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Obama advisors aligned with Moral Courage campaign

Tuesday, 07. 7. 2009 – by Janice

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Obama advisors aligned with Moral Courage campaign

United Against Nuclear Iran, a bi-partisan, broad-based effort to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, is aligned and in support of the Moral Courage summer campaign. The organization was founded by Dennis Ross, President Obama's chief White House advisor on Iran and former Middle East advisor to President Clinton and Richard Holbrooke, President Clinton's ambassador to the United Nations and now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The UANI website reads: The most compelling reasons Iran should not possess a nuclear weapon can be broadly grouped into four categories: the direct threat to the U.S. and its allies, Iran’s support of terrorism, regional destabilization, and Iran’s troubling human rights record. UANI cites violence against women, treatment of homosexuals, and violations of freedom of speech and movement as some of the human rights violations persistent in Iran.

The UANI website has several fabulous resources for activists, including an Iranian business directory with foreign interests and an online petition for those who want to show their opposition to a nuclear Iran.

We are pleased to have the support of United Against Nuclear Iran and motivated by the wide range of support the film and the Moral Courage campaign are receiving!

For more activist resources visit our Take Action page.

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6 responses to “Obama advisors aligned with Moral Courage campaign”

Jennifer Marcum says:
July 7th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
[...] The Moral Courage Project » Blog Archive » Obama advisors aligned … [...]
Irshad Manji says:
July 9th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
It's great to know that some of Obama's advisors have started a campaign that echoes our own. But even better is the fact that *grassroots* members of that campaign are pro-actively generating ideas to spread awareness about The Stoning of Soraya M. One of them wrote me today to suggest that we get Sally Field, the actress, involved. Sally Field played a ferociously dedicated mother in the movie, "Not Without My Daughter" (set in Iran). Interesting idea. And since I'm writing this comment from a hotel in Hollywood, I might just take the suggestion as an omen to track down Ms. Field…

Janice Reply:
July 13th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
@Irshad Manji, glad you mentioned "Not without my daughter." To be honest I have not seen the film but have heard a variety of opinions about it, many negative. I now realize that most of the negative comments that I have heard were from those who feel the film painted the country in a negative light and fed off "stereotypes" about the Middle East. How silly of me to have bought into that even the little bit that I did! The film is going directly on to my Netflix que. I had forgotten about the movie until I read your comment.
Is Sally Field involved in the movement at all?
It is refreshing to know that the activists involved with UANI are so active and interested in the film and our movement.
Anthony NYC says:
July 10th, 2009 at 10:37 am
I agree that it is encouraging that someone so close to Obama founded the organization. However with all that Obama is dealing with and how he has, IMHO, shown over the past 6 months to be very hesistant to spend any political capital on anything besides the stimulus, budget and healthcare,(or to even take much more than a luke-warm stance on the Iranian election fiasco itself) it may be wishful thinking to assume this connection will result in any tangible reform in Iran or even a policy from the administration attempting as much.

Like Irshad said, the grassroots level is really where the action seems to be and, as a former grassroots organizer, maybe Obama knows it and therefore sees spending precious capital on the issue as in-efficient and dare I say; wasteful?

Janice Reply:
July 13th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
@Anthony NYC, I am not sure exactly what you mean when you say "maybe Obama knows it and therefore sees spending precious capital on the issue as in-efficient and dare I say; wasteful?" Certainly you don't mean to suggest that the U.S. President trying to exert influence on a situation such as the Iranian one would be wasteful? Obama of all people should be aware of the danger in letting a regime such as the Iranian one gain even more power. It seems to me that the world continues to ignore the situation. Perhaps someone with as much respect and influence as Obama making a statement against a nuclear Iran would help the rest of the world come to an understanding about the seriousness of the situation. What do you think?
Anthony NYC says:
July 14th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Obama has made statements against a nuclear Iran. That was a pretty common question during the campaign and he paid lip service to it just like he was expected to. My point was that he has yet to spend any real political capital on it (and many other things) and that there seems to be a reason.

Firstly, if he were to make such a statement, he is then expected to follow through with some sort of policy directive or legislation or at least a non-binding resolution (which is still lipservice IMHO) and the vast majority of Americans are in agreement that Iran should not have nukes and should be "free." Something the vast majority is not in agreement over: Healthcare.

I guess I'm just disappointed in Obama's overall tentative approach to many issues like this one and I'm starting to expect little to no results from him at least until some of the bigger issues are dealt with.