Iranian-Americans Launch National Civic Movement Inspired by the Legacy That Helped Shape America

AUSTIN, Texas - We Are Cyrus today announced its national launch as a grassroots movement dedicated to mobilizing Iranian-Americans and their allies to become an active, organized force in American civic life. Unlike many organizations that launch and then build, We Are Cyrus opens its doors with supporters already established across 24 U.S. states, with particular strength in Texas, California, Georgia, Arizona, Maryland, and Florida.

 

The organization takes its name and inspiration from Cyrus the Great, the Persian king who freed the Jewish people from Babylonian captivity, funded the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and authored the Cyrus Cylinder, widely recognized as history’s first declaration of human rights. His legacy is honored across Jewish, Christian, and Persian traditions alike, making him one of the most universally respected figures in recorded history.

 

That legacy did not stop in ancient Persia. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams were all deeply influenced by the governance of Cyrus the Great. Jefferson owned two personal copies of the Cyropaedia, the ancient biography of Cyrus, and instructed his grandson to study it after mastering Greek. The U.S. model of separating church and state is widely regarded as one of the closest modern reflections of the multi-faith, multi-culture nation that Cyrus built. The principles that inspired the American founders trace directly to ancient Persia.

 

That is the heritage Iranian-Americans carry. And for too long, it has gone unrepresented in the civic life of the nation it helped inspire.

 

For decades, Iranian-Americans have made extraordinary contributions to this country in business, medicine, engineering, academia, and military service. Yet the community remains one of the most underrepresented civic voices in the nation. We Are Cyrus was founded to change that.

 

“We Are Cyrus is more than an organization. It is a call to remember who we are and what we are capable of. The ideas of Cyrus the Great helped shape the American Constitution. Iranian-Americans are the heirs to that legacy. For too long we have been grateful in private and silent in public. Today, that silence ends.”

Brian Taef, Founder and U.S. Army Veteran, We Are Cyrus

 

The organization’s early momentum is already evident. Prior to its official launch, We Are Cyrus attracted supporters across 24 states, with the strongest concentrations in Texas, California, Georgia, Arizona, Maryland, and Tennessee. Major cities already represented include Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Phoenix, San Diego, and the Washington, D.C. corridor. The movement has even drawn interest from supporters in Europe, a signal that the message resonates well beyond U.S. borders.

 

We Are Cyrus will focus on voter registration, leadership development, community organizing, and civic education. Launch priorities include Houston, Los Angeles and Orange County, Atlanta, Phoenix, and the Washington and Bethesda corridor. The organization has set its sights on building an active presence in all 50 states, creating a unified Iranian-American civic voice from coast to coast.

 

We Are Cyrus is organized as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. To learn more or get involved, visit wearecyrus.com.

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