SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Stability, Diplomacy, Peace: Scholars Say Benefits of Iran Deal Go Beyond Nonproliferation
Prominent academics laud deal as 'strong and positive step towards stabilizing the Middle East'
Aug 27, 2015
Just one day after people across the United States took to the streets to demonstrate their support for the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, over 70 prominent international relations scholars took to their pens on Thursday, signing an open statement declaring the pact to be a "strong and positive step towards stabilizing the Middle East, beyond its undeniable non-proliferation benefits."
One of numerous declarations backing the deal in the lead-up to the U.S. congressional vote, Thursday's missive stands out for looking beyond the nuclear component of the deal by speaking to broader benefits such as the de-escalation of conflict and opening of pathways for diplomacy.
Furthermore, the statement is signed by some of the world's most renowned experts, including Middle East historian Rashid Khalidi and scholar and activist Noam Chomsky. Its signatories include experts in Iranian history and Middle Eastern social movements, as well as economics and religious academics.
"The Middle East is in turmoil. It is suffering from a broad range of problems that all, one way or another, contribute to the instability plaguing the region," states the letter, which the National Iranian American Council organized. "While the region's problems have many sources, one critical driver of instability has been the dysfunctional relationship between the West and Iran in general, and U.S.-Iran tensions in particular."
The scholars argue that the deal "can prod constructive diplomacy in ever wider circles across the region," including regarding the conflict in Syria. The letter states that the nuclear deal will not automatically or immediately bring stability to the region. But reactivating diplomatic channels between the United States and Iran is a necessary first step.
Conversely, the declaration warns, "Congressional rejection of the deal will further destabilize the region. Such a move would isolate the United States while freeing Iran from the nuclear constraints the deal would impose on it. Beyond the proliferation risk this would entail, US-Iran tensions would increase again, reigniting Washington and Tehran's gravitation towards a military confrontation."
The academics join a growing chorus of support for the deal, including a joint letter released Thursday from more than 70 U.S. organizations calling on Congress to pursue "diplomacy, not war."
The missives come as Congress nears the conclusion of its August recess. After that, a key vote will be held on whether to approve the deal reached between Iran, the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union in mid-July. As per recently passed legislation, the U.S. House and Senate were given 60 days to review the final accord.
Amid a well-heeled campaign to reject the diplomatic agreement--backed by legislative hawks, AIPAC, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu--people in Iran, the United States, and across the world have been escalating a campaign in support of the deal.
In an article published last week, Chomsky argued that the rogue nations that pose the "gravest threat" to world peace: the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, organizers in the Iranian diaspora have staged rallies around the world backing the agreement, and numerous Iranian dissidents, former political prisoners, and civil society organizers have thrown their weight behind the pact, which they argue paves the way to much-needed relief from devastating sanctions and government repression.
In the words of Fakhrossadat Mohtashamipour, activist and wife of Iranian political Prisoner Mostafa Tajzadeh: "The highest cost imposed by the sanctions is paid by the people, particularly the low-income and vulnerable groups."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare is the editor of Workday Magazine and a contributing editor for In These Times. She is a former Staff Writer at Common Dreams. She comes from a background in independent journalism for publications including The Intercept, The Nation, and Tom Dispatch.
aipaciranjohn kerrymiddle eastnational iranian-american councilnoam chomskynuclear dealsanctionstehranunited statesiran nuclear deal
Just one day after people across the United States took to the streets to demonstrate their support for the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, over 70 prominent international relations scholars took to their pens on Thursday, signing an open statement declaring the pact to be a "strong and positive step towards stabilizing the Middle East, beyond its undeniable non-proliferation benefits."
One of numerous declarations backing the deal in the lead-up to the U.S. congressional vote, Thursday's missive stands out for looking beyond the nuclear component of the deal by speaking to broader benefits such as the de-escalation of conflict and opening of pathways for diplomacy.
Furthermore, the statement is signed by some of the world's most renowned experts, including Middle East historian Rashid Khalidi and scholar and activist Noam Chomsky. Its signatories include experts in Iranian history and Middle Eastern social movements, as well as economics and religious academics.
"The Middle East is in turmoil. It is suffering from a broad range of problems that all, one way or another, contribute to the instability plaguing the region," states the letter, which the National Iranian American Council organized. "While the region's problems have many sources, one critical driver of instability has been the dysfunctional relationship between the West and Iran in general, and U.S.-Iran tensions in particular."
The scholars argue that the deal "can prod constructive diplomacy in ever wider circles across the region," including regarding the conflict in Syria. The letter states that the nuclear deal will not automatically or immediately bring stability to the region. But reactivating diplomatic channels between the United States and Iran is a necessary first step.
Conversely, the declaration warns, "Congressional rejection of the deal will further destabilize the region. Such a move would isolate the United States while freeing Iran from the nuclear constraints the deal would impose on it. Beyond the proliferation risk this would entail, US-Iran tensions would increase again, reigniting Washington and Tehran's gravitation towards a military confrontation."
The academics join a growing chorus of support for the deal, including a joint letter released Thursday from more than 70 U.S. organizations calling on Congress to pursue "diplomacy, not war."
The missives come as Congress nears the conclusion of its August recess. After that, a key vote will be held on whether to approve the deal reached between Iran, the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union in mid-July. As per recently passed legislation, the U.S. House and Senate were given 60 days to review the final accord.
Amid a well-heeled campaign to reject the diplomatic agreement--backed by legislative hawks, AIPAC, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu--people in Iran, the United States, and across the world have been escalating a campaign in support of the deal.
In an article published last week, Chomsky argued that the rogue nations that pose the "gravest threat" to world peace: the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, organizers in the Iranian diaspora have staged rallies around the world backing the agreement, and numerous Iranian dissidents, former political prisoners, and civil society organizers have thrown their weight behind the pact, which they argue paves the way to much-needed relief from devastating sanctions and government repression.
In the words of Fakhrossadat Mohtashamipour, activist and wife of Iranian political Prisoner Mostafa Tajzadeh: "The highest cost imposed by the sanctions is paid by the people, particularly the low-income and vulnerable groups."
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare is the editor of Workday Magazine and a contributing editor for In These Times. She is a former Staff Writer at Common Dreams. She comes from a background in independent journalism for publications including The Intercept, The Nation, and Tom Dispatch.
Just one day after people across the United States took to the streets to demonstrate their support for the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, over 70 prominent international relations scholars took to their pens on Thursday, signing an open statement declaring the pact to be a "strong and positive step towards stabilizing the Middle East, beyond its undeniable non-proliferation benefits."
One of numerous declarations backing the deal in the lead-up to the U.S. congressional vote, Thursday's missive stands out for looking beyond the nuclear component of the deal by speaking to broader benefits such as the de-escalation of conflict and opening of pathways for diplomacy.
Furthermore, the statement is signed by some of the world's most renowned experts, including Middle East historian Rashid Khalidi and scholar and activist Noam Chomsky. Its signatories include experts in Iranian history and Middle Eastern social movements, as well as economics and religious academics.
"The Middle East is in turmoil. It is suffering from a broad range of problems that all, one way or another, contribute to the instability plaguing the region," states the letter, which the National Iranian American Council organized. "While the region's problems have many sources, one critical driver of instability has been the dysfunctional relationship between the West and Iran in general, and U.S.-Iran tensions in particular."
The scholars argue that the deal "can prod constructive diplomacy in ever wider circles across the region," including regarding the conflict in Syria. The letter states that the nuclear deal will not automatically or immediately bring stability to the region. But reactivating diplomatic channels between the United States and Iran is a necessary first step.
Conversely, the declaration warns, "Congressional rejection of the deal will further destabilize the region. Such a move would isolate the United States while freeing Iran from the nuclear constraints the deal would impose on it. Beyond the proliferation risk this would entail, US-Iran tensions would increase again, reigniting Washington and Tehran's gravitation towards a military confrontation."
The academics join a growing chorus of support for the deal, including a joint letter released Thursday from more than 70 U.S. organizations calling on Congress to pursue "diplomacy, not war."
The missives come as Congress nears the conclusion of its August recess. After that, a key vote will be held on whether to approve the deal reached between Iran, the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union in mid-July. As per recently passed legislation, the U.S. House and Senate were given 60 days to review the final accord.
Amid a well-heeled campaign to reject the diplomatic agreement--backed by legislative hawks, AIPAC, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu--people in Iran, the United States, and across the world have been escalating a campaign in support of the deal.
In an article published last week, Chomsky argued that the rogue nations that pose the "gravest threat" to world peace: the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, organizers in the Iranian diaspora have staged rallies around the world backing the agreement, and numerous Iranian dissidents, former political prisoners, and civil society organizers have thrown their weight behind the pact, which they argue paves the way to much-needed relief from devastating sanctions and government repression.
In the words of Fakhrossadat Mohtashamipour, activist and wife of Iranian political Prisoner Mostafa Tajzadeh: "The highest cost imposed by the sanctions is paid by the people, particularly the low-income and vulnerable groups."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.