"The thought of climbing Mt. Everest for me began in my teenage years. Teams from different countries climbing that mountain always raised the question for me: why not Iranians? After the 1979 revolution in Iran, this thought turned into a personal dream. Now after twenty years, I feel a strong urge to share this dream with Iranians and Americans everywhere. I want this dream to become a launching pad for a strong cultural unity between the two cultures.

As an Iranian-American my dream is to bridge the cultural and social elements of both nations. I intend to promote the democratic values of the new millennium by supporting Iran's longing for democracy. To this endeavor, we will bring together the best team from the United States and Iran to conquer the obstacles that exist in the path of reaching this goal.

I hope to make this climb symbolic of the twenty-plus years of hard work and achievements all Iranians and their American counterparts share. We will continue to climb the steps of success each and every day of our lives as we climb to the highest goal, the summit of Mt. Everest."