Students came in droves to hear Dr. Trita Parsi, author of the new book “Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel, and the United States,” speak at De Anza College on Nov. 8 about Iran and U.S. foreign relations.
He discussed tensions between the United States and Iran, and said, “The worst thing that can happen is for [De Anza students], and all students across the country, to be apathetic to what is happening in the world right now.”
Over 200 students packed into Admin 119 to hear him speak about the policies of both Iran and the U.S. and what it could mean to students in the future. People who could not find a seat were sitting on the floor, and many were standing around the periphery of the room, or a few steps outside the door, to hear his speech and participate in the question and answer session afterward.
I’m surprised at the turnout,” Parsi said. “When I was invited down I expected to see a small classroom of maybe 30 people. But it’s fantastic that so many people are interested in this subject.”
Non-Iranian students said they found him especially insightful in dispelling some of the myths about the history between Iranian, U.S. and Israeli relations. “I found it useful in getting another point of view that we’re not getting from the media,” said student Derek Fleming.
Students for Justice, a De Anza club, planned the event.
“Relations between Iran and the US are a hot topic right now, and we have been trying to get an Iranian speaker here for a while, and the stars kind of aligned at the right time to get Trita Parsi, who is a great force in the movement for diplomacy,” said Rich Wood, SFJ adviser and De Anza sociology instructor.
“We have a large population of Iranian-American students at De Anza and it’s certainly important for them and others to be knowledgeable about foreign policy from all points of view,” Wood said.
Dr. Parsi received his Ph.D in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. His book, “Treacherous Alliance,” is the first book published in over 20 years which directly addresses Israeli-Iranian-U.S. relations and their impact on U.S. national interest, and is the only book ever written on the subject based on extensive primary sources.
He interviewed 130 senior Israeli, Iranian and American officials who were involved in the foreign policy decisions of their countries over the past 50 years and cross-checked information to get to the facts. He is a frequent commentator on Middle Eastern affairs, having appeared on BBC World News, PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, CNN, Al Jazeera, C-Span, NPR, MSNBC and Democracy Now.
“Iran is a country that holds many challenges to foreign policy right now and we shouldn’t miss an opportunity to resolve issues with Iran by not being able to engage in diplomacy,” Parsi said.
His visit was part of an Iranian speaker series that SFJ is endorsing. The next speaker is slated to be Hamid Dabashi, a professor of political science and cinema at the Columbia University.
The event was recorded and there are plans to put it on the Students for Justice Web site at http://www.studentsforjustice.theorg.
