Thank you so much for your interest in signing on this letter of solidarity with the people of Iran. Please see letter here and sign via the form below.

IRANIAN-AMERICAN WOMEN ELECTED OFFICIALS & CANDIDATES:  STATEMENT AND CALL TO ACTION TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE OF IRAN

Like the rest of the world, we are in profound awe of the fearless women and girls in Iran leading the revolution against the Islamic Republic. The heroism displayed by Iranians is inspirational, and those out on the streets deserve our full attention and support as they call for Women, Life, Freedom.

We fully condemn the murderous and barbaric Islamic Republic that has violently oppressed Iranian people for 43 years. We support the calls by the people of Iran for a new government; one that is democratically elected and free. We believe firmly in self-determination and that it should be the people of Iran who decide their own destiny. 

Our own parents -- and some of us here -- fled Iran because of the brutality of the Islamic Republic and its extreme regime during and following the 1979 revolution. The Islamic Republic has tortured and killed several of our family members and loved ones. That’s how our families came to call the United States home; it’s why many of us were born and/or raised here, in a country that supports the principles of democracy, human rights, and women’s equality.  Undoubtedly, the privileges and opportunities — including the opportunity to serve as female elected officials — that we have had here as Americans would be impossible for us in the Islamic Republic.

Today we hold renewed hope for the women of Iran and for the future of a free Iran, and want to assert clearly where we stand:

First, we vehemently oppose all efforts and remarks (past and present) by anyone downplaying the brutality of the Islamic Republic. According to the U.S.-based human rights monitor HRANA, at least 283 protesters have been killed since demonstrations swept Iran on September 17th. The group has indicated that 44 among the dead were below the age of 18. Protests first began after the brutal murder of Mahsa (Jina) Amini and right now security forces are increasingly raiding schools and targeting schoolgirls. The brutality of today and of the past cannot be ignored.

Second, we agree with the Biden-Harris Administration that all discussions on the JCPOA should be paused, and instead the American government should provide assistance in maintaining internet access so that the people of Iran may continue to expose the injustices of their daily lives. We urge the United States and the international community to amplify the demands and the will of the Iranian people.

Finally, we urge citizens to call their federal representatives and ask them to push for a U.N. Investigative Mechanism for crimes against humanity committed by the Islamic Republic. It is also imperative that the Islamic Republic be immediately removed from the U.N. Women’s Commission and we urge the Biden Administration to help in these efforts.

Our record as independently-minded and human rights-focused individuals who advocate for freedom and equality is what drives us to serve our communities and sign on to this letter today.

As the fearless people of Iran continue to take to the streets, we call for unity among the Iranian-American diaspora and global community. Yes, many of us come from various political backgrounds and identities. But engaging in genuine democratic dialogue – a freedom that we are deeply privileged to have here in the United States and that the Iranian people are so bravely fighting for right now – means that we should never harass or threaten violence toward one another. We are stronger united than we are divided.

After all, we each share in the same hope: a free Iran, where Women, Life, Freedom is not only a rallying cry but a reality for the Iranian people.