Trita Parsi
Encyclopedia
Trita Parsi is the current president and founder of the National Iranian American Council
, and author of the 2007 book, Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States.
to a Zoroastrian family, Parsi moved with his family to Sweden
at the age of four in order to escape the political repression of Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic Republic. His father was an outspoken academic who was also jailed under the reign of the Shah
. As an adult, Parsi moved to the United States and studied foreign policy at the Johns Hopkins
School for Advanced International Studies
where he received his Ph.D.
Parsi also won the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award
for Ideas Improving World Order in 2010.
Fluent in Persian
, English
, and Swedish
, Parsi carries Iranian and Swedish passports, but he is not a citizen of the United States, where he lives as a permanent resident.
and bolster the moderates in Iran." On the group's formation, he commented, "We realized that our primary thing that separates the Iranian-American
community from the Jewish-American community, the Arab-American community, the Armenian-American
community is that the Iranian-American community has shunned political participation."
In November 2009, the NIAC came under scrutiny when Washington Times national security
correspondent Eli Lake
alleged that the organization, registered as a 501(c)(3) educational organization, could be "operating as a foreign lobby in violation of federal law". Lake writes, "Mr. Parsi's history suggests a continuing commitment to changing U.S. policy on Iran, and he has clearly become more influential in Washington since the change of administrations." In response, NIAC published a point by point rebuttal of the article written by Eli Lake, stating that "NIAC is a 501 c3 educational organization with an H election. As a result, NIAC is permitted to engage in lobbying up to 20% of its budget. NIAC and its staff are in full compliance with all regulations and laws" elaborating further that "Educational activities and advocacy for general policies, such as opposition to war - as opposed to specific legislation - are not lobbying under the law."
published Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States. Parsi's work is an expansion of his 2006 Ph.D. dissertation written at Johns Hopkins University under the supervision of his Ph.D. adviser Francis Fukuyama
. The book "takes a closer look at the complicated triangular relations between Israel
, Iran
, and the United States
that continue to shape the future of the Middle East
."
The book received many positive reviews. In Foreign Affairs
, L. Carl Brown called the it a "well-constructed history" and former U.S. ambassador Peter Galbraith praised the book as "a wonderfully informative account." Political scientist John Mearsheimer
and former National Security Advisor
Zbigniew Brzezinski
also commended the book. In 2008, Treacherous Alliance was awarded the silver medal (runner-up) in the Council on Foreign Relations
' Arthur Ross Book Award
.
Parsi's work has also faced some criticism, including from Nathan Thrall
in Commentary Magazine and American Enterprise Institute
scholar Michael Rubin in a review in Middle East Quarterly
. Thrall faults Parsi's realist analysis for ignoring Iran's "most ideologically driven actions."
National Iranian American Council
The National Iranian American Council is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization "dedicated to advancing the interests of the Iranian-American community." Trita Parsi is the organization's current president and founder.-Formation:...
, and author of the 2007 book, Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States.
Biography
Born in IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to a Zoroastrian family, Parsi moved with his family to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
at the age of four in order to escape the political repression of Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic Republic. His father was an outspoken academic who was also jailed under the reign of the Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
. As an adult, Parsi moved to the United States and studied foreign policy at the Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
School for Advanced International Studies
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies , a division of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C., is one of the world's leading and most prestigious graduate schools devoted to the study of international affairs, economics, diplomacy, and policy research and...
where he received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
Parsi also won the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award
Grawemeyer Award
The Grawemeyer Awards are five awards given annually by the University of Louisville in the state of Kentucky, United States. The prizes are presented to individuals in the fields of education, ideas improving world order, music composition, religion, and psychology...
for Ideas Improving World Order in 2010.
Fluent in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
, Parsi carries Iranian and Swedish passports, but he is not a citizen of the United States, where he lives as a permanent resident.
National Iranian American Council
In 2002, Parsi founded the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) "to enable Iranian Americans to condemn the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and that he has since run it as a grass-roots group aimed at strengthening their voice." Through the organization, he supports engagement between the US and Iran in belief that it "would enhance our [US] national security by helping to stabilize the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and bolster the moderates in Iran." On the group's formation, he commented, "We realized that our primary thing that separates the Iranian-American
Iranian-American
Iranian-Americans are Americans of Iranian ancestry or people possessing Iranian and American dual citizenship.Iranian-Americans are amongst the most highly educated groups in the United States...
community from the Jewish-American community, the Arab-American community, the Armenian-American
Armenian-American
Armenian Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Armenia. During the United States 2000 Census, 385,488 respondents indicated either full or partial Armenian ancestry...
community is that the Iranian-American community has shunned political participation."
In November 2009, the NIAC came under scrutiny when Washington Times national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
correspondent Eli Lake
Eli Lake
Eli Lake , is a national security correspondent for the Washington Times and a frequent contributor to the Bloggingheads.tv. He was previously a national security reporter at the New York Sun and the State Department correspondent for the UPI...
alleged that the organization, registered as a 501(c)(3) educational organization, could be "operating as a foreign lobby in violation of federal law". Lake writes, "Mr. Parsi's history suggests a continuing commitment to changing U.S. policy on Iran, and he has clearly become more influential in Washington since the change of administrations." In response, NIAC published a point by point rebuttal of the article written by Eli Lake, stating that "NIAC is a 501 c3 educational organization with an H election. As a result, NIAC is permitted to engage in lobbying up to 20% of its budget. NIAC and its staff are in full compliance with all regulations and laws" elaborating further that "Educational activities and advocacy for general policies, such as opposition to war - as opposed to specific legislation - are not lobbying under the law."
Treacherous Alliance
In 2007, Yale University PressYale University Press
Yale University Press is a book publisher founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day. It became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but remains financially and operationally autonomous....
published Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States. Parsi's work is an expansion of his 2006 Ph.D. dissertation written at Johns Hopkins University under the supervision of his Ph.D. adviser Francis Fukuyama
Francis Fukuyama
Yoshihiro Francis Fukuyama is an American political scientist, political economist, and author. He is a Senior Fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford. Before that he served as a professor and director of the International Development program at the School of...
. The book "takes a closer look at the complicated triangular relations between Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that continue to shape the future of the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
."
The book received many positive reviews. In Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
, L. Carl Brown called the it a "well-constructed history" and former U.S. ambassador Peter Galbraith praised the book as "a wonderfully informative account." Political scientist John Mearsheimer
John Mearsheimer
John J. Mearsheimer is an American professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. He is an international relations theorist. Known for his book on offensive realism, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, more recently Mearsheimer has attracted attention for co-authoring and publishing...
and former National Security Advisor
National Security Advisor
A National Security Advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. He or she is not usually a member of the Cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils....
Zbigniew Brzezinski
Zbigniew Brzezinski
Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski is a Polish American political scientist, geostrategist, and statesman who served as United States National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981....
also commended the book. In 2008, Treacherous Alliance was awarded the silver medal (runner-up) in the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
' Arthur Ross Book Award
Arthur Ross Book Award
The Arthur Ross Book Award was endowed in 2001 by Arthur Ross for the purpose of recognizing books that make an outstanding contribution to the understanding of foreign policy or international relations. The prize is for nonfiction works from the past two years, in English or translation, and is...
.
Parsi's work has also faced some criticism, including from Nathan Thrall
Nathan Thrall
Nathan Thrall is an American journalist who writes on Middle East politics and United States foreign policy. He has written for GQ, Slate, The New Republic, The New York Times, and The New York Review of Books, and is a contributing editor at Tablet Magazine.-Background:Nathan Thrall holds an M.A...
in Commentary Magazine and American Enterprise Institute
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
scholar Michael Rubin in a review in Middle East Quarterly
Middle East Quarterly
Middle East Quarterly is a peer reviewed quarterly journal, a publication of the American conservative think tank Middle East Forum founded by Daniel Pipes in 1994. It is devoted to subjects relating to the Middle East and Islam and analyzes the region "explicitly from the viewpoint of American...
. Thrall faults Parsi's realist analysis for ignoring Iran's "most ideologically driven actions."