NIAC Alert: Persepolis Tablets Threatened By Senate Sanctions Bill

Alert: Persepolis Tablets Threatened By Senate Sanctions Bill

A Senatecommittee voted yesterday to make it easier for individuals to seize and auctionoff priceless ancient Persian antiquities held by American museums anduniversities in order to collect court judgments against the Iranian government. Already, lawyers are in court trying to seize the Persepolis Tablets – priceless2,500 year-old artifacts that provide a unique first-hand account of life inthe Persian Empire under Darius the Great. If this proposal becomes law, the Persepolis Tablets are almost certainto be confiscated from the universities and museums and sold to the highest bidders.
The Persepolis Tablets are a part of our rich heritage that shouldcontinue to be shared at museums and universities, not auctioned off like cheapitems on eBay. 

Takeaction now to protect our heritage!
Thisproposal by Senator Menendez (D-NJ) will soon be considered by the full Senate aspart of its latest Iran sanctions bill – which builds on the broad Central Bankof Iran sanctions spearheaded by Senator Menendez just last December. This is perhaps one of the starkest examples yet of how broad sanctions punishordinary Iranians and Iranian Americans, not the Iranian government. 

With the Iranian people facingunprecedented repression at home and economic warfare from abroad, we muststand united against collective punishment and the looting of our veryheritage.

The Iranian government has harmed manyinnocent lives, and its victims should receive just compensation.  But wemust be able to protect the rights of victims without attacking our Iranianheritage.

Takeaction now to stop Congress from looting our history!
NIAC has led the Iranian-Americancommunity’s efforts to protect the Tablets, fighting in the courts, theCongress, and even the White House to protect them. In order to permanentlysecure these and all other priceless Persian artifacts under threat, NIAC hascalled on Congress to change the law to protect all cultural artifacts held byAmerican museums and universities so our heritage will never again come underattack