Statement by More Than 170 Prominent Artistic and Cultural Figures
In Support of Iran's National Uprising
At this critical juncture in our nation's history, a historic responsibility rests on Iranians living outside the country.
In the absence of internet access and reliable channels of communication, silence on our part effectively enables the suppression and killing of a nation demanding freedom, human dignity, and the right to self-determination.
We expect the Government of the United States, and President Trump in particular, as the most powerful political leader in the world, to uphold their stated commitments to supporting the people of Iran and to stand firmly alongside the Iranian nation.
Accordingly, we respectfully urge President Trump to meet as soon as possible with the leader of Iran's national movement, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, in order to hear directly the authentic voice of the Iranian people. Such a meeting would provide the clearest and most effective means of understanding the will of the Iranian nation and would represent a meaningful step toward its protection and liberation, a demand consistently echoed by millions of Iranians inside and outside the country.
We call upon Iranians living abroad to organize peaceful and united gatherings in front of U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to convey this message clearly to President Trump and other world leaders:
Support for the people of Iran is support for regional and global peace and stability, as well as for human rights and human dignity.
Today, history will judge whether, at a moment of profound isolation for our nation and homeland, we chose to give voice to the Iranian people or remained silent. Let us act in a manner worthy of the judgment of history and of our own conscience.
Signatories
175 Artistic & Cultural Figures