The Persian culture has a rich heritage of embracing the struggle for democracy. As recently as 1953, Iran enjoyed a burgeoning democracy with national sovereignty, equality for women, and a democratically elected parliament. All that changed in 1979 when the government was overthrown and replaced by clerical dictators. The struggle for a return to democracy continues today and Persian communities in the US stand together with the citizens of Iran to advocate for a peaceful transition to a free, secular government. Iranian communities in the US are filled with individuals who fled the suppressive theocracy in Iran to enjoy more freedom in the United States. Persian Americans, approximately 1 million people, have found great prosperity in their new home.
The Organization of Iranian-American Communities (OIAC) has been helping Iranian Americans advocate for greater democracy in their homeland since 1997. The OIAC has an extensive network made up of organizations from 40 different states. Our thousands of Iranian and Persian American members believe democracy and human rights in Iran are crucial to the security of America, peace in the Middle East, and peace in the world. Our agenda is straightforward: We do not support a foreign war and we do not support any appeasement policies towards Iran. Rather, we seek to promote a third option, one which supports the Iranian people’s internal struggle for democratic change. We hope our organization will be a resource for anyone working to improve human rights in Iran and to bring about democratic change in Iran.