Below is a brief letter which I sent to the Los Angeles Jewish Journal in response to three articles published in the August 14, 2015 issue, under the headline, “Local Iranian Community Fears Deal Has Hidden Dangers.”
In the August 14, 2015 issue of the Jewish Journal, your attempt to reflect the views of Iranian Jews concerning the 5+1 nuclear agreement, was one-sided and did not reflect the views of all Iranian Jews. I am delighted to know that according to your survey, only 31% of U.S. Jews explicitly oppose this agreement. My personal experience shows that many Iranian Jews support this agreement as well. As a socialist, a secular Iranian Jewish woman, and the producer of the blog, Iranian Progressives in Translation, for the past six years, I believe that a no vote by Congress on the 5+1 agreement will only strengthen warmongers in the U.S., Iran and Israel. Unfortunately, the sanctions imposed on the Iranian government have mostly hurt ordinary Iranians and have weakened the democratic opposition movement inside Iran. Being in favor of the nuclear agreement does not equate supporting the Iranian regime. On the contrary, it will take away the threat of a Western military attack which the regime has always used to crush or neutralize the democratic opposition.
Frieda Afary (www.iranianprogressives.org)
Los Angeles
Frieda Afary (www.iranianprogressives.org)
Los Angeles
August 20, 2015
