Rep. Keith EllisonRep. Keith Ellison spoke at the National Iranian American Council last week about the struggles facing the Iranian people as they protest the current regime. Ellison, Congress’ first Muslim, told attendees that freedom should be supported but not enforced.

Titled “Iran at a Crossroads – Assessing a Changing Landscape,” the event put a spotlight on the political turmoil currently facing Iran. Ellison, who is the author of the Stand with Iranian People Act (SWIPA), spoke about the need for reform to come from within the country.

“We believe that a democratic impulse in every nation must be fed by the international community,” he said, “but at the same time the freedom that the people on the streets of Tehran and around Iran are seeking belongs to them, all by themselves. It should be supported, but it shouldn’t be lead, and it certainly shouldn’t be directed [by us].”