NIAC | —
NIAC Condemns Senator Graham’s Racist Statement, Demands Apology
Washington, DC – The National Iranian American Council, the largest Iranian-American grassroots organization in the United States, strongly condemns Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) comments that “Iranians are liars” and demands an apology to the Iranian-American community.
The Senator and Presidential hopeful’s comments were given Friday morning to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference via video from Washington.
“Everything I learned about Iranians I learned working in the pool room,” Graham said. “I met a lot of liars, and I know Iranians are liars.”
“The Senator’s repulsive remarks are racist, period,” NIAC President Trita Parsi said. “This type of discourse should have no place in American politics.”
“Graham essentially admits to being a bigot, because nothing says ‘I’m stereotyping’ more than basing judgment of an entire people solely on a handful of interactions in a pool room,” Parsi added.
Senator Graham is also a strong critic of the nuclear negotiations with Iran, having promised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to follow his lead on this vital national security issue.
“Graham’s racist statement raises concerns about his ability to speak on vital national security matters such as the nuclear negotiations with Iran. Because if you judge an entire people based on your experience running a pool hall-liquor store, do you really have the judgment to keep America safe?” Parsi commented. “This is Graham’s ‘I can see Russia from my house’ moment.”
NIAC is demanding an apology from Senator Graham to the Iranian-American community.
“Senator Graham owes the Iranian-American community – one of the most successful communities in the United States – an apology. And all others presidential hopefuls – Republicans and Democrats – should condemn his bigoted comments,” Parsi said.
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The National Iranian American Council is the largest Iranian American grassroots organization in the United States with supporters in all 50 states.
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Related video added by Juan Cole:
The Young Turks: “Lindsey Graham’s ‘Pool Room’ Past Is How He Knows ‘Iranians Are Liars'”
No,no,no He’s just talking about the ones who want to keep their sovereignty without him deciding who leads their nation #oil&arms
As the Republican field for the nomination increases, these guys will say crazier and crazier things to get noticed in this crowd of lunatics.
The debates should be most entertaining.
They will whine about how Obama has somehow “destroyed” or reputation overseas. As if the world just loved the US when Dumbya was president,
The fact that one of these idiots could possibly become president must scare the crap out of most foreign governments.
A horrifying number of Americans define reputation as terror. They want everyone different than themselves at home and abroad to cower at their feet. Their culture was manufactured over the last 350 years to produce this mindset, binding them to America’s real masters. So they will absolutely celebrate if most foreign governments have the crap scared out of them.
Does Graham still think that he has a chance of becoming president by spewing this kind of rethoric ?