Petition of Americans and other Concerned Citizens Submitted to
President George W. Bush
the President of the United States of America,
and the Members of the Congress

Requesting to oppose University Education Ban For Iranian Students in the America

November 4, 2001

President George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

cc:
Vice President Richard Cheney,
Attorney General John Ashcroft,
Secretary of State General Colin Powell,
Members of the National Security Council,
Members of the House of Representative,
Members of the Senate

Mr. President, Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives

As concerned citizens, we would like to alert you to a potential abuse of the atmosphere created in America in the aftermath of the tragedies of September 11, 2001. This abuse is of the nature, against which many governmental, social, scientific, cultural and religious leaders, including yourself, have, on several occasions, warned all Americans.

We refer to the recent renewal of action by Senator Dianne Feinstein of California to introduce a discriminatory bill banning categorically all future granting of student visas to Iranian students [#1]. Whereas we are in full support of senators and your administration in further bolstering national security measures including scrutiny of ALL incoming international students who come to America to study, we, nonetheless, object to that part of Senator Feisntein’s sponsored bill that singles out Iranian students and students from six other countries from entering the U.S. or studying in America. Senator Feinstein, who also in 1998 made an unsuccessful attempt to the same end [#2], is quoted for her sentiment against thousands of hardworking, law-abiding Iranian students in the U.S. and has even gone as far as referring to the Iranian students as potential terrorists. No single Iranian student or Iranian American has ever been accused of being involved in any terrorist act in the United States of America in the last decade. The proposed bill is in contradiction to a recent Senate resolution [#3] condemning violence and discrimination against Iranian Americans and their family members in the wake of September 11 terrorist attacks.

Mr. President, Members of the Congress: In your role as the world leaders in the fight against terrorism and all forms of racial and ethnic discrimination, we request your support in defeating this proposal of Senator Feinstein; precisely the sort that we know in the past has led to the creation of cultural and ideological gulfs between nations. At this time when coming together and unity is the order of the day for our great nation, such actions are not only un-American, they are in fact contrary to the direction our world civilization is taking.

Respectfully submitted with best wishes,

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To be presented to:

President George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Email: President@whitehouse.gov

The Congress of the United States of America
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20220
Email: HIRC@mail.house.gov

Secretary of State, General Colin Powell
US Department of State
2201 C. St., NW
Washington, DC 20520
Email: secretary@state.gov

Attorney General, John Ashcroft
950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 90530
Email: web@usdoj.gov

REFERENCES:

#1. Reported news re proposed bill by Senator Feinstein to ban education for Iranians

#2. Associated Press news in 1998 re Feinstein’s attacks on Iranian students in 1998 and opinions of Iranian Americans

#3. Senate Resolution 173 to defend the rights of Iranian Americans after September 11, 2001

This petition has been endorsed by:
Society of Iranian Professionals (SIP): www.sip-ca.org
Association of Professors and Scholars of Iranian Heritage (APSIH): www.APSIH.org
Persian Watch Center (PWC): www.antidiscrimination.org
World Political Action Committee (WPAC): www.worldpac.org
Iranian Student Cultural Organization of UC Berkeley (ISCO): www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~isco
Iran Today: www.irantodayonline.com

And many more non-political and professional organizations that are not listed here!