Sharing words of peace

As a part of last Wednesday’s meeting with the President of Iran, our group presented him with a gift. It was a framed work of calligraphy, seen at right. The risks of a direct translation by a non-Arabic speaker are high. Above is a photo of me presenting the gift to President Ahmadinejad.

The work of art by Mamoun Sakkal illustrates, in classical Kufi script, a verse from hadith (sayings of the prophet Mohammad). A paraphrase of the Sura might be understood to remind us that “it is good to begin each day with a reflection on how we will personally advance the cause of peace and justice in our lives and work."

We acknowledged our appreciation for the opportunity to share concerns from the peace movement with Iranian leadership as a part of a busy schedule around the opening of the U.N. General Assembly fall session with a memento.