March 11, 2021
On March 9, 2021, Iranian Americans for Liberty (IAL) Board Member Dr. Shervan Fashandi's Twitter account was suspended. Twitter’s email to Dr. Fashandi stated that his account (@GadflyPersia) was suspended for violating their rules. Dr. Fashandi’s tweet was in Persian and is translated into:
“Every sane person agrees that if a Jewish person supports Hitler and the Nazis, s/he is viler than a gentile who does the same. Following the same logic, any woman or homosexual or non-Shia person who supports the Islamic Republic (of Iran) is more evil than a Shia man who does the same (because the Islamic Republic is a misogynistic regime that discriminates against women and homosexuals and non-Shias). Happy International Women’s Day to all women except the apologists of the Islamic Republic regime (called the #CriminalCult by many Iranians).”
In this tweet, he included images of Ariane Tabatabai, Assal Rad, Negar Mortazavi and Faranak Amidi. All four individuals are widely known to sympathize with many policies of the Islamic Republic regime of Iran; two of whom have either worked or used to work for NIAC (National Iranian American Council). NIAC is a US-based non-profit organization with a long history of acting as lobbyists and apologists for the Islamic Republic regime of Iran.
We are deeply concerned by this unilateral action from big tech to censure the voices of dissidents of the oppressive regime of Iran here in America. Dr. Fashandi has used his personal Twitter account to challenge NIAC and other regime supporters on why they use their influence with DC lawmakers to support deals that appease the Regime, like the JCPOA. Many in the Iranian-American community always knew that NIAC maintains strong influence with DC lawmakers but we didn't know or suspect they had the same influence with big tech. Twitter’s action to suspend Dr. Fashandi shows the world their true colors.
While Ayatollah Khamenei’s Twitter account spews hatred for the West, Holocaust denial and all other forms of vile genocidal hate on a weekly basis without any censorship, Twitter censored Dr. Fashandi for speaking out against the Regime. This is a double-standard that we and all freedom loving Americans should refuse to tolerate. Moreover, the infiltration of the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism and/or its agents in big tech is a threat to the national security of the United States can also jeopardize the privacy and safety of millions of dissidents to oppressive regimes across the world.
We are calling on Twitter to stop censoring the voices of Iranian dissidents. Twitter should stop acting as a de facto advocate for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Twitter should immediately reverse the suspension of Dr. Fashandi's Twitter account. The freedom of speech to challenge and criticize another individual or organization should be celebrated by big tech in America, not censored.
We are calling on Twitter to stop censoring the voices of Iranian dissidents. Twitter should stop acting as a de facto advocate for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Twitter should immediately reverse the suspension of Dr. Fashandi's Twitter account. The freedom of speech to challenge and criticize another individual or organization should be celebrated by big tech in America, not censored.
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