To: U.S. Department of Homeland Security

From: Concerned Citizens for the World for Iranian Democracy

Date: August 7th, 2021

RE: For Our U.S. Department of Homeland Security Designate Iran A Temporary Protected Status

When certain emergencies arise in another country, our U.S. Department of Homeland Security can designate that country's citizens, if they are already present in the United States, as eligible for "Temporary Protected Status" (TPS).

TPS is a temporary designation that allows its beneficiaries to live and work in the U.S. and travel in and out of the U.S. for the duration of the emergency without fear of being placed into removal proceedings. This is true whether you entered illegally or overstayed a visa or other permitted form of entry.

The U.S. usually authorizes TPS in situations of serious upheaval due to natural disasters, such as hurricanes or earthquakes, an outbreak of disease, or armed conflicts that have made it unsafe to return.

As of early 2021, the following nations are designated for TPS: Burma (Myanmar), El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Now is the time for our U.S. Department of Homeland Security to designiate and include the country of Iran a Temporary Protected Status.

Our 2021 ongoing Iranian protests in Iran are occurring in many regions of the country.

The protest was initially sparked by the ongoing water shortages and blackouts of electricity all over Iran, fueling public anger.

Our protests erupted on 15 July 2021 to protest the water shortages and crisis but soon were met with government-ordered police and military violence, suppression, and targeted physical brutality by the government. The protests have been nicknamed the Uprising of the Thirsty.

Our protests started on 15 July 2021 in Khuzestan in response to the water crisis, but rapidly spread to other provinces and turned political, with protesters in various cities calling for the end of the current government of Iran.

Iran’s Chief of State, an 82-year-old religious cleric, is the Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-Khamenei, and the Head of Government, a 60-year-old is President Ebrahim Raisi; meaning Iran’s government is a theocratic republic. and its legal code is based on Islamic law or sharia, although many aspects of civil law have been retained, and it is integrated into a civil law legal system.

The current President of Iran is Ebrahim Raisi, assumed office on 3 August 2021, after the 2021 Iranian presidential election. He succeeded Hassan Rouhani, who served 8 years in office from 2013 to 2021.

Iran's current President, Ebrahim Raisi was, was one of four members of a death committee responsible for the 1988 execution of thousands of Iranian prisoners of conscience in the space of a few months. The ideologically motivated mass executions constituted both a crime against humanity and genocide—a cleansing of religious infidels—according to international human rights groups. It has been compared to Srebrenica and the Katyn Forest massacres.

Iran's economy is marked by statist policies, inefficiencies, and reliance on oil and gas exports, but Iran also possesses significant agricultural, industrial, and service sectors. Iran’s Purchasing Power Parity is $1.64 trillion by some 2017 estimates.

Iran’s ethnic makeup consists primarily of Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen, Turkic tribes, and others.

Matter of fact, on August 3, 2021, our United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the extensions of the registration periods from 180 days to 18 months for initial (new) applicants under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Venezuela, Syria, and Burma.

Both Iran’s Chief of State, the Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-Khamenei, and the current Head of Government, President Ebrahim Raisi have demonstrated a consistent pattern in 2021 and the past to intentionally employ government-ordered police and military violence, suppression, and targeted physical brutality by the government against peaceful, hungry, and thirsty Iranian protesters, many of them young college student girls and boys.

Anti-government demonstrators in the Iranian capital of Tehran, have been chanting "Cannons, tanks, fireworks, mullahs must go,”.

The rising death toll and mass arrests raise grave concerns about the Iranian authorities’ response to recent protests.

The Iranian political leaders’ response to widespread demands for basic rights has been targeted repression of demonstrators.

America is home to many nationalities, amongst them, are Iranians. Now when more than ever, Iranians in America have been outspoken in support of their sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, and friends peacefully assembling to demonstrate for genuine democratic change in Iran to promote a more tolerant, inclusive, peaceful, and equitable Iran for all Iranians by demanding for a representative form of government by the people, from the people, and for the people of Iran. 

Iran’s Chief of State, an 82-year-old religious cleric, is the Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-Khamenei, and the Head of Government, a 72-year-old is President Ebrahim Raisi, are fighting to maintain a complete theocratic republic, and its legal code based on strict Islamic law or sharia.

Our U.S. Department of Homeland Security can designate a Temporary Protected Status for our Iranians in America that have risked their personal security and their family and friends' physical safety in Iran by showing solidarity for peaceful assembly, the democratic election process, free speech, and basic human rights such as access to water, food, electricity, and the Internet in Iran.

Sign our petition today to encourage, advocate, and compel our U.S. Department of Homeland Security to designate Iran a Temporary Protected Status to Iranians in America advocating for genuine democracy in Iran. Our U.S. Department of Homeland Security and our US Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas can immediately work with our United States Congress and our United States President to ensure a meaningful pathway for a democratic Iran.

A democratic Iran will ensure a more peaceful Iran for the Middle East, for the United States, and the world. Countries that mirror our best American ideals of free speech, peaceful assembly, democratic elections, with a democratic representative form of government, have proven to be productive members in our global community of nations.

Let us as all stand in support of Iranians in Iran, in America, and elsewhere advocating for freedom in Iran. If Iranians that demonstrated support for the protesters in Iran are sent back to the Islamic Republic of Iran, they will face the wrath of Iran’s Chief of State, Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-Khamenei, President Ebrahim Raisi, Special Clerical Court, and the Islamic Revolutionary Courts.

By signing the petition today, we are sending a loud, clear, and decisive message in support of peaceful assembly, the democratic election process, free speech, and basic human rights such as access to water, food, electricity, and the Internet for our Iranian college students, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, and friends of liberty.

Most Respectfully,

Concerned Citizens for the World for Iranian Democracy

By Hilaire Fuji Shioura
Elected California Politician, Founder of California School Inc. and Candidate Contact at www.candidate.contact

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