Action alert: new hope for peace with Iran
with Iranian peace activists from Miles for Peace on my trip to Iran shortly before the last presidential election in 2009
The prospects for peace with Iran got a little bit brighter this week.
The Iranian public defied expectations and roundly defeated conservative candidates to put moderate Hassan Rouhani in office. [1] The people of Iran sent a message by electing a president who campaigned on reconciliation.
Now we need to make sure our government hears that message. Tell Congress to take advantage of this new opportunity for diplomacy with Iran.
Having a new president in Iran doesn’t mean all of our problems are solved and diplomacy will be easy. There is still a lot of work to be done. But this is the best opportunity we’ve had in years to start with a clean slate and engage in the give and take of productive diplomacy.
The hawks are already trying to downplay the election results so they can continue their agenda of hostility. They will be telling Congress to ignore the potential for peace and continue with their ill-advised plans to ramp up sanctions. Greeting the new president with even greater sanctions will poison the waters, for no real gain.
We can’t risk squandering this real opportunity for peace. Tell your representative and senators to hold off on sanctions and give diplomacy room to succeed.
After the violence and turmoil of the last Iranian election, it’s a joy to see the people of Iran celebrating in the streets after Friday’s election. It would be tragic to sully their victory by blocking the path to peace. Take action now.
“…this is the best opportunity…to…engage in the give and take of productive diplomacy…”
But how can there be “give and take” when the war criminals on this side have no legitimate claims against the other side?
Just what is Iran supposed to “give”? Their right to pursue nuclear power generation technology? Their right to defend themselves against military assault?
It’s time to stop legitimatizing the War machine’s aggression by coyly begging them to “play nice”.
It’s understandable when Iran behaves coyly—they are acting in self-defense…but we in the US should be adamant in demanding an end to aggression and intervention in the affairs of other nations.