Washington, DC - Over the past eighteen months, civil liberty organizations have documented increased patterns of discrimination against Iranian Americans. The most common manifestations of this discrimination against Iranian Americans have been inequity in employment practices, immigration discrimination, FBI background check delays, security clearance denials, no fly lists, and unwarranted FBI surveillance and interrogation.
One significant reason for this rise in discrimination may be attributed to the general lack of understanding about Iranian Americans. This, coupled with efforts to better educate Iranian Americans about their constitutional and civil rights, has led to a unified nationwide campaign to address these issues and provide a safety net for the Iranian American community.
The Iranian American Know Your Rights Campaign comprises a coalition of national organizations, including: the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Amnesty International, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Iranian American Bar Association, the Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC), the National Lawyers Guild, and the National Legal Sanctuary for Community Advancement (NLSCA).
On June 2nd, 2005 in Los Angeles, the Iranian American Know Your Rights Campaign officially launched through a press briefing at the offices of the ACLU of Southern California. Due to the success of the launch, on August 3rd, 2005, the coalition spread the campaign to Northern California. On that day, Iranian and American press gathered at the San Francisco offices of the NLSCA to learn about the efforts underway by various civil and human rights organizations to ensure the protection of rights for the Iranian American community.
The Iranian American Know Your Rights Coalition is now bringing the campaign to the East Coast. We are very pleased to invite you to join us on July 12th, 2006 to a Town Hall Meeting with special guest Congressman Marty Meehan (D-5th/MA) at:
George Washington University Law School
Faculty Conference Center – Lerner Hall
2000 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20052
6:30 P.M. - 8:30 P.M
Light Refreshments will be Served
The purpose of the Town Hall Meeting is two-fold: to educate the local Iranian American community as well as the community at large about the discrimination currently taking place, and to create feasible solutions to this ever growing problem by drawing on various perspectives and expertise from within the coalition and the community. Featured panelists will include:
Moderated by Robert Babayi, Executive Director, Washington, DC Chapter of the IABA
Banafsheh Akhlaghi, President and Founder of the NLSCA
Dana Hutter, District Director of the EEOC of Washington, DC
Dalia Hashad, Director of Amnesty International, USA
Balt Baca, Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
Panelist subject to change
Congressman Meehan sponsored House Resolution 367 condemning discrimination and bigotry against Iranian Americans. The resolution is a response to documented reports of discrimination targeting the Iranian American community.
Seating is limited. Please email your RSVP to arya@iranianamericanpac.org or call (202) 824-0718.
From: IAPAC
Reading and Book Signing with editor Persis M. Karim, and Minneapolis based playwright Layla Dowlatshahi of LET ME TELL YOU WHERE I'VE BEEN: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora (2006). At the Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Ave, South, Minneapolis, 612-215-2575. Free. for more information: http://www.persiskarim.com
From: Persis Karim
From Mexican director Carolina Rivas and cinematographer Daoud Sarhandi comes this elegant and visually breathtaking new film about the Palestinian experience. The Amer family lives surrounded by the infamous West Bank Wall, where their daily lives are dominated by electrified fences, locked gates and a constant swarm of armed soldiers.
This unique and intimate documentary shares their private world, allowing a glimpse of the constant struggles and the small, endearing details that sustain them. THE COLOR OF OLIVES is an artistic and beautifully affecting reflection on the effects of racial segregation, the meaning of borders and the absurdity of war.
Theatrical premiere at the
PIONEER THEATER - JULY 12th
www.twoboots.com/pioneer/olives.htm
For showtimes call (212) 591 0434
www.thecolourofolives.com
From: Ryan Davis