This petition is meant to put a stop to the event hosted at Harvard on November 17th, which gives a platform to Trita Parsi, a NIAC member.

Trita Parsi is a member of the NIAC, whose primary responsibility is to spread the propaganda of the terrorist Islamic regime in Iran, and to normalize the horrific violations of human rights and crimes against humanity committed by the regime. I highly encourage you all to look deeper into the works of NIAC to become more familiar with their efforts to promote rhetoric that serves the regime, and silence the voices of Iranians who are dying for their freedom as I write this. NIAC is composed of educated Iranian Americans that, on the surface, are establishing a rapport between the United States and Iran. However, when examining carefully what its members have been writing, promoting, or encouraging, it becomes clear that their primary responsibility is to make excuses on behalf of the Iranian regime to continue its aggression and violence toward Iranians and other nations. 

The existence of the Islamic regime in Iran means large scale murder of Iranian civilians, as well as a huge safety threat to civilians in other states, such as Ukraine. For millions of Iranians outside and inside of Iran, NIAC is synonymous with the Islamic Republic, with an outward appearance sugar-coated with human rights, civil rights, peace and diplomacy. NIAC is the Islamic Republic within the United States. Those working for NIAC do not represent Iranians; they represent the short-term and long-term interests of the Iranian regime. 

Although Trita Parsi is a well-spoken, educated, and well-known person whose accomplishments require no further explanations, he is a NIAC member, and in the eyes of Iranians grieving and raging over their home land, he represents the oppressor. To invite an individual like Trita Parsi to such a well-respected institution would be a betrayal to the Iranian people, human rights, and the very idea of freedom. 

In the end, this decision will speak greatly on where Harvard stands regarding the Iranian people’s fight for freedom.

Update: 

This event has been postponed. However, this event must be cancelled, or at the very least be turned into a debate that allows Trita Parsi to be questioned and confronted about his relationship with the Islamic regime by somebody who is well educated and well respected by the Iranian community.