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San Francisco, CA – On August 16, 2005, the San
Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution in support of
Congressional Resolution 367 condemning bigotry, violence and
discrimination against Iranian Americans. Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, the first
American of Iranian heritage to be elected to the San Francisco Board of
Supervisors, introduced the resolution in an effort to ensure that Iranian
Americans are not further discriminated against in the post-9/11 climate.
At the urging of IAPAC, Congressman Marty Meehan (D-5th/MA) and
Congressman Christopher Shays (R-4th/Ct) introduced resolution H.Res.367 on July 19th condemning discrimination
and bigotry against Iranian Americans. The resolution is a component of the
Iranian American Know Your Rights Campaign and is in response to documented
reports of discrimination against Iranian Americans as provided by the members
of the coalition. The resolution declares that the
government should ensure civil rights and civil liberties protections for
Iranian Americans and encourages Iranian Americans to share their experiences
with local, state and federal elected officials.
As a means of
complementing the Iranian American Know Your Rights Campaign,
Supervisor Mirkarimi first announced his intention to introduce a San Francisco
City resolution that supports H.Res.367 at the campaign's press briefing on
August 3rd in San Francisco, CA.
The San Francisco resolution outlines
the Board of Supervisors' concerns over an "alarming number of reports of
incidents of discrimination and bias-motivated crimes against Americans of
Middle Eastern descent, including Iranian Americans." It commends Congressman
Meehan, Congressman Shays and original co-sponsors Congressman Tom Feeney
(R-24th/FL) and Congressman John Mica (R-7th/FL) for introducing H.Res.367 in
the U.S. House of Representatives and urges the San Francisco Police Commission
"to take steps to ensure that the San Francisco Police Department protects all
San Franciscans from discrimination, especially those of South Asia (Middle
Eastern) and Iranian descent most at risk due to the prejudicial misperceptions
of culpability prevalent in wake of September 11th attacks."
The
resolution also urges the U.S. House of Representatives to pass H.Res.367 and
declares that the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors shall transmit copies of the
resolution to the offices of Minority Leader Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
(D-8th/CA), Congressman Meehan, Congressman Shays, Congressman Feeney and
Congressman Mica.
The Board of Supervisors is the legislative branch of
the City and County of San Francisco. The Board consists of 11 members. Each
member is elected on a non-partisan basis from a district where he or she
lives.
Click here to read the text of the
resolution.
Urge your member of Congress to support H.Res.367.
Send letter now!
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