dec05-3

 

FOR's Friendship Delegation to Iran: December 2005

December 8 and Friday, December 9, 2005

On our fifth day in Iran, we journeyed over desert and mountains, with stops at historic Natanz, Abyaneh and Kashan. We drove by the nuclear facility near Kashan, which is at the center of controversy between Iran and the United States.

In the desert, we saw mounds indicating centuries-old qanats -  underground water transfer systems used to move water for irrigation with minimal evaporation loss.

In the town of Natanz, we viewed an ancient citadel. The town of Natanz prospers by virtue of its water supply. It boasts a large 12th-century Friday mosque and has a reputation for fine pottery, although only one lone potter survives there today.

Abyaneh is a small mountain village with red clay pueblo-like construction reminiscent of Native American dwellings. The native people in Abyaneh speak a pre-Islamic dialect and the town is remote and somewhat frozen in time.

The town of Kashan was once a walled city and a caravan site. There we toured the historic house of a merchant, who may well have dealt in silk carpets and tiles, both of which the town is known for. From Kashan we headed to Qom.

Qom is the second holiest city (after Mashad) for the Shi’a Muslims in Iran. Our women had to be even more careful to cover their hair under their hijabs (head scarves) and wear only black or dark colors. This was in sharp contrast with light-hearted and beautiful Isfahan, where we had walked along the Zayandeh River at sunset, joining crowds of Iranian strollers and feeling as if we were in Paris or Florence. But this was Qom.

Traffic in Qom was heavier than usual, thanks to an influx of people from Teheran, where high levels of smog had shut down schools and offices for three days. Many Tehranis  chose to leave the city for others less smog-bound.

As our bus entered the city, the traffic rivaled that of Western cities during rush hour. We were amazed to see the colored lights and the gold dome of Fatima Massoma’s glowing Shrine. Clement, our German delegate, rushed to take pictures. It turned out that the city was decorated for a religious holiday.

Some local guests invited by delegate Mary Huessy joined us in the hotel lobby to talk about life in Qom. We met Heidi, an Iranian, who is married to an American professor and convert to Islam. Mathew and Laurie Pierce, two young American Mennonites participating in a Canadian exchange program, brought Ramona, their sleepy two-year-old toddler.

Some of the men gathered in a group to talk and a few of the women sat with Laurie. (Were we already falling under the influence of social segregation?) We received some insights about the challenges of living in Iran, and in Qom in particular.

Laurie, who is studying Persian literature, said that aside from missing family and the bother of having to dress in a chador, life was quite all right. Occasionally she and her husband are asked why they don’t convert to Islam, but once they tell people they are comfortable being Christians, the matter is dropped. When asked if people feel free to talk about politics, Laurie said that’s all they ever talk about!

 She praised the improvements in health and education that have occurred since the revolution. Compared to Egypt, where there is so much poverty, Iranians are better off, she thought. The economic gap is growing in Iran, she added, but for now, no one goes cold or hungry.

After hearing so much about how conservative Qom was, imagine our surprise to hear the laughter and music of a Kurdish wedding taking place at the hotel where we were staying. Our female guide asked the women of the wedding party if she, Kendra and Pat could join the reception. They welcomed us.

The women and men partied separately. As soon as the men left the room, the hijabs came off and the partying began. The women told us it was an honor to have us there. They told us they wanted to perform a special traditional Kurdish dance for us. Nancy, Virginia, Mary and Cynthia joined the fun as several of us danced with the women.

We explained why we were in Iran and they seemed pleased with our presence and our vision. The women were eager to see a photo of Virginia’s fourteen grandchildren and it was a moment when we were able to appreciate the value of family. After eating wedding cake and receiving kisses from the women, we left, amazed by what we had just experienced. We couldn’t think of a situation in the United States where we could crash a wedding party and be so warmly received.

The next day, we visited the house of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 Iranian revolution. We saw the courtyard where he received guests, and the window from which he preached. He lived in this house in Qom before being exiled in 1964  to Turkey, then Iraq, and finally Paris.

From Imam Khomeini’s house we walked to the Imam Ali Foundation for Translation and Publication. In the library, the men of our delegation were invited to sit with men on one side of the room and the women on the other. We met with Sheik Mohammed Al-Hassoun, the director, and Sheik Ahmed Haneef.

Sheik Al-Hassoun was born in Najaf, Iraq, studied to become an engineer and then began his theological studies. Sheik Haneef was born in Trinidad, West Indies, but moved to Canada with his family as a youth. He converted to Islam 26 years ago, under the influence of Malcolm X. In pursuit of social justice, he came to Qom 12 years ago to study. His wife and four children live with him in Qom.

Pat introduced us and gave a brief synopsis of FOR. We met with both sheiks for two hours, listened to presentations from them, and had an opportunity to ask a number of questions.

Some of their answers to our questions include the following:

• The challenges of creating an Islamic state are less than one might think because Islamic principles apply to all aspects of life.

• The criminal code in Islam is applied to preserve the Islamic way of life, in accordance with the social norms of the society.

• We can work for peace between Iran and the United States by providing education and information on Iran and Shi’ite Islam.

• In Islam, there is an obligation to prevent wrongdoing and injustice by participating in nonviolent protest, engaging in the political process, restraining injustice by your own hand, opposing by speaking and writing, and condemning  the evil in your own heart.

• Women have an option to study theology, but the most important role a woman can have in Islam is as a mother. There is an aspect of women’s souls that brings them close to God.

• Iranians differentiate between the American people and the U.S. government. While they generally view Americans favorably, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between the government and the people. In Sheik Al-Hassoun’s view, the American people have not spoken up enough against the government; nor have they attempted to reverse the global problems created by the U.S. administration. By doing nothing, the American people are becoming part of the problem, he said.

We were offered books in English and a reading list on Islam. Sheik Haneef joined us for lunch.

After lunch, we drove to the Shrine of Fatima Al Masooma. Since it was Friday, the only weekend day in Iran, the shrine was very crowded with families and picnickers. Full hijbab, in the form of chador, is required for women who wish to enter the courtyard of the shrine. Only two of our women were able to visit since all the rentable chadors were in use by others, so the men and two women visited the courtyards of the shrine. Only Muslims were allowed to proceed further.

Inside, there were two courtyards, at least 400 years old. Through a curtain, we could barely see the Shrine itself.

From there we boarded the bus to return to Teheran.

Submitted by Bob Block, Virginia Baron, Ellen Poisson and Mary Huessy

©2005 Fellowship of Reconciliation