Leading Societal Figures in Iran Urge Americans to Support Nuclear Deal

More than fifty prominent members of Iranian society have written an open letter to the American people urging them to ask their Congressional representatives to support the nuclear agreement reached with Iran in July 2015. Describing themselves as “a group of Iranian civil society activists, intellectuals, journalists, lawyers, university professors, religious [scholars], senior members of political parties and reformists,” the letter implores the people of the United States to support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and “raise our collective voices in support of peace and diplomacy.”

The letter confirms the findings of a July 2015 study done by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, High Hopes, Tempered Expectations: Views from Iran on the Nuclear Negotiations, which showed that even human rights defenders and political prisoners who had suffered grievously at the hands of authorities in Iran have joined other leading voices of civil society in Iran to strongly support the nuclear deal and the peaceful resolution of the conflict over Iran’s nuclear activities.

The letter, along with its signers, is reprinted in its entirety below.

Open Letter to the American People from Iranian Civil Society Activists and Intellectuals on the Nuclear Deal

August 2015

We are a group of Iranian civil society activists, intellectuals, journalists, lawyers, university professors, religion investigators, senior members of political parties and reformists. We are writing to you at this historic moment in the relations between our two countries to make an appeal for your support of the nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

We have long been committed to upholding the values of tolerance, pluralism, human rights and the peaceful relations between nations. We deeply believe that a just and reasonable solution for international disputes is through negotiation not by using the right of power and imposing unilateral views on others. We strongly believe if this nuclear agreement is approved and implemented, it holds the promise of the gradual realization of these universal values within Iran, along with the possibility of better relations between our two nations.

We are deeply concerned about the consequences that might result from the rejection of this nuclear agreement. Economic sanctions against Iran will increase, as will the likelihood of war. This would be a catastrophe for the Middle East. Another war in this region would strengthen the forces of extremism and undermine the forces that work for nonviolence, peace and reconciliation; the ripple effects of another war would be felt far and wide, and would destabilize the international system for years to come.

For all of the above reasons, we are appealing to you at this critical juncture in history. We urge you to seize this unique opportunity, and to impress upon your elected representatives in Congress of the importance of supporting this nuclear agreement. Another opportunity of this magnitude may not present itself again in our lifetime. We owe it to future generations of Iranians, Americans and Middle Easterners to raise our collective voices in support of peace and diplomacy.

We look forward to a day in the future when Iranians no longer have to write open letters to Americans, but can meet face to face with mutual respect and dignity based on shared civilizational values that bind us together as citizens of this planet.

Sincerely,

Adib, Masoud – University Professor of Philosophy

Alavitabar, Alireza – University Professor of Political Sciences

Alizadeh, Tabatabaee – Lawyer, Member of Teheran bar Association, University Professor of Law

Ansari-Rad, Hussein – Former Member of Parliament

Arabsorkhi, Faizullah – Political Activist, Senior Member of Organization of Mojahedin Enghelab Eslami”. Former Deputy Minister of Commerce

Asgharzadeh,Ebrahim – Secretary General Hambastegi Party

Badkoubehei, Mustafa – Contemporary Popular Poet

Baghi, Emaddeddin – Founder and Director, Organization for Defense of Prisoners.

Bani-Asadi, Dr. Hossein – Deputy Prime minister, Provisional Government, Political activist. Senior Member of Freedom Movement of Iran.

Bazargan, Abolfazl – Deputy Prime minister, Political Activist. Senior Member of Freedom Movement of Iran.

Bitaraf, Safa – Political Activist

Dadkhah, S.M.A. – Lawyer; Ph.D.; Senior Expert in International Laws.

Davari,Mohammad – Senior Member of Teachers Association of Iran.

Farzadi,Ghaffar – University Professor of Mathematics; Senior Member of Freedom Movement of Iran

Gharavi, A.A. – Political activist and religion Scholar

Gheirat,  Farideh – Lawyer Former Vice president of Iran’s Bar Association

Ghouchani, Mohammad – Journalist Chief Editor, Monthly Mehrnameh Magazine; Senior Member of Kargozaran Party

Hadizadeh, Hadi – University Professor of Physics; Senior Member of Freedom Movement of Iran

Haghgoo, Jamshid – Businessman; Former Head of Iran- Itali Chamber of Commerce; Political Activist

Haghighat, S.S. – University professor of Political Sciences

Hazeri, Alimohammad – University professor

Karbaschi, G.H. – Secretary General, Kaegozaran Party; former Mayer of Teheran

Kashefi, Hossein – Political Activist; Senior Member of Unity of Islamic Iran Party

Khatami, M. Reza – M.D. and University Professor; Former Member of Parliament; Former Deputy Minister of Health

Kianoush Rad, Mohammad – Political Activist; Former Member of Parliament

Kimiaee,Asghar – Religious Scholar

Jalaeipour, H. Reza – University Professor of Sociology

Meisami, lotfollah – Journalist; Chief Editor and Publisher of Cheshmandaz Bimonthly Magazine

Mirmousavi, S.A. – University professor of Political Sciences

Moein, Mostafa – M.D. University professor; Former Minister of Science; Reformist Presidential Candidate

Mofidi, B – Ms. Journalist

Momeni, Abdullah – Former Leading Member of Muslim Students Association,

Montazeri, Ahmad – Religious Scholar

Mortazi, Minoo – Member of Mothers for Peace

Movaheddi Savouji, M.H. – University Professor of Qur’anic Interpretation

Mozaffar, Javad – Author and Publisher (Kavir Publication)

Naeemipor, Mohammad – Former Member of Parliament; Political Activist

Nazary, Ali – Journalist; Publisher and Chief Editor, Paytakht Kohan Weekly Magazine; former member of Parliment

Nikbakht, Saleh – Lawyer

Nouri, Abdullah – former Minister of Interior

Panahi,Jaafar – Film Director

Rezaei, Ahad – Political Activist; Senior Member of Freedom Movement of Iran.

Sabbaghian, Hashem – Former Deputy Prime minister and minister of interior, Provisional Government; Senior Member of Freedom Movement of Iran.

Sahabi, Hamed – Political Activist; Publisher and Chief Editor, Iran-Farda Weekly Magazine

Samimi, Kayone – Journalist; Political Activist

Shamsulvaezin, Masha’allah – Journalist

Taleghani, Mrs. Aazam – Secretary General, The Party of Islamic Revolution’s Women Society; Publisher and Chief Editor of “Payam-e Ibrahim- The Message of Ibrahim” Magazine.

Tavassoli, Mohammad – former Mayor of Tehran; Senior Member of Freedom Movement of Iran.

Tavassoli, G. Abbas – University Professor; Senior Member of Freedom Movement of Iran

Yazdi, Ebrahim – former Deputy Prime Minister and  Minister of Foreign Affairs; Secretary General, Freedom Movement of Iran

Zandi- Nia, Parviz – Professor of High technology at Modarres University; Senior Member of Freedom Movement of Iran

Zibaklam, Sadegh – Professor of Political Sciences at University of Teheran.