Confederation of Iranian Students

Confederation of Iranian Students
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Leader	Amir-Abbas Fakhravar
Founded	Tehran, July 1999
Headquarters	Washington D.C.
Ideology	Freedom and Democracy for Iran
Website
http://www.cistudents.org

The Confederation of Iranian Students (CIS) Persian: کنفدراسیون دانشجویان ایرانی‎‎, is a pro-western, Iranian student organization with more than 10,000 members inside Iran and abroad. Its principal objective is to empower the will and confidence of the Iranian people in their quest for freedom. It reaches out to students through social, cultural, artistic, literary, and sports activities. CIS works to promote freedom, human rights and democracy in Iran. The Confederation educates the public, organizes, and mobilizes grass-root support in the United States, Europe, and Iran to promote freedom of expression, press, and religion – the constitutional foundations of a new free, secular and democratic Iran.

Overview

The Confederation of Iranian Students (CIS) was founded by Amir Abbas Fakhravar, Arzhang Davoodi, "Peyman Aref", "Iman Samizadeh" and "Helia Honarmand" and "Roza Radbeh" after the July 9, 1999 student uprising in Iran. The name of this organization was Independent Student Movement first and in July 2005 it was changed to Confederation of Iranian Students (CIS) . CIS claims to have over 10,000 members, with student Federations in Iran, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Austria, and Turkey. It is the largest International Iranian student movement active both inside and outside of Iran. According to various Iranian opposition groups, CIS may be a front for the Iranian government which aims at identifying regime opponents.

CIS and Amnesty International

Amnesty International released several statements since 2002 to support many CIS members who were arrested and tortured in Iran in jail, like Amnesty's report to support Amir Abbas Fakhravar on April 2004, Amnesty's report to support CIS co-founder Arzhang Davoodi on August 24, 2012, Amnesty's Report to support CIS executive Director, Nahid Kalhori, Amnesty's report to support CIS board member, "Shiva Kamalipour-Azad" and "Mohammad-Reza (Arash) Fakhravar" on May 6, 2011.

CIS role in Iran's Oil sanctions

CIS have been working successfully with the U.S. Congress and Senate to design and support the adoption of strong oil and gas, and financial sanctions against the Iranian regime to cut the revenue flows essential for the regime to survive. International sanctions are now bankrupting the regime and the Iranian people are holding the regime responsible for their food and fuel shortages and increasing poverty. CIS has been especially effective in mobilizing European Union support for strong sanctions and raising the awareness of European publics of the plight of the Iranian people who seek a free, democratic and secular government to replace the illegitimate and corrupt regime now in power. U.S. CRS in its report which is published on State Departments website notified CIS role in Iranian OIl Sanction; "CIS supports imposition of severe sanctions against Iran, including total oil sale embargo to deprive the regime of the funds it needs to pay its security forces."

CIS and Democratic Transition in Iran

CIS hosted Iran Democratic Transition Conference I (IDTC 1) at The George Washington University and United States Congress on January 22–24, 2011 and June 19, 2011. This conference was sponsored and coordinated by the Institute of World Politics and Confederation of Iranian Students (CIS). Iran Democratic Transition Conference takes a pragmatic approach to exploring the prospects of political change in Iran and to paving the way for the establishment of a secular, pluralistic, democratic government in Iran. A host of expert Iranian panelists, Iran scholars, and U.S. law makers will discuss policy, strategic, and social issues to establish a shared vision of liberty. Key Topics at this conference were: Transition to Democracy: Challenges and Opportunities; New Media: Cyber Revolution and Individualism; New Generation: Demands, Abilities and Political Vision; Secularism: Ideology and Alternatives; Sanctions: "Behavior Change" or "Regime Change"?; Oppositions Leadership: In Exile or from Within?; New Constitution: "Reform" or "Regime Change"; Iran and the World: Mutual Commitments; Remembering Neda, The Face of the Iranian Green Movement, on her Birthday.

IDTC Speakers: U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), U.S. Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ), U.S. Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL), U.S. Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA), Mohammad Reza Heydari and "Abolfazl Islami" (Former Islamic Republic of Iran's Diplomats from Norway, Finland and Japan), Amir Abbas Fakhravar (Research Fellow at Institute of World Politics, award winning writer and jailed dissident), Dr. Kenneth Katzman (Senior specialist, Iran and Middle East Affairs at the U.S. Congressional Research Service), Dr. John Lenczowski (President of IWP), Kambiz Hosseini (TV host, VOA-Parazit), Dr. Walid Phares (Special advisor and Co-Chair of Middle East and North Africa for U.S. Presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney), Mahtab Farid (Senior journalist and public diplomacy officer of State Department), Dr. Michael Waller (Annenberg Professor of International Communication at the Institute of World Politics), Dr. "Juliana Pilon" (Professor at the Institute of World Politics), "Alireza Noorizadeh" (Director of the London-based Center for Arab and Iranian Studies), Caspian Makan (Photographer, Neda's fiancé, Canada), "Mehdi Saharkhiz" (Citizen Journalist, Son of Isa Saharkhiz, former head of the press department at the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Education and jailed dissident), "Roozbeh Mir-Ebrahimi" (Jailed blogger, Journalist, NY), "Potkin Azarmehr" (Award winning blogger and Iran expert, London), "Behnam Nateghi" (Journalist and TV host, VOA-NY), Afshin Ellian (Professor of law and philosophy, Islam, and Middle East scholar, Netherlands), "Ramin Asgard" (Director of VOA Persian Service), "Mashaallah Abbaszadeh" (former Iran Election Headquarters chief, Canada), "Solmaz Sharif" (Journalist, NY), Ivan Marovic (Serbian Student Leader, Belgrade), Sanaz Alasti, "Jane Kokan" (Award winning documentary filmmaker, Canada), "Shayan Arya", (member of Board of Directors for the Constitutional Monarchy Party), Seyed Mohammad Hosseini (comedian and satire writer), "Amir Golalipour" (CIS board member and executive member, Mir-Hossein Mousavi's presidential election campaign), "Farhad Sabetan", (Bahá'í community spokesperson), Nahid Kalhori, (executive director of Confederation of Iranian Students), "Amir Shadjareh", (President of Pars International TV), "Zia Atabay", (founder and president of National Iranian Television in Los Angeles), and representatives from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI).

The "Iran Democratic Transition Conference II" with the title of "Remembering Neda, the symbol of Freedom and Democracy in Iran" took place on the anniversary of the day her life was brutally taken as she was peacefully participating in a people's march in Tehran, giving rise to what has since become known as The Iranian Green Movement. Since then, the Movement has inspired other young people in undemocratic nations in the region, who are rising up to the call for freedom. This conference will examine the dynamics of the Green Movement, the role of secularism versus religion in the political life of Iran; the question of religious freedom in an Islamic society; the role of the media; and the implications of the Green Movement for U.S. policy. (IDTC 2) followed the highly successful conference (IDTC 1) held at the George Washington University and the U.S. Capitol in January, 2011. Participants included Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL), and Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ), as well as representatives from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI). The conference engaged students, non-governmental organizations, academics, and others, both inside and outside Iran, for the purpose of contributing to a better global understanding of the needs and desires of the Iranian people as they seek greater liberty of expression and political engagement. The present conference carries on the momentum and the spirit of that event by reaching out to the civil society of Iran.

CIS in United States Congressional Reports

The United States Congressional Research Service report dated September 5, 2012, stated the following regarding CIS: “Opposition/”Green Path Hope.” All of the blocs and personalities below can be considered part of the Green Path of Hope opposition/revolutionary movement. However, overall leadership of the opposition is unclear, with several components competing for preeminence and the ability to determine the direction of the protest movement. Student Opposition Leaders/Confederation of Iranian Students/Office of Consolidation of Unity (Daftar Tahkim-e- Vahdat). Staunch oppositionists and revolutionaries, many now favor replacement of the regime with secular democracy. Generally young and well-educated, want free and open media and contact with the West. Many are women. One key bloc in this group is the Confederation of Iranian Students (CIS), led by Amir Abbas Fakhravar, who was jailed for five years for participating in July 1999 student riots. CIS, committed to non-violent resistance, is an offshoot/competitor of the Office of Consolidation Unity, which led the 1999 riots. At the time of those riots, most students were strong Khatemi supporters, but turned against him for acquiescing to hardliner demands that he crack down on the rioting. The crackdown killed four students. Student leaders currently attempting, with mixed success, to gain support of older generation, labor, clerics, village-dwellers, and other segments. CIS supports imposition of severe sanctions against Iran, including a total oil sale embargo, to deprive the regime of the funds it needs to pay its security forces. CIS and other student activists purportedly developing list of Iranian officials who they assert have committed major human rights abuses—an intended parallel to the “deck of cards” of alleged Saddam-regime “war criminals” developed by the United States before the overthrow of Saddam."