FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) continues to monitor developments affecting Iran with deep concern for the safety, dignity, and fundamental rights of the Iranian people. For decades, the people of Iran have endured repression and the denial of basic freedoms under the Islamic Republic.
While Iranian Americans represent a diverse community with a wide range of perspectives about Iran’s future and its potential leadership, PAAIA’s annual national surveys consistently show that a significant majority of Iranian Americans maintain close family ties to Iran and remain deeply invested in the Iranian people’s aspirations for freedom, human rights, and a peaceful, democratic future.
PAAIA also underscores the importance of responsible public discourse and accurate representation of Iranian American perspectives. Credible research consistently shows that certain exile political groups, frequently amplified in public debates, have minimal support among Iranian Americans. For example, a recent Congressional Research Service report provides historical background on the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), including its controversial history and past designation by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization until 2012. In light of these realities, media outlets and policymakers should carefully consider which voices genuinely reflect the views of the Iranian American community and the Iranian people.
Despite decades of repression, the Iranian people have repeatedly demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience. Iranian Americans draw inspiration and strength from that courage and remain steadfast in their hope that universal values of freedom, human rights, and democratic accountability will ultimately prevail.
About PAAIA
The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents the interests of Iranian Americans and promotes greater understanding between the Iranian American community and the broader American public.
