The conversation continues
on
Following up on yesterday’s meeting between President Ahmadinejad and peace activists, organized by FOR, tonight an interfaith group led by the American Friends Service Committee and the Mennonite Central Committee will break bread with the Iranian head of state marking the traditional iftar.
In New York on Thursday, several international political and religious leaders will meet for an iftar dinner, which marks the end of each day’s fasting during Ramadan. After dinner, speakers from Muslim, Christian, and Jewish traditions will discuss the role of religious faith in responding to major challenges, such as poverty, injustice, global warming, and war. A major purpose is to continue dialogue with the Iranian people and their president.
- A Note on Dialogue with Iran by Mary Ellen McNish, General Secretary of AFSC
Understandably there has been some debate about the value of holding discussions with a leader we disagree with so fundamentally on so many important topics. It’s important to keep in mind that dialogue is not a signal of agreement, but rather is a necessary first step toward better understanding and is an opportunity to make the case for our own views in a peaceful and well-reasoned way. Both President Bush and President Ahmadinejad have been guilty of excessive saber-rattling and stirring up conflict to for political points. Peacemakers reject this behavior and hope to model a better way.
