You're Invited: Congressional Poll Briefing and Panel on U.S.-Iran Relations under Biden
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uPv9yru8SsuiawjHFGqBKw?mc_cid=50f596c9fe&mc_eid=UNIQID Register Here (https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uPv9yru8SsuiawjHFGqBKw?mc_cid=50f596c9fe&mc_eid=UNIQID) ABOUT PAAIA: The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, PAAIA, Inc., is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonreligious 501(c)(4) organization that serves the interests of Iranian Americans and represents the community before U.S. policymakers and the American public at large DONATE (https://paaia.org/get-involved/donate?mc_cid=50f596c9fe&mc_eid=UNIQID) Make a Contribution (https://paaia.org/get-involved/donate?mc_cid=50f596c9fe&mc_eid=UNIQID) | (https://paaia.org/get-involved/donate?mc_cid=50f596c9fe&mc_eid=UNIQID) Become a Member (https://paaia.org/get-involved/donate?mc_cid=50f596c9fe&mc_eid=UNIQID) http://www.twitter.com/paaia?mc_cid=50f596c9fe&mc_eid=UNIQID http://www.facebook.com/PublicAffairsAllianceofIranianAmericans?mc_cid=50f596c9fe&mc_eid=UNIQID http://paaia.org?mc_cid=50f596c9fe&mc_eid=UNIQID Share this E-mail: ** Share (http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fpaaia.org%2F2021-congressional-poll-briefing&mc_cid=50f596c9fe&mc_eid=UNIQID) ** Share (http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fpaaia.org%2F2021-congressional-poll-briefing&mc_cid=50f596c9fe&mc_eid=UNIQID) ** Forward (http://us12.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=815031feb2c3d0f64af28ce90&id=50f596c9fe&e=70eba44e2f) ** Forward (http://us12.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=815031feb2c3d0f64af28ce90&id=50f596c9fe&e=70eba44e2f) Educate ∣ Advocate ∣ Lead Copyright © 2018 Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20015 Suite 440 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can ** update your preferences (https://paaia.us12.list-manage.com/profile?u=815031feb2c3d0f64af28ce90&id=0c8cf993f9&e=70eba44e2f) or ** unsubscribe from this list (https://paaia.us12.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=815031feb2c3d0f64af28ce90&id=0c8cf993f9&e=70eba44e2f&c=50f596c9fe)
PAAIA Requests Meeting with Sen. Graham After DNA Comment
In response to Senator Lindsey Graham's offensive comment on Fox & Friends, PAAIA has written a letter requesting to meet with the Senator. For Immediate Release: Contact: Morad Ghorban Email: mo...@paaia.org Phone: 202-828-8370 View this email in your browser (https://mailchi.mp/paaia.org/cmspaaia-statement-on-recent-us-iran-relationsaspx-219949?e=70eba44e2f) October 17, 2018 Washington, DC – Today, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) sent a letter to Senator Lindsey Graham requesting a meeting and urging him to refrain from broad generalizations about the Iranian people. The letter was prompted by Senator Graham’s clarification over his recent offensive comment on Fox & Friends, when he said that if he took a DNA test, it would probably show that he was “Iranian” and “that’d be, like, terrible.” Senator Graham later apologized for his comment and insisted that his joke was directed towards the rulers of Iran and not the Iranian people. “While we are appreciative of your clarification about the comment, it is important for you to understand that your insensitive joke came across as bigoted and deeply offensive to the Iranian American community,” Dr. Leila Austin, Executive Director of PAAIA, explains in the letter. The letter also notes the significant contributions Iranian Americans have made to all sectors of U.S. society. It explains that the Senator's constituents of Iranian descent are hard-working Americans who deserve his respect and should be praised rather than casually derided. “We hope that you will take the concerns of the Iranian American community seriously and in the future refrain from broad generalizations that are likely to mischaracterize an entire group of Americans and run counter to U.S. foreign policy objectives,” said Austin. PAAIA is committed to educating Members of Congress about the Iranian American community. Read the Letter (https://paaia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GrahamLetter.final_.pdf) ABOUT PAAIA: The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, PAAIA, Inc., is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonreligious 501(c)(4) organization that serves the interests of Iranian Americans and represents the community before U.S. policymakers and the American public at large Make a Contribution (https://paaia.org/get-involved/donate) |Become a Member (https://paaia.org/get-involved/members) http://www.twitter.com/paaia http://www.facebook.com/PublicAffairsAllianceofIranianAmericans http://paaia.org DONATE (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=qy3WdU2i0R2MEsS2wTKZwKGra5ecX57iECwJYUgfG5XcqOAcP8Pwo2Af8dOrIsXd64rn9G&country.x=US&locale.x=US) Share this E-mail: ** (http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fpaaia.org%2Fcmspaaia-statement-on-recent-us-iran-relationsaspx-219949) ** Share (http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fpaaia.org%2Fcmspaaia-statement-on-recent-us-iran-relationsaspx-219949) ** (http://us12.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=815031feb2c3d0f64af28ce90&id=4c4895ab8b&e=70eba44e2f) ** Forward (http://us12.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=815031feb2c3d0f64af28ce90&id=4c4895ab8b&e=70eba44e2f) Educate ∣ Advocate ∣ Lead _ Copyright © 2018 Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20015 Suite 440 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can ** update your preferences (https://paaia.us12.list-manage.com/profile?u=815031feb2c3d0f64af28ce90&id=0c8cf993f9&e=70eba44e2f) or ** unsubscribe from this list (https://paaia.us12.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=815031feb2c3d0f64af28ce90&id=0c8cf993f9&e=70eba44e2f&c=4c4895ab8b)
Senators Send Letter Requesting Clarification of the "Waiver" Process
Senators Van Hollen, Murphy, and Blumenthal sent a follow-up letter requesting clarification of the waiver provisions outlined in the Travel Ban. View this email in your browser (https://mailchi.mp/paaia/paaia-statement-onthe-appointment-of-john-bolton-as-national-security-advisor-219857?e=70eba44e2f) http://paaia.org ** Senators Send Letter Requesting Clarification of the "Waiver" Process ** April 23, 2018 Washington, DC – On April 19, 2018, Senators Van Hollen (D-MD), Murphy (D-CT), and Blumenthal (D-CT) sent a follow-up letter (http://paaia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/4.19.18-followup-van-hollen-letter-to-nielsen-and-sullivan.pdf) to the State Department (DOS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to request further information on the administration’s implementation of Presidential Proclamation 9645, specifically “waiver provisions” outlined in President Trump’s latest Travel Ban. This follow-up letter is the latest request for clarification in a series of inquiries from the administration initiated by a coalition of prominent Iranian American organizations including PAAIA, IABA, and Pars Equality Center in partnership with an alliance of civil society, advocacy, and legal organizations who met with the senators to discuss the issue in January. In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/us/politics/trump-travel-ban-supreme-court.html) to lift the stay on the Travel Ban, the coalition received numerous reports of long-pending visa applications under “administrative processing” being denied, en masse rejection of visa applicants, and the unavailability of waiver applications. In response, the coalition sent a letter to the State Department and met with the senators’ offices to ask for their help in obtaining answers from the Trump administration. The coalition provided the offices with a brief background of our lawsuit (http://endthetravelban.com/) , our findings on the ground, and our recommendations and urged them to follow up our letter with one of their own. As a result, Senators Van Hollen and Flake wrote to the departments asking for clarification on the waivers and stated their discontent with the Travel Ban in general. On February 22, the State Department responded to the inquiries which raised more concerns about the clarity of instructions provided to consular officers and also the ostensible number of waivers, only 2, issued by February 15. In the follow-up letter, the Senators pointed to the lack of information on the baseline criteria required by section 4(a) of the proclamation that requires “the Secretary of State to conduct engagements with the countries subject to the travel restriction on ‘information sharing, identity-management, or risk factor deficiencies’”, and asked for clarification on “the engagements the administration has conducted with the countries identified in the proclamation or the actions the identified countries have taken to come into compliance.” The follow-up letter also raised concerns about the number of waivers issued and the “inconsistent and incomplete” numbers reported by the State Department. It also alluded to the lack of “meaningful guidance on the waiver program”, specifically the three criteria required for a waiver, “national interest,” “undue hardship,” and “threat to national security.” Given these concerns, the letter requested more information to be provided by April 30, 2018. We are awaiting responses from the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security and hope to meet with appropriate representatives to discuss the issue more in-depth. We thank Senators Van Hollen, Murphy, and Blumenthal for their help in seeking clarification of the waiver process. PAAIA and the coalition will continue to update you on how the Travel Ban is affecting the Iranian American community. Please click here (http://paaia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Travel-Ban-Clarification-Letter-to-Dep.-of-State.pdf) to read a full copy of the letter from PAAIA and its coalition. Please click here (http://paaia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/4.19.18-followup-van-hollen-letter-to-nielsen-and-sullivan.pdf) to read a full copy of the follow up letter from senators. ABOUT PAAIA: The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, PAAIA, Inc., is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonreligious 501(c)(4) organization that serves the interests of Iranian Americans and represents the community before U.S. policymakers and the American public at large Make a Contribution (https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=paaia&id=2) | Become a Member (http://paaia.org/get-involved/members) http://www.twitter.com/paaia http://www.facebook.com/PublicAffairsAllianceofIranianAmericans ht
PAAIA Hosts Retreat and Gala, Organizes a Coalition to Request Broader Licensing Authorizations, and Interviews Iranian American Liliana Bakhtiari
PAAIA's IA-100 Hosts 2017 Retreat and Gala in Los Angeles, PAAIA Organizes a Coalition Letter Requesting Broader Licensing Authorizations, and Interviews Iranian American Candidate for Atlanta City Council, Liliana Bakhtiari Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser (http://mailchi.mp/paaia/paaia-hosts-retreat-and-gala-organizes-a-coalition-to-request-broader-licensing-authorizations-and-interviews-iranian-american-liliana-bakhtiari?e=70eba44e2f) . ** PUBLIC AFFAIRS ALLIANCE OF IRANIAN AMERICANS ** NEWSLETTER ** October 25, 2016 ** PAAIA's IA-100 Proudly Hosts Annual Retreat and Gala in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES - The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) proudly hosted its annual Retreat and Gala for its members and special guests at the Montage Beverly Hills this October. The event assembled Iranian Americans from across the country, including elected officials, foreign policy and immigration experts, best-selling authors, and members of PAAIA’s Emerging Leaders Program (http://paaia.org/leadership-building/Iranian-American-emerging-leaders-program) to discuss critically important issues to the Iranian American community. If you would like to see photos of the event, click here. (https://www.facebook.com/pg/PublicAffairsAllianceofIranianAmericans/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10155159637880939) PAAIA honored three remarkable members and advocates of the Iranian American community with prestigious awards at the event. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was presented with a “Distinguished Public Service Award” and Hadi Partovi, CEO and Founder of Code.org, was presented with the “Career Achievement Award” for his successful development of computer programing education across the United States. Finally, the Farhang Foundation received the “Excellence in Community Service Award” for celebrating and promoting Iranian art and culture for the benefit of the community at large, including the Los Angeles Freedom Sculpture, unveiled on July 4th, 2017. This event would not have been possible without the hard-work and dedication of many helping hands. We would like to thank our excellent panelists, moderators, volunteers, and all those in attendance at the event. Please click here (http://paaia.org/CMS/ia-100-proudly-hosts-annual-retreat-gala-montage-beverly-hills.aspx) to read more about the event, or if you would like to watch our video of the panel discussion “Coming to America: The Immigration and Visa Quagmire,” please visit PAAIA’s Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/PublicAffairsAllianceofIranianAmericans/?hc_ref=ARRrRlztWJwWd2ndBL67ken6WPRMju8qZ825tSQKupEwdGGbtQI3abk6he6eFOjAk6g&fref=nf) . ---- ** PAAIA Helps Organize a Coalition Letter Requesting Broader General Licensing Authorizations WASHINGTON - The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), along with a coalition of civil society, advocacy, technology, and Iranian American organizations, sent a letter (http://paaia.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Google-Apple-letter.pdf) to the Secretaries of State and Treasury requesting the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) broaden general licensing authorizations to enhance private technology entrepreneurship in Iran by allowing technology start-up companies to make their applications available on app stores operated by U.S. parties. Signed by nine prominent organizations including the Center for Human Rights in Iran, United 4 Iran, the National Iranian American Council, Pars Equality Center, and the Iranian American Bar Association, the letter advocates for the expansion of General License D-1 (http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/iran_gld1.pdf) (GL D-1) which allows U.S. companies to provide a targeted set of communications tools to Iranians. GL D-1 has been widely praised as an effective example of securing human rights and protecting access to online information in Iran. Please click here (http://paaia.org/CMS/paaia-helps-organize-coalition-letter-requesting-broader-general-licensing-authorizations.aspx) to read more. ---- ** PAAIA Interviews Iranian American Candidate for Atlanta City Council,
Iranian Americans receive the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the State Department requests tighter visa scrutiny, and PAAIA interviews Arian Moayed.
PAAIA congratulates nine Iranian American recipients of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, PAAIA consults with immigration attorney Parastoo Zahedi on the Department of State's call for increased visa scrutiny, and PAAIA interviews Tony Award Nominee Arian Moayed, star of the provocative dual-language adaptation of Hamlet. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser (http://mailchi.mp/paaia/b7majazeir?e=70eba44e2f) . ** PUBLIC AFFAIRS ALLIANCE OF IRANIAN AMERICANS ** NEWSLETTER ** May 17th, 2017 ** PAAIA Congratulates Nine Iranian American Recipients of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Ellis Island, New York - On May 13^th, 2017, nine highly accomplished Iranian Americans, including IA-100 member Mohammed Farzaneh, were awarded the 2017 Ellis Island Medal of Honor for outstanding achievement in their personal and professional lives, as well as their commitment to the preservation of their Iranian culture and heritage and noteworthy citizenship to the United States. Established in 1986 by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO), the Ellis Island Medal of Honor ranks among the nation’s most prestigious awards, paying annual tribute to the ancestry groups that comprise America’s unique cultural mosaic. The Medals are presented on Ellis Island to American citizens of diverse origins for their outstanding contributions to their communities, their nation, and the world. The U.S. Congress sanctions the Ellis Island Medals of Honor and recipients’ names are listed in the Congressional Record. Six Presidents of the United States, Nobel Prize winners, athletes, leaders of industry, artists, and others are among the remarkable group of individuals to have received the award. Click here (http://paaia.org/CMS/paaia-congratulates-eight-iranian-american-recipients-ellis-island-medal-honor.aspx) to view the full article. ---- PAAIA Consults with Expert Immigration Attorney, Parastoo Zahedi, on the State Department’s Proposal for Tighter Visa Scrutiny http://paaia.org/CMS/state-department-calls-increased-visa-scrutiny-including-social-media-investigation.aspxWASHINGTON, DC – Recently, the Trump Administration proposed (http://paaia.org/CMS/state-department-calls-increased-visa-scrutiny-including-social-media-investigation.aspx) stricter vetting procedures, including investigating social media profiles, to keep visa applicants who warrant additional scrutiny “in-connection-with terrorism or other national security-related visa ineligibilities” out of the country. The tighter vetting measures have been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a public comment period. If initiated, the new measures could apply to Iranian visa applicants. PAAIA recently reached out to Parastoo Zahedi, an expert immigration attorney who has been practicing immigration law since 1989, to provide legal analysis of the proposed measures and their impact on Iranian visa applicants. Click here (http://paaia.org/CMS/paaia-interviews-expert-immigration-attorney-parastoo-zahedi-state-departments-proposal-tighter-visa-scrutiny.aspx) to read her analysis. ---- PAAIA Interviews Tony Award Nominee Arian Moayed, Star of the Provocative Dual-Language Adaptation of Hamlet https://sheencenter.org/shows/hamlet/New York, NY - Waterwell Theater Company (http://waterwell.org/) is undertaking a professional stage production of Shakespeare's Hamlet set in 1917 Tehran, during the dawn of World War I. Performing Shakespeare's words in both English and Farsi, Waterwell’s adaptation of Hamlet explores the shifting cultural identities that Persians were facing as the rest of the world was modernizing. With passages spoken in Farsi, this version of Shakespeare's celebrated tragedy explores parallels between Hamlet's central existential dilemma and the compromises of a nation faced with the encroachment of Western influences, then and now. The production features a cast of Iranian, Middle Eastern, and South Asian actors including Tony Award nominee Arian Moayed, the first Iranian actor to play the role of Hamlet in the United States. PAAIA recently had the opportunity to discuss Waterwell’s cultural adaptation of Hamlet with Arian Moayed who received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in 2011 for his performance as Musa in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. PAAIA: Hamlet has been adapted to many cultures and settings, including recent productions in Iran. How is this different? And how does it reflect the struggl
You Are Invited to PAAIA First Annual Gala
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