Meet Shayan Modarres (D-FL)

Extremists

Orlando has grown so much over the last couple of decades that the metro area now has 4 congressmembers, Corrine Brown (FL-05), John Mica (FL-07), Alan Grayson (FL-09), and Daniel Webster (FL-10). The districts were gerrymandered in such a way to put gigantic numbers of Democrats in Brown's and Grayson districts so that Mica's and Webster's would be relatively safe. These are the PVIs-- along with Obama's 2008 percentages:

FL-05- D+21/73%
FL-07- R+4/49%
FL-09- D+8/60%
FL-10- R+6/47%

It isn't that much of a stretch for a well coordinated, carefully planned two-cycle plan to defeat both Mica and Webster. Reptilian he may be, but Steve Israel is constitutionally incapable (i.e., incompetent) to plan out such a strategy. So the idealistic Democrats facing Mica (Wes Neuman) and Webster (probably Shayan Modarres) this year will be doing so on their own and against tremendous odds.

To the extent that Shayan is known outside the Orlando legal community, it's because of his role as an attorney for the family of Trayvon Martin in 2012 and 2013, and as a staunch advocate for Floridians who were victims of civil rights violations. The first American citizen in his family, he was raised by Iranian parents studying in an American university. I asked him to introduce himself by talking about U.S.-Iranian relations, not something discussed by many congressional candidates… or even incumbents.

Guest Post
by Shayan Modarres

No matter how long the night, the dawn will break. In August of last year the Iranian people, by an overwhelming margin, elected progressive Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Following months of talks and progress made by Secretary of State Kerry, US diplomatic efforts culminated in a phone call between President Obama and President Rohani where both leaders spoke for the very first time. The conversation marked the first time in over 30 years that an American President and Iranian President have spoken. Optimism of even a remote possibility for substantive dialogue and diplomacy has since been rejuvenated despite hard opposition from people on both sides, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Senator Lindsay Graham and Dick Cheney.

A unique opportunity has presented itself between the United States and Iran. As an Iranian-American, I will bring a unique understanding of the complex nature of the U.S.-Iranian relationship with me to Congress.

Various unsuccessful resolutions have been passed by the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and China) and Germany, more commonly referred to as the P5+1, to control Iran. But these sanctions did little more than to aggregate anti-US sentiments by the Iranian citizens as opposed to achieving the desired result of controlling the Iranian regime. Add to the fact that both the United States and Iran were under the leadership of extremist presidents, President Bush and President Ahmadinejad respectively, significant multilateral diplomatic progress seemed impossible. The branding of Iran as part of the “axis of evil” by Bush, and Ahmadinejad’s various controversial statements were counterproductive to diplomacy to say the least. But “disastrous” would be an accurate characterization of what both men were to diplomatic efforts in the region.

Despite fears of nuclear proliferation, Iran is one of the nations that has signed on to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty which was ratified between the United States and Iran in 1970. History has shown that Iran has always been, and will continue to be, a nation of strength in the Middle East. As an alternative to a combative foreign policy approach, multilateral diplomatic efforts can turn Iran into a valuable ally for the United States in the region. With reasonable leaders on both sides in President Obama and President Rohani, and capable diplomatic leaders like Secretary Kerry brokering negotiations, the world should be united in their optimism and support of the most recent even-handed approach in the Middle East by the Obama Administration.

Lifting sanctions from Iran would not only beneficial to the Iranian people, but to the global economy as a whole. As it stands, the EU, the US and many of its allies follow the tough sanctions placed on Iran leaving a void where a potentially valuable trade partnership could be established. America’s top competitors, China and India, have take the opportunity and are reaping massive profits because of trade with Iran. For the U.S. to continue tough sanctions will not only be detrimental to the lives of Iranians, but to the profits of American businesses and American jobs.

There is hope for peace, multilateral diplomacy with Iran and nuclear disarmament; or at least seeing a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in the Middle East while I am still alive. As long as there is congressional restraint in Washington on the impulse to destroy progress by imposing new sanctions on Iran that is motivated by fear instead of optimism, there is hope for a diplomatic resolution in the Middle East. But this restraint, for the moment, rests in the Senate. It could very easily change after the midterm elections in 2014 and presidential election in 2016. Extremism is counterproductive to peace and diplomacy. We must allow Iran a reasonable amount of time to regain the world’s trust and confidence and slowly work its way back into the world community. As an Iranian-American, I anxiously look forward to the day that an American president and Iranian president can stand side-by-side as partners, and I look forward to being an active participant in achieving that goal as a United States Congressman.