Local opinion: Standing for victims Is not supporting war

I typically do not respond to trolls or engage with political attacks, but when false claims distort my public record, a response is necessary. Last week’s accusations made against my sister and me ignore a basic fact: standing during a proclamation is standard protocol and simple decorum. Every member present, including all Southern Arizona representatives, stood, as is customary. To portray that act of respect as support for war or partisan alignment is a clear misrepresentation of what actually occurred.

The proclamation itself clearly condemned violence and human rights abuses carried out by the Iranian regime, while expressing solidarity with the people of Iran particularly those risking their lives for freedom, dignity, and self-determination. It did not advocate for war. It honored victims and families impacted were present on the house floor while their families were remembered.

There is public footage from that day that speaks for itself, including the unfortunate disruption by individuals who misunderstood the purpose of the proclamation. The facts are available to anyone willing to look.

What’s disappointing is the willingness to spread misinformation without taking even minimal steps to verify the truth. Disagreement is part of public service, but it should be grounded in facts not false narratives.

I will continue to stand to honor victims of violence and oppression under the Iranian regime. That is not partisan, it is principled.

The proclamation can be found on the official legislative website, and it says the following: Whereas, in January 2026, the world witnessed millions of Iranians rise in peaceful defiance of the brutal dictatorship of the Regime, demanding freedom, life, and liberty. The Regime responded with terror and slaughter, killing and maiming tens of thousands while imprisoning civilians, on a scale among the worst of modern history, as part of a systematic attack against civilians that constitutes crimes against humanity.

Whereas, the regime unleashed weapons of war against civilians, hunting them down through streets, seizing them from their homes, and removing wounded from hospitals, to put them to death. They carried out mass killings, abductions, and executions, including children, women, and the elderly, withheld the bodies of victims to extort payment from families before releasing them, and

Whereas reports and images have documented the aftermath of this violence, with blood-stained sidewalks littered with the shoes of those killed as they tried to flee, overflowing morgues and warehouses marked by hills of body bags. Large numbers of the dead were stored in trucks and other makeshift facilities, burned homes, businesses, alongside accounts of extreme brutality, grim scenes that recall the darkest mass atrocities of this century, while the Regime severed all internet and telephone access to conceal their crimes;

Whereas, the Regime is a known state sponsor of worldwide terrorism, enabling violence beyond Iran's borders and threatening peace and security internationally; and

Whereas, for years, the people of Iran have endured dictatorship imposed against their will and have risen again and again to fight for their inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms, only to be met each time with brutality; and

Whereas, the state of Arizona stands with the people of Iran, denouncing the Regime's campaign of terror, repression, and crimes against civilians, condemning its export of terrorism, and true ideals of liberty, justice, and self-determination, affirming the principles of human dignity, freedom of conscience".

I stand with the victims of this brutal regime and stand with the women, life freedom movement as we all should. If there is one thing I learned in law school that is if you accuse someone of something, you better have the evidence and facts in order. This attack was baseless, unnecessary and a complete waste of time. People are entitled to their own opinions but not to their own facts. If you are running to represent our community, do better than spread misinformation.

We owe our constituents honesty, diligence and a commitment to truth. Anything less undermines the responsibility of those seeking to serve. I don’t support endless wars in the Middle East. This is about standing with those fighting for basic human rights women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and religious and ethnic minorities who are denied those rights under a totalitarian government.