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)
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