On March 20, President Obama marked Norooz, the Iranian New Year, with his strongest words to date in solidarity with the people of Iran. "Though times may seem dark," he told Iranians, "I am with you."
Days later, with significant US backing, the UN Human Rights Council voted to establish a human rights monitor on Iran, answering the call of Iranian human rights and democracy activists.
There are a number of crucial measures to build on the monitor effort. Though they may not appear sweeping enough to some, they actually make a difference. The absence of a silver bullet should not prevent us from taking these small but important steps to stand with the Iranian people.
Nazila Fathi and Keith Ellison speak at this week's conference, hosted by the National Iranian American Council, on human rights in Iran.
Fathi was the correspondent for The New York Times in Tehran but was forced to leave soon after the 2009 Presidential election. Ellison, a Democrat from Minnesota, is the first Muslim to be elected to the US Congress.
The National Iranian American Council in Washington is hosting a one-day conference, "Answering the Iranian People's Call for Human Rights". The morning session, beginnng 8:45 a.m. local time (1345 GMT), will feature addresses by Suzanne Nossel, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations; Jonas Hafström, Sweden's Ambassador to the United States; Representative Keith Ellison; and Nazila Fathi, the New York Times correspondent in Tehran who was forced to leave soon after the June 2009 Presidential election.
In the afternoon, there will be a panel discussion on "The Human Rights Crisis and Iran’s Democracy Movement" with academic and author Nader Hashemi, analyst Alireza Nader, and Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East and North Africa Director of Human Rights Watch.
Today the House of Representatives' Homeland Security Committee, chaired by Peter King (R - New York), opened hearings on "radicalisation of American Muslims".
This is the testimony of Representative Keith Ellison (D - Minn.), the first Muslim elected to the US Congress. Trying to keep his composure, he concluded:
Let me close with a story, but remember that it's only one of many American stories that could be told. Mohammed Salman Hamdani was a 23-year-old paramedic, a New York City police cadet and a Muslim American. He was one of those brave first responders who tragically lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks almost a decade ago....
After the tragedy, some people tried to smear his character solely because of his Islamic faith. Some people spread false rumors and speculated that he was in league with the attackers only because he was Muslim. It was only when his remains were identified that these lies were fully exposed. Mohammed Salman Hamdani was a fellow American who gave his life for other Americans. His life should not be defined as a member of an ethnic group or a member of a religion, but as an American who gave everything for his fellow citizens.
That passage will rightly get attention, but along the way Ellison also made telling points: "Ascribing the evil acts of a few individuals to an entire community is wrong; it is ineffective; and it risks making our country less secure", and "The best defense against extremist ideologies is social inclusion and civic engagement."
FULL TRANSCRIPT OF TESTIMONY
Thank you Chairman King for allowing me to testify today. Though the Chairman and I sometimes disagree, including on the premise of this hearing, I appreciate his willingness to engage in this dialogue. I also thank Ranking Member Bennie Thompson for his commitment to homeland security and civil rights for all. It’s a challenge to protect both security and liberty, but Congressman Thompson strikes the right balance.
Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 7:52
On March 20, President Obama marked Norooz, the Iranian New Year, with his strongest words to date in solidarity with the people of Iran. "Though times may seem dark," he told Iranians, "I am with you."