Dozens of Iranian American demonstrators gathered outside Emory University Monday in silent protest against the employment of the daughter of a top Iranian government official.
Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani’s role with the Atlanta, Georgia university’s Winship Cancer Institute has become a flashpoint amid a national debate over immigration and ties to Iranian political elites.
The demonstrators stood near the facility holding signs that read “Enemy of the USA welcomed by Emory” and “Did you know Iran terror chief’s daughter is your co-worker?”
The protesters refrained from chanting or speeches, which participants said was a deliberate choice made out of respect for patients seeking treatment at the institute.
“Silence was intentional,” Nasibeh Azizi, an Iranian living in Atlanta, told The Post. “It reflects mourning, respects the victims, and contrasts sharply with the violence protesters face in Iran. It also avoids disruption while still delivering a powerful message.”
Ardeshir-Larijani, a specialized cancer doctor, is the daughter of Ali Larijani, a powerful Iranian official who serves as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
She was granted a green card in 2021 under former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Ardeshir-Larijani’s presence in the US, and her employment at a major American medical center, has come under increased scrutiny as the White House confirmed it was looking into immigration benefits granted to the kin of top Iranian officials under prior administrations.
She was recently thrust into the spotlight after more than 54,000 people signed a Change.org petition calling for her deportation to Iran.
The crux of the protesters’ grievance was in the perceived hypocrisy of the Iranian leadership. While the Islamic Republic frequently decries the US as evil, some of its top officials have sent their children to American universities to study and pursue professional careers.
“Larijani regularly calls the US the Great Satan, while sending his daughter here to pursue higher education and opportunity,” Azizi said.
“Meanwhile, ordinary, highly qualified Iranian students and scientists face years long visa delays or outright denials. I know this firsthand. I waited eight months for security clearance despite a clean background,” Azizi added.
“The question is simple: why are talented pro American Iranians scientists blocked across the board while relatives of officials openly hostile to the US fall through the cracks?”
The university did not immediately comment on the protest.