successful years under our belts, NIAC is proud to announce a wonderful team of new and returning Ambassadors to help us better serve NIAC's members and supporters in 2013.

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Contact NIAC's Policy Team

The National Iranian American Council is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the interests of the Iranian-American community. We accomplish our mission by supplying the resources, knowledge and tools to enable greater civic participation by Iranian Americans and informed decision making by policymakers.

US government officials and policymakers in need of rapid support can contact the NIAC policy team for in-depth information and analysis either by phone at 202.386.6325 or via email at policy@niacouncil.org. (Note: If you don't have a government (.gov) email address, please use our regular contact form. All non-government emails will be blocked by spam filters.)

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