The Tales from the Zirzameen

Congress Slated to Vote on Norooz Resolution Next Week
Iranian-Americans’ Efforts on Historic Resolution Pay Off

Just minutes ago, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced that the Norooz Resolution, H.Res.267, will be up for a vote next week. NIAC worked with the Majority Leader’s office to ensure the resolution would come up for a vote in time for the New Year and NIAC members across the country signed letters to the Majority Leader urging him to schedule a vote for the Norooz Resolution next week. Those efforts have now paid off.

With next week’s vote, Congress will consider recognizing one of the most celebrated traditions shared by Iranian-Americans, a testament to the richness and durability of our culture and the increasing strength of our voice in American politics. If this resolution passes, it will be the first time in history that Congress has recognized Norooz. In addition to commemorating the Iranian New Year, the resolution celebrates Iran’s rich cultural traditions, expresses appreciation to Iranian Americans for their contributions to society, and wishes Iranian Americans and the Iranian people a prosperous new year.

NIAC and PAAIA began working with Representative Mike Honda (D-CA) at the beginning of last year to introduce the Norooz Resolution. Once the language was finalized and the bill was introduced in March 2009, NIAC members sent thousands of letters to their Representatives in Congress urging them to support the resolution. In February, through Iranian-American efforts, the Norooz Resolution obtained over 50 cosponsors and was considered and unanimously passed by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Now that we have successfully brought the Norooz Resolution up for a scheduled vote, Iranian-Americans should urge their Representatives in Congress to vote in favor of the bill and to let them know that we appreciate their support. Send a letter today to your member of Congress wishing them a happy Norooz and urging them to vote in favor of the historic Norooz Resolution.

http://www.capwiz.com/niacouncil/issues/alert/?alertid=14802776&type=CO

House Afghanistan Debate: What Kucinich Accomplished
On Wednesday, at long last, there was a vigorous debate about the war in Afghanistan on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. The legislative vehicle was a resolution introduced by Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of the year. But House critics of the war have long been agitating for a real debate.
[includes video of Edwards, Grayson, Paul, Pingree, and Kucinich.]
http://www.truthout.org/house-afghanistan-debate-what-kucinich-accomplished57588

http://www.sociarts.com/?utm_source=SoCiArts+News+%26+Announcements&utm_campaign=Newsletter%203/11/10&utm_medium=email

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday called the official version of the Sept. 11 attacks a “big lie” used by the U.S. as an excuse for the war on terror, state media reported.

Ahmadinejad’s comments, made during an address to Intelligence Ministry staff, come amid escalating tensions between the West and Tehran over its disputed nuclear program. They show that Iran has no intention of toning itself down even with tighter sanctions looming because of its refusal to halt uranium enrichment.

“September 11 was a big lie and a pretext for the war on terror and a prelude to invading Afghanistan,” Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by state TV. He called the attacks a “complicated intelligence scenario and act.”

The Iranian president has questioned the official U.S. version of the Sept. 11 attacks before, but this is the first time he ventured to label it a “big lie.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100306/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran

comment:

First I wish that he could learn to keep his mouth shut. He definately has poor impulse control.He afterall is an authority on falsifying the facts as his entire re-election fraud demonstrates not unlike Mr. Bush’s first one. Having said that, maybe if the US government had let him lay flowers at “Ground Zero” he wouldn’t be talking like this now. Notice how the news says “Iran has no intention of toning itself down” as if Ahmadinejad and Iran are synonymous…this is propoganda and wrong thinking… the politicians on both sides of the pond need to keep this cold war alive to justify their existence…there are vested interests in keeping the hostility alive…which is why whenever there is a lull in the news he comes up with another inflamatory statement…or the US Congress comes up with another sanction, gasoline embargo or attempt to deny visas to Iranians…let us never forget the thousands of Iranians who were burning candles and mourning 9/11 along with us. From the standpoint of Iran, the 8 year war with Iraq called the “Silent War” because of the Western media ignoring it, in which a million youths died, is as big a denile of history as the denile of the Holocaust…and as hostile as it sounds coming from Ahmadinejad’s mouth, the “war on terrorism” is in fact terribly misguided in my opinion as it cannot be won until the vast discrepancies between the rich and the poor are eliminated, only then will terrorism lose its constituents…it is people who have nothing left to lose who strap bombs to their bellies…sorry capitalists if that is not what you want to hear…

rasool

http://www.persianmirror.com/celebrations/noruz/noruz.cfm#haji