Muslim Americans React to Historic Nuclear Agreement with Iran

Muslim Americans across the nation are reacting to President Barack Obama's announcement on Tuesday that negotiators from the United States and five other major world powers had sealed a history-making deal to ease crippling economic sanctions on Iran in return for safeguards to ensure that country does not develop nuclear weapons.

"I cautiously welcome the ‪‎Iran deal‬, but hold serious concern & anxiety about what might happen next," said Hussam Ayloush, Executive Board Member for the California Democratic Party and Executive Director for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Los Angeles.

"I welcome the agreement because I hope it will reduce nuclear proliferation and political tension in the region. A nuclear deal will spare the Iranian people from continuous unfair warfare and sanctions brought on them by the hypocritical West, warmongering Israel, and Iran's irresponsible leaders. A deal might provide Iran's government with funds to help the Iranian people who are enduring economic hardship."

Ayloush also expressed his concerns about the deal. "On the other hand, considering that myself and many others don't trust the intentions of the Iranian government, I worry that Iran's imperialist and sectarian rulers are going to ignore the well-being of the Iranian people and use the new financial means resulting from the lifting of sanctions to advance its destructive and divisive policies in the region. Iran's ruling mullahs will most probably use the new funds to increase their already huge funding of Assad & Hizbullah's barbaric war against the Syrian people."

"I pray that the brave Iranian people will organize and rise up again, like their brethren in Syria, Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, and other places, to demand a democratic government that promotes justice, freedom, human rights, and good relations with all the people in the region."

Ayloush also pointed out that Israel is the only country in that region with that actual nuclear military arsenal in its possession and he would hope that they would agree to give up their nuclear weapons as well.

Muslim Americans on social media also voiced their views on the deal. Rashid Ahmad stated on Facebook,"I ask the same question John Kerry asked the critics of the deal and people like Israel's prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu, "What is your alternative? More war? More sanctions? More strife?" It remains to be seen if the agreement would stick, but Iran would have more to lose if it violates the agreement."

Mansoor Shams, a former U.S. Marine, commented via social media, “This deal proves through mutual respect peace can be achieved.” And while supportive of the deal, some others, like journalist Haroon Moghul, were resigned to the fact that “the only other option is war with Iran, and such a war would be far more challenging for us than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Most Iranian-American Muslims were in general very excited at the prospect of the United States and Iran fostering better relations. Sarah Sakha, a “proud” first-generation Iranian American, explained to via Facebook that the deal “honestly gives Iranians and Iranian-Americans all around the world hope.” She added, “And now, under the framework, the U.S. can enjoy Iranian pistachios, the ultimate peace offering!”

Maz Jobrani, the best-known Iranian American comedian in the United States, explained by that the deal “is a great thing for both the Iran and America. I’m especially happy for the Iranian people because the lifting of the sanctions should be a great relief to them.” He added, “It’s a good day when diplomacy wins.”

While Iranian American filmmaker Negin Farsad was very supportive of the deal, she noted that it “was tantamount to Iran submitting to an anal cavity search all the time.” Farsad urged Republican lawmakers to “not take a knee-jerk anti-peace stance” and instead “look at Iran as a potential new market to sell American goods, rather than a new war front.”