NIAC and its Useful Idiots
Dr. Arash Irandoost - 3/29/2011
Dr. Trita Parsi purports to represent the Iranian-American interests in the United States. The Center for Security Policy cites NIAC as a lobby organization for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mr. Hassan Dai, a renowned Iran expert, has researched Mr. Trita Parsi’s lobby activities extensively and has provided an abundance of evidence using NIAC’s own documents obtained as a result of a defamation lawsuit against him by NIAC.
The so-called event took place in Plano, Texas on February 26, 2011. It was advertised as a “public” event in the Iranian local media and was sponsored by four area organizations. According to their websites:
Iranian Democratic Society of Dallas considers itself a strong believer of the freedom of thought, expression and advocates removal of any barriers that hinders such.
The World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth claims to bring international awareness and cross-cultural understanding to the North Texas community.
The Press Club of Dallas supports journalism in all of its forms. The organization actively supports the First Amendment, the public's right to know, understanding of the threats to access and the rights of both professional and citizen journalists.
Dallas Peace Center promotes a just and peaceful world through constructive action in education, dialogue, reconciliation and advocacy.
Some of these sponsoring organizations were perhaps deceived by NIAC or did not seem to mind that freedom of speech and opportunities for dialogue and mutual understanding were brutally stifled by Trita Parsi and his moderator. Who would have thought it could happen here in America? First, you learn that a controversial figure is coming to your town. The Iranian community takes a day off their precious weekend to attend the event, believing that this is a matter of importance and concern to them. They are anxious to participate in the exchange of ideas. But, as they attempt to enter the parking lot, a sign rudely greets them: “No unauthorized camera, No banners, signs or flags are allowed.” As some attempt to enter the building, they are stopped at the door and told they will not be allowed to ask questions. Some are given numbered index cards to write down their questions, all are told that this is a private event and they cannot take pictures, record the meeting and talk about it outside the perimeter. A reporter objects and leaves the room. She is approached by one of the organizers. A discussion ensues. She returns. Another gentleman objects and leaves the room angrily. The event begins. After the speech, all questions are collected and carefully screened. A participant’s question is unrecognizably altered by the moderator. He politely objects. He is ignored. He objects again. He is told to go out and explain his question to the moderator. He objects for the third time and says in a calm voice: “please read my question as written or allow me to read it.” He is denied and accused of disturbing the event and acting in an uncivilized manner. Trita’s useful idiots scuttle hurriedly and ask the police to escort him out. Sensing that there is a concerted effort not to answer his question, he gets up along with his wife and a guest and voluntarily proceeds to leave the room. He is pushed out of the exit door by one of the organizers. He objects, a police officer intervenes. He and those who are leaving the room in objection are told by the same man that they belong to Mujahedin and yells at them: “You have killed us for seven years, and now it is our turn.”
Days later, the NIAC puppets blast out numerous misleading emails about how your effort to civil discourse and exchange of ideas are misconstrued as “uncivil and troublesome.” Two responsible Iranian journalists see beyond NIAC’s smoke and mirrors and share their concerns with the Iranian community about the unfortunate incident.
The event and its sponsors, bestowed NIAC and its moderator, the status of tyrants with veto powers over all Iranians who dared to object and behave contradictory to Trita Parsi’s script. These unaccountable phonies, who act outside the law and constitutional parameters, left unchecked present a grave danger to our protected freedoms and individual rights.
Requests for an explanation about the contrived event still remain unanswered. No one seems to take the responsibility and answer some very basic questions:
Just precisely who organized this event?
Why did they agree to such controlled "authoritarian" type conditions?
Do they feel any responsibility for creating disharmony among the Iranian community?
Are they even sorry, for what took place?
Would they provide the same opportunity to someone like myself or Hassan Dai, who have extensively researched, NIAC to speak here in Dallas, as well?
This controversial "public" event was highly policed. Apparently, Trita Parsi did not feel safe among his own constituency without excessive and unwarranted security measures. It should be noted that there were no new revelations in Parsi’s speech, nothing we did not already know.
Trita Parsi’s speeches are normally imbued with certain twist: “unconditional dialogue and diplomacy and removal or easing of sanctions with a regime that has a peaceful nuclear program.” With people like Trita Parsi, a non-American, fighting for Iranian-Americans’ rights, the Islamic Republic of Iran is in very good hands for some time to come!
Here is my unaltered question of Trita Parsi distorted by Dr. Rigg beyond recognition:
Mr. Parsi,
It has been said that you are only as good as the company you keep. You have a propensity to associate with unsavory characters such as Roy Coffee and David Di Stefano, who were investigated by the Justice Department for activities conducted on behalf of former convicted Congressman from Ohio, Mr. Bob Ney.
Roy Coffee and Di Stefano arranged a trip for the Congressman to travel to London, where he met with a Syrian arms dealer and a convicted felon, involved in a conspiracy to circumvent United Nations sanctions and to sell prohibited aircraft parts to the Iranian government.
Bob Ney pled guilty to charges of making false statements and conspiracy in relation to lobbying and bribery scandal and was sentenced to federal prison for 30 months. More specifically, Bob Ney received bribes from lobbyists and foreign businessmen, a felon and an arms dealer (Fuad Al Zayat), in exchange for using his position to advance their financial interests.
AIFC has charged NIAC with 300 misrepresentations about your identity just in January alone. In a recent memo to Coffee and Di Stefano you plan to use NIAC in a lobby enterprise called NAIA aimed at opening up opportunities for trade but disguised by less controversial issues such as race, discrimination, racial profiling, yet you never admit being a lobbyist for the regime.
My question is:
With such troubling track record, conduct and murky affiliations, do you honestly think that you are qualified to represent the Iranian-American community honorably, with dignity, respect and integrity?
Dr. Arash Irandoost (pen name), founder of pro-democracy Movement of Iran (PDMI) is a human rights and pro-democracy activist who advocates Regime Change in Iran. He has been published in numerous magazines around the world as well as hundreds of Internet magazines, websites and blogs. He is also a researcher and literary translator and has been a strong voice for the struggling people of Iran. He blogs at http://hakemiat-e-mardom.blogspot.com/
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