Last week, the United States military orchestrated a drone strike on a Baghdad airport which killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and nine other passengers. Soleimani was at that time the commander of the Quds Force, and a major general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This attack marked an escalation of rising tension between the United States and Iran, and is understood by analysts and commentators around the globe to be an unprecedented decision on the part of the United States. A few days later, an Iranian missile attack targeted an Iraqi military base housing US forces, thankfully causing no casualties. Yesterday, the president addressed the world, referring to Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism and asserting that the United States would be taking a firmer hand in reigning in Iranian aggression in the Middle East.
First, we at GEOC would like to take a moment to state that we unequivocally oppose further hostilities and aggression in the Middle East and urge peace and international cooperation at this and all times. When states go to war, it is working people and communities which pay the price, and as workers and scholars we have much more in common with each other across borders than we do with those who would send our friends, relatives, and neighbors to war. A war with Iran would be disastrous for the people of that nation as well as ours, and further destabilize that region and the globe.
Second, we remember that many of our members are Iranian nationals, and have in recent years experienced increased discrimination both in the guise of Trump administration policies such as the travel ban and harassment from immigration enforcement. We pledge to support our Iranian members to the fullest both here at Wayne State as well as locally in the Detroit area and abroad, if need be. Iranian nationals at Wayne State experiencing any discrimination or harassment are urged to contact GEOC leadership with their concerns, and we pledge that they will be supported, no ifs ands or buts.