Iranians in U.S. join efforts for quake victims

LOS ANGELES -- Iranian-American groups have raised more than $1 million to help victims of last week's deadly earthquake in Iran, money that some hope will improve relations between the countries.

"I am hoping out of this to have a new relationship going on between the United States and the Iranian government," said Reza Dehbozorgi, head of the Iranian Professionals Association of South Florida.

The 6.6-magnitude earthquake, which killed at least 30,000 people, prompted a nationwide effort by both Iranians and Muslims in general to send relief.

President Bush, who has said Iran is part of an international "axis of evil," lifted sanctions for 90 days to allow aid to reach victims. Washington and Tehran have had no diplomatic relations since militants seized the U.S. embassy in the Iranian capital in 1979.

The Southfield, Mich.-based Muslim charity Life for Relief and Redevelopment sent seven tons of food and children's clothing immediately after the quake.

In Los Angeles, home to a third of the nation's 277,000 Iranian immigrants, the Iranian Muslim Association of North America raised more than $800,000 in pledges during a telethon. The association said it expected about 1,000 to attend a memorial service today.

"When you see those pictures, it doesn't matter if it's your relatives or your family. Everyone wants to help," said the association's president, Sadegh Namazikhah.

Still, an indication that U.S.-Iran relations remain strained came Friday when Iran rejected a U.S. proposal to send a humanitarian aid delegation led by Sen. Elizabeth Dole, the former head of the Red Cross.

Iran said it prefers that the delegation be "held in abeyance" because of the current situation on the ground; the U.S. government said it didn't consider the rejection political.

But some in the U.S. Iranian community don't believe there should be rapprochement until Iran's Muslim fundamentalist government is replaced by a different leadership.

"There's a mixed reaction to the Bush proposal to lift the embargo because people who are political opponents think this will help Bush and the regime get together, and this will stabilize the regime more," said Los Angeles-based journalist Homa Sarshar.

She also said some Iranian immigrants are concerned that money sent by smaller groups may end up with the government.

"They don't know if it will reach the people," Sarshar said. "Everybody is waiting to see what is going to happen."

Namazikhah, the president of the Iranian Muslim Association, said his group's first objective is to build a hospital in Iran to replace the ones that were destroyed. But he acknowledged it would be difficult to complete a hospital in the three months the federal government has allowed.

Aid organizations say some groups could run into problems because they are not accustomed to working with governments.

"This typically happens with overseas communities that come from countries that are not in favor with Washington," said Richard Walden, head of Operation USA, a Los Angeles-based international relief agency. "They are used to sending money to their families, but they don't realize they have less leeway with the Iranian government or the U.S. government in terms of aid for things like schools or hospitals."