To the Honorable Congresswoman Claudia Tenney and Senator Bill Hagerty. I am writing to you, distinguished members of the United States Congress, to express my appreciation for your support of the brave Iranian people and your powerful statement in regard to the plot to kidnap Masih Alinejad, a prominent Iranian-American activist, author, and journalist who lives in New York City.
In so doing, you have shown, in action, your adherence to the principle of decency and human rights, that override commercial considerations and political expedience. The Islamic Republic of Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism.
The regime’s greatest victims are the Iranian people.
Regime elites squander the people’s resources and opportunities while suppressing freedom and basic human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “no one shall be subjected to torture” or to “arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile.”
But think of the Baha’is, the Sunni minorities, or even non-religious persons in Iran who continually face prison, torture, and execution for their faith, their basic beliefs. Our public support, our moral support is important. Our calls for justice matter.
The Iranian regime has shown:
1. Blatant disregard for the Vienna Convention and its guarantee of protection for diplomatic personnel.
2. Wanton violation of human rights in Iran.
3. Sponsorship of terrorism in much of the world, with particular focus on the greater Middle East.
4. Support for Hamas and Hezbollah in their belligerence against Israel.
5. Collaboration with Bashar Assad of Syria’s regime in genocidal crime.
6. Commitment to the destruction of the State of Israel.
7. Persistence in developing nuclear weapons programs to further its misguided aggressive agenda that can prompt the other Middle Eastern states to pursue the course of nuclear proliferation.
In short, I find it my duty to acknowledge and thank you for the courage and kindness you have expressed about the plight of Iranian freedom fighters.
It is timely to be reminded of the warning of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is indeed a miscarriage of justice to Iranians and an imminent threat — not only to Iranians but to the world at large.
