FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jamal Abdi
Phone: 202-386-6408
Email: [email protected]
Washington, DC – National Iranian American Council Policy Director Jamal Abdi issued the following statement in response to Trump’s Congressional address:
“After months of demonizing Muslims, banning Iranians from visiting their families in America, and fanning the flames of hatred in our country, Donald Trump finally went on a limb tonight and condemned acts of hate. It was far too little, far too late. It is unacceptable to pay lip service against hate tonight and ban our families tomorrow.
“As Trump’s speech hinted at and as we expected, the administration plans to issue a renewed Muslim ban as soon as tomorrow that will separate Iranian Americans from their loved ones, punish America’s economy, and make all of our families less safe. The Iranian-American community will redouble its efforts in the courts, the Congress, and across the country alongside our allies to overturn the Muslim ban and rescind this shameful and un-American act.
“Donald Trump is trying to ban ordinary Iranians from this country because of bigotry, not legitimate security interests. No Iranian has ever been implicated in a terrorism-related death inside America. Yet at least one person – the recent hate crime victim in Kansas – has now been murdered because someone thought the man was Iranian. The rhetoric and the policies of the Trump administration are fueling anti-Muslim, anti-Jewish, and anti-Iranian hate inside this country. Refusing to connect the dots on this phenomenon, paying lip service to it, or turning a blind eye is no longer an option.
“The Members of Congress who failed to take a firm stand against this ban will soon have to make a choice. Stand up to Trump and stand for your country, or stand on the wrong side of history. They must stop Trump’s bigotry or be defined by it.”
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The National Iranian American Council is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the voice of Iranian Americans and promoting greater understanding between the American and Iranian people. We accomplish our mission through expert research and analysis, civic and policy education, and community building.
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