NIAC The Mullahs' Voice?

Subject: Clarification Re NIAC & Timmernan's Article

Dear all,

In follow-up to my distribution of Kenneth Timmerman's article re NIAC, please note that I do NOT endorse Mr. Timmerman's political ideology, nor do I endorse whatever he publishes! In fact, I am extremely anti Neocon, never voted for Bush/Cheney team as I truly consider Bush & especially Cheney to be the Hitler type mad men, and when McCain's infamous "Bomb Bomb Iran" came to light during his campaign, I vehemently & tirelessly campaigned against his election, if not for his qualifications, for making such a barbaric statement re our beloved Iran!

However, the questions Mr. Timmerman has raised re NIAC and re NIAC's close ties with the Islamic Regime of Iran in his article of "The Mullahs' Voice" all seem to be very legit & good questions which remain to be the root of the mistrust of many Iranians like me for NIAC! When assessing this article, one must raise the specific statements of Kenneth Timmerman considered to be inflammatory & incorrect. Otherwise, using his political ideology of being a "right-wing Neocon" is really a poor excuse in an attempt to trash all the good questions he has raised re NIAC & their practices.

NIAC says that " ...Since its inception in 2002, NIAC has effectively represented Iranian Americans on Capitol Hill, giving the Iranian-American community a powerful voice. NIAC has a presence on both coasts and in the American heartland. Members of Congress are now counting on hearing from NIAC and benefiting from the perspective of Iranian Americans..." (http://www.niacouncil.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=315&Itemid=89).

However, many of us belonging to NIAC's referenced "Iranian-American Community" have NEVER VOTED for NIAC members to be "represented" by them, nor do we have a clue as to what NIAC is up to using the representation of us the "Iranian-American Community" as an excuse! Even disregarding all of the questions Timmerman has raised re NIAC, the FACT that NIAC is using the representation of us "The Iranian American Community", without being chosen by us for such representation, as the excuse to pursue their PRIVATE lobbying goals & agenda shall remain the main issue a lot of us continue to have with NIAC & NIAC's lobbying efforts!

How dare such a private lobbying organization is doing their business while collecting grants & funds (much of which are from individuals & special interest groups) by using us "The Iranian American Community" as an excuse? And how dare NIAC unilaterally & however indirectly, promotes an Islamic ruling Regime for our beloved Iran when the majority of Iranians wish for a Secular Democratic system for Iran, which means NO Theocracy! Don't you see how undemocratic & questionable such actions of NIAC are? As an educated adult knowing better than being USED as a pawn by such a private entity, don't you feel like questioning NIAC's real intentions & motives?

Moreover, the questions I have raised re NIAC are not just mine, and indeed are the results of the hundreds of e-mails I have received raising such questions & concerns re NIAC's real intentions & encouraging us the active Iranian Community to STOP NIAC from supporting Mullahs & preserving an Islamic Regime for Iran! If NIAC's main goal is not supporting and preserving Iran's current Islamic Regime, then why don't they openly & publicly say so?

These days, I truly admire everyone (especially, our college age patriotic Iranians who mostly make-up the majority of NIAC helpers) protesting & working very hard for our beloved Iran's freedom & democracy. I just hate to see any of them or any of the rest of us fighting for Iran's freedom, to be misguided & derailed from attaining victory by the special interest lobbyists working hard to preserve an Islamic Regime for Iran!

Long Live Iran,
Afsaneh