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U.S. AND IRANIAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS DISCUSS PEACE
Mark Beach
Mennonite Central Committee
Feb 21 2007
TEHRAN, Iran - Religious leaders from the U.S. and Iran met here today
to discuss the importance of faith groups finding common ground in
peacemaking, particularly in light of the growing political tensions
between the U.S. and Iran.
The three-hour meeting-called Quest for Truth-was held in Tehran and
sponsored by the Islamic Culture and Religion Organization. It was
one of a weeklong series of meetings a delegation of U.S. religious
leaders is holding with Iranian religious leaders-both Christian and
Muslim-as well as political leaders in Iran.
The delegation arrived early Monday, Feb. 19 and has since met with
the Archbishop of the Armenian Church in Iran and the Tehran-based
Ayatollah who leads Friday prayers in Tehran and is a member of the
Iranian Council of Experts.
The group is expected to meet with others Iranian leaders during
the next few days, including Iranian President Ahmadinejad. Their
goal is to work with religious leaders in the U.S. and Iran to help
ease tensions.
At Tuesday's meeting, the presentations offered by religious leaders
and scholars on both sides agreed that although dialogue is important,
now is the time for action.
"We need to go beyond dialogue and establish tangible results," said
Iranian Ayatollah Dr. Monhaghegh Damad of Shahid Behesti University
in Tehran. "We need to hold dialogue to eliminate ambiguities and
misunderstandings between religions that emerge once in a while and
work through them to establish peace."
"Interfaith dialogue strengthens our own theology," said Rev. Dr.
Shanta Premawardhana of the National Council of Churches and a member
of the U.S. delegation. "This is a new paradigm that has arrived out
of many years of engaging in dialogue."
"Peace is the key teaching of Christianity and Islam and this will
be realized in our lives," said Archbishop Sabu Sarkission of the
Armenia Orthodox church in Iran. "This is the product of dialogue."
The 13-member U.S. religious leaders group represents church members
from the Mennonite, Quaker, Episcopal, Catholic and United Methodist
churches.
http://www.mcc.org/news/news/ article.html?id=136
Mark Beach
Mennonite Central Committee
Feb 21 2007
TEHRAN, Iran - Religious leaders from the U.S. and Iran met here today
to discuss the importance of faith groups finding common ground in
peacemaking, particularly in light of the growing political tensions
between the U.S. and Iran.
The three-hour meeting-called Quest for Truth-was held in Tehran and
sponsored by the Islamic Culture and Religion Organization. It was
one of a weeklong series of meetings a delegation of U.S. religious
leaders is holding with Iranian religious leaders-both Christian and
Muslim-as well as political leaders in Iran.
The delegation arrived early Monday, Feb. 19 and has since met with
the Archbishop of the Armenian Church in Iran and the Tehran-based
Ayatollah who leads Friday prayers in Tehran and is a member of the
Iranian Council of Experts.
The group is expected to meet with others Iranian leaders during
the next few days, including Iranian President Ahmadinejad. Their
goal is to work with religious leaders in the U.S. and Iran to help
ease tensions.
At Tuesday's meeting, the presentations offered by religious leaders
and scholars on both sides agreed that although dialogue is important,
now is the time for action.
"We need to go beyond dialogue and establish tangible results," said
Iranian Ayatollah Dr. Monhaghegh Damad of Shahid Behesti University
in Tehran. "We need to hold dialogue to eliminate ambiguities and
misunderstandings between religions that emerge once in a while and
work through them to establish peace."
"Interfaith dialogue strengthens our own theology," said Rev. Dr.
Shanta Premawardhana of the National Council of Churches and a member
of the U.S. delegation. "This is a new paradigm that has arrived out
of many years of engaging in dialogue."
"Peace is the key teaching of Christianity and Islam and this will
be realized in our lives," said Archbishop Sabu Sarkission of the
Armenia Orthodox church in Iran. "This is the product of dialogue."
The 13-member U.S. religious leaders group represents church members
from the Mennonite, Quaker, Episcopal, Catholic and United Methodist
churches.
http://www.mcc.org/news/news/ article.html?id=136