Iranians do not need war or boots on the ground; they are fighting for their freedom and have not only shown, but proven, time and again that they will continue to bravely stand up to the Khomeinist regime. They want your eyes and ears to witness their reality and for you to stand with them, in the international court of public opinion. No one wants war, so lend us your voices and a bit of your time.

Iran is a country with a rich and long history. Its identity is etched in stone, and an indelible air deeply felt and embraced by all who come to know it. Like the United States, Iran has a strong moving spirit, which has been discounted and misrepresented for too long by too many self-interested parties.

As the first true melting pot, much of Iran, the Iranian nation, and our history have been twisted and distorted on the international stage, from the Khomeinist Regime’s version of Iranian Shi’a to Hollywood’s with alarmingly deceptive films such as 300.

Iran So Far Away is not only named after the 1984 pop song, but also plays on the often-mispronounced name of the country—while putting a meaningful yet spirited spin on the experience of exile, displacement, identity, sovereignty, and more.

PROBLEM

Iran’s petro-wealth, which is at the regime's disposal, has funded agents and lobbyists who have fed pro-regime rhetoric and misleading information to the international press, policymakers, NGOs, think tanks, etc.

MISSION

Through interviews and conversations with those who can provide the most in-depth insight, ISFA will cover not only Iranian politics and human rights issues but also the country's culture, arts, people, history, and that very moving spirit. This will focus the audience's attention on the most trustworthy and powerful secular Iranians who have envisioned a nation where religion is not a part of the state, free from any control by unelected authoritarians.

ANALYSIS

The regime in Iran not only operates over 40 English-language media outlets of its own but is also "allied" with many international outlets that are ideologically more sympathetic, therefore willing to collaborate with them on the news they narrate. The Khomeinist regime’s lobbies in the U.S. have also managed to connect and penetrate much of the willing media to saturate the news cycle with false reporting and highly biased analysis.

Countering and neutralizing that information via a reliable apparatus is feasible and desperately needed to disseminate vetted and organized counterpoints and facts. The problem is twofold:

• First, very few mainstream media journalists know Iran well enough to report the topic accurately. They lack both an understanding of the history, culture, and political landscape and the reliable and reputable Iranians who can properly analyze the information. As a result, they fall into the practice of mimicking the existing and erroneous media narrative injected into the discourse by the regime and its aligned “experts”. The result is misleading stories.

• Second, while a few (journalists, politicians, etc.) do have some knowledge of Iran, they rarely voice the true horrors of what is happening inside Iran and the Islamic regime, whitewashing the regime's crimes to stay in keeping with competitor news outlets; hence a uniform series of evasive and misleading information circulates as actuality and the norm.

Though many reputable Iranians and Iran experts, in general, have consulted for various political figures, think tanks, etc., they have rarely, if ever, been recognized and promoted by significant media sources and outlets that wish to report facts clean of bias. This inaccurate reporting on the Islamic regime then echoes throughout the influential media simply because journalists, show producers, bookers, and interviewers alike lack the knowledge and tools to identify the most reliable commentators, analysts, and activists from regime spin. In due course, we hope that ISFA will emerge as the bellwether and go-to source for both the most accurate news and authoritative commentators on the topic.

ISFA offers a detailed glimpse into the internal dynamics of the Iranian regime authorities. Such details make the utmost difference in policymaking, yet they are too often ignored.

Globally, people who desire freedom for Iran need a place to gather to make their voices heard. ISFA aims to create a platform for secular and non-partisan Iranian voices who fight for the separation of religion and state to be heard on a regular basis.

Serious experts will shift international public opinion and neutralize the confusion brought about by the Khomeinist regime, creating a level playing field for an effective push-back against the ceaseless biased reporting and disinformation that dominates present discourse.

The recent activities in Iran mean an urgent need for such a platform. The Iranian people will once again be heard, not just the mullahs.

Nota bene: Iran So Far Away gathers and consolidates information that is generally well-researched or examined. Nonetheless, this does not imply that the sources or publishers, channels, or organizations associated with the content are being supported or endorsed.