FOR's Peacemaking Delegation to Iran: May 2007

 

Report Two, Part 3: Juxtapositions -- Religious Observations

 

Andrea Briggs: Images of Life

In ten days of travel throughout Iran, I have found myself drawn repeatedly to images of life: a nest of baby swallows on the eave of a roof at the Anzali bazaar; fields of wild flowers – lupine, thistles, poppies – on the desert floor outside Shiraz; miniature green pomegranates in the gardens at Yazd; the open smiling faces of children everywhere. And water – public faucets for washing and drinking, fountains in parks, pools in the courtyard of each mosque, irrigation canals, hoses, pitchers, wells, reservoirs, and rivers.

For me as a Christian, what could be more appropriate during this Easter season, during which Christians celebrate the victory of life over death?

My hope is that my country and this country I am visiting may find ways to acknowledge common interests, establish a productive dialogue, and thereby continue to celebrate life in its abundance.

 

Michael White: The Balance Between Masculine and Feminine

In a religion where men are considered superior, the art and architecture of the Islamic mosques appear predominately feminine in nature, with their domes and flowery tile work. Even the Arabic alphabet is filled with curves rather than angles, and seems to be written in a way that accentuates the feminine. The presence of more masculine motifs with sharp angles is usually in the backdrop of sweeping arches and flowing teardrops of color. It seems that even though the masculine mind may have pushed the feminine into the subconscious, it is hard not to feel enveloped by the feminine nature of the divine in these places of worship.

In the longer cycle of history, it is easy to imagine that the balance between masculine and feminine will eventually achieve equilibrium and ultimately divine union, and the hopeful nature of the youth here seems to support that possibility. There is no reason why current incarnations of Islam have to be a barrier to progression towards greater sexual equality, and the fact that more than 60% of the college population is women holds the promise that the role of women in this society will continue to change with the times.

 

Sandra Mackie: A Chance Encounter

It was a chance encounter in the hotel lobby. An elderly woman and her two daughters traveling together through Iran. The husband, of German nationality, was back at home in Germany because of his work. The conversation was light. Then, suddenly, the woman leaned over, pulled her veil over the side of her face, and whispered to me that her uncle had been of the Ba’hai faith and had been killed because of his faith.

One tries not to overreact. The experience brought home to me again that even though we are told that different religions are tolerated in Iran, not all religions are tolerated. Even though the killing had been several years ago, the pain of the loss was obviously still deep and the wound was still open.

Again I was reminded that religion is meant to unite us and not to divide us or to be used to justify violence.

 

Thomas Moore: The Sacred and the Casual

Iran is home to Zoroastrian fire temples, Jewish synagogues, and Christian churches, but mostly Shiite mosques. We have visited a number of shrines and mosques. I have been struck by the juxtaposition of elaborate beauty in their design and decoration, while experiencing an atmosphere of casual accessibility. Many of us are old enough to remember a time in America when our community churches never locked their doors.

In the shrine of Imam-zadeh Hamzeh in Qazvin, the walls and ceiling were covered by a multi-faceted mosaic of mirrors that truly dazzled my eyes. In the center of the carpeted floor of the shrine was the elaborately designed tomb. People touched the tomb’s surface reverently, tenderly, with hand and forehead. The cries of a woman petitioning the spirit of the saint could be heard, while I observed other people praying or meditating randomly in other places on the beautifully designed and handwoven carpets on the floor.

My first response to what was going on all around me was that maybe my presence was inappropriate. However, I soon observed people sitting along the wall who were chatting quietly, someone was eating a snack, someone else was reading a book, and still another was taking a nap. In the shrines and mosques that I have visited, both the sacred and the casual are permitted. These are community facilities that are accessible to everyone.