June 24, 2009

To the Iranian Leadership: End the Violence Immediately

To:  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, U.N. Ambassador & Permanent Representative Mohammad Khazaee

We are leaders of organizations representing tens of thousands of U.S. citizens who love Iran: its people, culture, poetry, and land. Some of our members have traveled in recent years to the Islamic Republic of Iran to build relationships between our cultures, and have returned home with images and stories of wonderful new friends and your land’s admirable humanitarian and religious cultures. We passionately urge peace between our countries, and deeply regret the unfortunate history of U.S. intervention in Iran and its sovereignty. We believe all nations and peoples have the right to live free of the threat of unjust foreign interference in their internal affairs.

Our organizations represent national and regional U.S. peace, anti-war, and religious communities, and some of our members have held meetings with President Ahmadinejad, former President Khatami, and Iranian religious leaders to discuss common concerns about peace and humanitarian issues. We have pressed the U.S. Congress and White House on numerous issues related to Iran, including: ending sanctions levied on Iran; engaging in constructive dialogue with Iranian leaders; and formally apologizing for past actions against Iran – such as the July 3, 1988 attack by the USS Vincennes on Iran Air #655, which killed 290 innocent civilians. And while the results of the recent Iranian election are contested, we commend the election as an exercise in the building of stronger democracy in Iran, and we hope that the open expression of different ideas and visions for the future of the nation will continue.

The Holy Qur’an teaches us, “If anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.” And today we are compelled to communicate our pain and outrage about the violence being inflicted on peaceful Iranians. The killings of innocent civilians, beatings of elderly women and young students alike, and imprisonment without charge of hundreds of civilians – done in the name of Islam – serve to slander this holy religion whose name itself means the “making of peace.”

We are inspired by the ways that the nonviolent legacy of Mahatma Gandhi has been lifted up by many ordinary Iranians in this critical moment. For indeed, Gandhi reminded us, “Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.” Our faiths and commitments to peace compel us to demand an end to this senseless brutality against the people of Iran who are walking in silence, offering nonviolent witness, and engaging in other peaceful acts of conscience.

For more than a week, violence has wracked the nation of Iran. This past weekend, official reports have stated that between 10-19 Iranians died, while other reports give higher figures. These deaths are in addition to many others who have died in previous days. Moreover, we have received reports that in Tehran on Saturday, June 20, liquid chemicals were sprayed on civilians, causing burns. Many were unable to obtain adequate medical care, as they were followed by militia forces and trapped in hospitals; the consequences of their seeking aid and refuge were either additional beatings or arrest.

We have seen no sign that this oppression of ordinary Iranians will cease. In the name of the Islamic Republic and of the constitutional rights of its people, Iran’s political and religious leaders must bring an end to the ruthlessness that is being perpetrated, immediately.

We bring no moral weight to this request as Americans. In fact we stand in the same relationship of resistance and opposition to the use of violence by the government of the United States, in its continued violent occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, its use of violence to quell nonviolent dissent around political conventions and elections, its use of torture in violation of the Geneva Conventions, and its use of imprisonment of people without charges or fabricated and unsubstantiated charges against U.S. citizens and non-nationals alike.

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said, “Break your bows, sever your strings, beat stones on your swords.” Therefore we appeal to the Islamic Republic of Iran, under the guidance of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, to work to immediately stop the violence.

With deepest concern,

National Organizational Leaders
•    Salam Al-Marayati, Executive Director, Muslim Public Affairs Council
•    Rev. Paul Alexander, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Pentecostals & Charismatics for Peace & Justice
•    Ryan Amundson, Chair of the Steering Committee, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
•    The Rev. Michael J. Baxter, National Secretary, Catholic Peace Fellowship
•    Medea Benjamin, Founding Director, Global Exchange
•    Rev. Dr. Leonard B. Bjorkman, Moderator Emeritus, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
•    Rev. Rita Nakashima Brock, Ph.D., Founding Director, Faith Voices for the Common Good
•    Ken Butigan, Executive Director, Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service
•    Matthew W. Daloisio, Coordinator, Witness Against Torture
•    Rev. Richard Deats, Past Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation
•    Rev. Patricia de Jong & Sam Keen, Ph.D., Co-Founders, Axis of Friendship
•    Paul Dekar, Chair of the National Council, Fellowship of Reconciliation
•    Marie Dennis, Director, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
•    Goudarz Eghtedari, Ph.D., American Iranian Friendship Council
•    Jodie Evans, Co-Founder, CODEPINK: Women for Peace
•    Priscilla Fairbank, Co-Founder, Women Against War
•    David Hartsough, Executive Director, Peaceworkers
•    Karen Jacob, National Chair, Women’s Action for New Directions
•    Rev. Kathryn J. Johnson, Executive Director, Methodist Federation for Social Action
•    Mark C. Johnson, Ph.D., Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation
•    Stephen D. Jones, President, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America
•    Kathy Kelly, Co-Coordinator, Voices for Creative Nonviolence
•    Scott Kennedy, Coordinator of Middle East Program, Resource Center for Nonviolence
•    Peter Klotz-Chamberlin, Steering Committee Chair, Resource Center for Nonviolence
•    Judith Le Blanc, National Organizing Coordinator, United for Peace and Justice
•    Rabbi Michael Lerner, Executive Editor, Tikkun Magazine; National Chair, The Network of Spiritual Progressives
•    Marie Lucey, OSF, Associate Director, Leadership Conference of Women Religious
•    The Rev. Jackie Lynn, Executive Director, Episcopal Peace Fellowship
•    Kevin Martin, Executive Director, Peace Action
•    Paul Kawika Martin, Organizing, Political & PAC Director, Peace Action
•    Stefen Merken, Chair, Jewish Peace Fellowship
•    Gael Murphy, Co-Founder, CODEPINK: Women for Peace
•    Michael N. Nagler, Founder, Metta Center for Nonviolence Education
•    Arash Norouzi & Ebrahim Norouzi, The Mossadegh Project
•    Gerald Paoli, Co-Coordinator, Voices for Creative Nonviolence
•    Alexander Patico, Secretary, North America Orthodox Peace Fellowship
•    Jill Parillo, Deputy Director for Security Programs, Physicians for Social Responsibility
•    Dan Pearson, Co-Coordinator, Voices for Creative Nonviolence
•    Rev. Allie Perry, Vice-President of the Board, National Religious Campaign Against Torture
•    The Rev. Ellen Francis Poisson, OSH, Convenor, Iran Action Group, Episcopal Peace Fellowship
•    Franz Rad, Ph.D., Chair, American Iranian Friendship Council
•    Ibrahim Abdil-Mu’id Ramey, Director of Civil & Human Rights, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation
•    David Robinson, Executive Director, Pax Christi USA
•    Terry Kay Rockefeller, Project Director, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
•    Bill Scheurer, Editor, PeaceMajority Report; Coordinator, Peace Garden Project
•    Susan Shaer, Executive Director, Women’s Action for New Directions
•    Amy Stapleton, National Organizer, Methodist Federation for Social Action
•    Samina Faheem Sundas, Founding Executive, American Muslim Voice
•    Rabbi Karen Sussan, Steering Committee Member, Jewish Peace Fellowship
•    Rev. Rick Ufford-Chase, Executive Director, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
•    Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Executive Director, The Shalom Center
•    Peter Wilk, Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility
•    James E. Winkler, General Secretary, United Methodist Church General Board of Church & Society
•    Ann Wright, retired U.S. Army Colonel and former U.S. diplomat

Regional and Local Leaders
•    Rev. John F. Backe, Past National Coordinator, Lutheran Peace Fellowship
•    Andrea Briggs, National Council member, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Altadena CA
•    Hank Brusselback & Gaia Mika, Dixon NM
•    The Rev. Stephen J. & Caroline C. Chinlund, Ph.D., New York NY
•    Tom Cornell, The Catholic Worker, Marlboro NY
•    Rev. Cheryl K. Cornish, Pastor, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Memphis TN
•    The Rev. Dr. Barbara Dua, Executive Director, New Mexico Council of Churches
•    Rev. Ellen M. Frith
•    Jane C. Gilman, member, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Brookline MA
•    Talat Hamdani, mother of Mohammad Salman Hamdani and member, September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
•    Jane Harte, member, Buddhist Peace Fellowship
•    Lynda Howland, Pittsford NY
•    Bill Jenkins, Washington Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Washington DC
•    Dr. Terry Johns, Patten University, Oakland CA
•    Valerie Lucznikowska, aunt of Adam Arias and member, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
•    The Rev. Paul Mayer, NYC Forum of Concerned Religious Leaders; Co-Founder, Climate Crisis Coalition
•    Sean McConnell, Communications Officer, Episcopal Diocese of California
•    Shirley McRae, member, Religious Society of Friends, Port Townsend WA
•    Rosemarie Pace, Director, Pax Christi New York
•    Danny Postel, Member, Chicago Committee in Solidarity with the People of Iran
•    The Rev. Cecil Charles Prescod, Ainsworth United Church of Christ, Portland OR
•    Bill Quigley, Loyola University, New Orleans LA
•    Rev. Dianne Rodriguez, Pastor, First Parish Church, United Church of Christ, Northville NY
•    Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, Senior Minister, Lemuel Haynes Congregational Church, Jamaica NY
•    Daniel R. Smith, Seattle WA
•    Trish Thompson, United Buddhist Church of America
•    Nichola Torbett, Director, Seminary in the Street, Berkeley CA
•    Bruce Wallace, Director, 121Contact; uncle of Mitchell Wallace and member, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows; and Noor, staff member, 121Contact, Brooklyn NY
•    Jeff Warner, La Habra Heights, CA
•    Adele Welty, mother of firefighter Timothy Welty and member, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
•    Dr. Stephen Zunes, Chair, Middle Eastern Studies, University of San Francisco

(Organizational affiliations listed for identification purposes)

FOR press contact: Ethan Vesely-Flad, Communications Director, 510-701-5267

Part I of III

As United States 2008 presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama bickered over how they would “handle the Iran threat” in their first debate on Friday night, citing erroneous facts and competing with one another on who would hold out the longest from engaging in diplomatic talks with Iran, a small group of one-hundred and fifty American citizens representing fifty of the country’s most prominent peace and human rights groups were busy talking to the world’s media about the two-hour private meeting they held with the Iranian President two days prior.

The meeting – which was not revealed to the media until the next day to assure the safety and security for those in attendance – took place on Wednesday September 24 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City during the 63rd annual United Nations General Assembly Meeting. The goal of the meeting was “to introduce President Ahmadinejad to the peace community in the United States and to illustrate how this sector of civil society works to oppose war and the use of violence to resolve differences,” said the meeting’s facilitator, Mark Johnson, Executive Director of the global Fellowship of Reconciliation, the world’s oldest peace organization.

In an exhilarating live experiment in civilian diplomacy in action, the ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel was transformed into a veritable who’s who of some of the most outspoken and prominent members of America’s peace, anti-war, and human rights organizations, including Medea Benjamin of A Global Exchange, Jodie Evans of Code Pink and Women for Peace, Brian Becker of the ANSWER Coalition, yours truly representing PeaceWithIran.com, and Leslie Cagan of United for Peace and Justice. There were also representatives from Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Mennonites, the Lutheran Peace Fellowship, American Friends Committee on National Legislation, and the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, among many others. American citizens flew in from almost all fifty states to hold the private meeting with President Ahmadinejad in an effort to begin the process of what many consider long overdue open dialogues with Iran regarding how our two nations can work peaceably together to secure more peaceful relations with one another.

The issues raised during the two-hour plus talk, many considered vital for the future security of both the United States and Iranian citizenry, revolved around how the countries can begin putting aside their mutual distrust of one another in order to move forward in peaceful negotiations; both the US and the Iranian government’s recent crackdown on human rights, freedom of assembly, and dissidents; the current US occupation of Iraq; Iran’s controversially viewed policy toward Israel; their treatment of women and other minorities; the difficulty on both sides of obtaining visas to visit either country. Of course the big issue of the moment, will Iran accept a compromise on its nuclear fuel enrichment program, was also addressed.

Ahmadinejad was joined by his Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, and Iran UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee. After already participating in two full days of talks with leaders from all over the globe, the Iranian President seemed tired, but he spoke eloquently, near poetically, and many of the points he made and the answers he gave to our questions were illuminating and insightful. In response to Iran’s nuclear energy program – a subject that the United States government continues to demonize in unsubstantiated propaganda to the American media though it has the support of one-hundred and eighteen other UN nation-states around the planet – Ahmadinejad reasserted for the umpteenth time that Iran has allowed more IAEA inspections of their nuclear facilities than any other country in the world to date, and that they discontinued pursuing nuclear weapons in 2005. A fact that has been confirmed and reconfirmed by all thirteen US Intelligence Agencies including the NSA, the FBI, and the CIA countless times over the last three years.

Why the White House persists in attempting to publicly frame Iran’s nuclear energy program as “a threat to American security” remains a mystery. As does why the US government continues to refuse to speak with or enter into diplomatic talks with Iran while other countries such as Iraq, Japan, Italy, China, Pakistan, and Russia are now jumping at it. Bear in mind that Iran currently sits on the second largest oil deposit on the planet. He told us that US President George W. Bush missed a historic opportunity when he didn’t respond to the Iran President’s 2006 letter inviting him to talk, an opportunity that could have begun a reconciliation of the two countries’ 28 year cold war of silence. As an American citizen I couldn’t help but feel a sense of bitterness and regret — as if we were indeed a winning team but could still lose the game because we simply suffer from having a bad captain.

Ahmadinejad also commented about how the United States, the UK, France and Canada supported, cooperated with, and even gave nuclear technology information to the pre-1979 regime ruled by the US-installed dictator, the Shah of Iran but now “When there were no elections in Iran, they wanted us to be a nuclear power. As soon as there were elections, they didn’t want us to be a nuclear power.” The room roared with laughter at the obvious irony. As a passionately patriotic American – granted, more of the ideals we talk rather than the missteps our government often walks, especially with our foreign policy over the last fifty years – I felt proud knowing that this might be the first time an Iranian government leader was in a room with living breathing American’s who actually understood and fought for America’s promise and potential of real democracy and liberty for all, rather than feeling bullied, threatened, and manipulated as many smaller countries feel in their dealings with the United States government today.

I was reminded of the shock I felt when I first learned just a few short months ago that in 1950 Iran had their first democratic revolution and in 1953 the CIA and the UK, under Operation Ajax, orchestrated a coup d’etat and ousted Iran’s new democratically elected Prime Minister Mosaddeq sending him into exile and installed a puppet regime that they could control easily in the form of The Shah so both countries could reap giant profits from Iran’s enormous oil supply while that country’s people struggled in poverty and fell behind the rest of the world in technology, social services, and infrastructure for thirty more years. I also contemplated how as children we are taught to honor, respect, and celebrate our own American Revolution while at the same time being advised that we should disrespect, fear, and dishonor the Iranian people’s own Democratic Revolution.

But as important as that little bit of history is for all Americans to have knowledge of, that’s in the past and here we were, twenty-eight years later, American citizens no longer able to bear the archaic bullheaded imperialist system that refuses to practice in real life what it preaches to its children in school, taking matters into our own hands and sitting down in the first ever diplomatic talks with the relatively new democratically-elected Iranian government to help begin to build a bridge of shared values and mutual agreements: mainly, that “we must work together to form a wave of citizens who are dedicated to world peace for all citizens of the world and of all nations.”

Echoing what we heard countless times by many leading government officials when I visited Iran in March of this year, Ahmadinejad told us that Iran is politically and religiously opposed to nuclear weapons, adding: “The time for nuclear weapons has come to an end. Those who want to build a new generation of nuclear bombs are politically backward, period. Those days are over.” Again the room erupted into applause. “Did nuclear weapons help the United States in their Vietnam War? Did they help the former Soviet Union in the Cold War? Are they helping your country in the Iraq War?” Silence in the room. Perhaps it was the fact that Ahmadinejad was fasting for weeks straight due to the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. Perhaps he has just matured over the years. But his mannerisms were cool, his demeanor was calm, and the tone of his answers poetic and philosophical. He then posed the question “Doesn’t it seem odd that we are being economically sanctioned, our people strangled literally to death, and at the same time publicly threatened and attacked almost daily for attempting to harness nuclear energy for our rapidly growing economy with no intention of building nuclear weapons, by the United States who has over 10,000 functional nuclear warheads aimed at half the world? Doesn’t this seem odd and illogical?” Again, more applause.

I was speechless. Perhaps this was a first for me too. The first time that I had heard a high ranking government official, a head of State no less, speaking not only insightfully with moral and ethical undertones, but speaking truths that many of us think to ourselves privately but are afraid to utter aloud for fear of being labeled “unpatriotic” or “treasonous.” Having grown up in America in the latter half of the 20th century I was jaded from one too many politico speeches filled with nothing but empty rhetoric and flip flopping. But Iran is in a different position now than they’ve been in thousand’s of years and different than even we American citizens are. They are quickly gaining allies and support and mammoth deals with countries all over the world. They do not share the same fears that even we here at home face of being attacked for speaking their truth. They are a rapidly growing new country of strong proud people with a seven-thousand year long history, a sovereign nation who are free to say what they wish, economic sanctions and near-constant threats of military strikes be damned. All I could do was transcribe the contents of the meeting as quickly as my illegible handwriting would allow. Something told me that what I was witnessing and listening to was important to share with as many people as I could over the coming weeks and months.

This is not to say that those of us in attendance were able to agree with everything that the conservative Muslim President said during our meeting. There was plenty to take umbrage with and in fact just downright vehemently disagree with. This I will cover in Part II, along with a summary of the dialogue surrounding some of the other issues mentioned earlier in this article. But in the name of peace, which was the reason for the meeting in the first place, perhaps it best to end Part I with Ahmadinejad’s closing remarks to illustrate why many left that room that night inspired by the potential hinted at that there is power in our civil society and in non-violent civilian diplomacy to effect change in the world and to lift up democratic societies despite challenges and obstacles.

“My friends we need to create a wave of all world citizens of all backgrounds and all walks of life to create more peace in the world. We need to practice our values of our various religions and gather ourselves together to work at the pace of light itself to keep up with the pace of the world. Carrying out this mission has certain requirements based on justice and respect for all nations. If we don’t like something for ourselves, then we should not want it for other nations. Yes? What I am saying here is not complicated. These are clear-cut ideas that we need simply to put into practice.”

It is too bad that neither John McCain nor Barack Obama could have been in attendance at this historic meeting. Perhaps the contents of their debate on Friday regarding the country of Iran would have appeared more well informed and enlightened. (Both candidates mistakenly referred to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as “the Republican Guard”) If the United States is going to pull out of the numerous crises both here and abroad that it currently faces, it is going to take real change on many levels – the kind of change hyped and promoted by at least one of this election year’s presidential candidates. And one of those changes absolutely essential to our survival, let alone our thriving in the 21st century is going to be a more open door diplomatic policy towards communication with other countries that we may not see eye to eye on in all matters. But we have to start somewhere for real reconciliation to start taking place.

Ed Hale
September 27th, 2008

June 14, 2008 | 6:12 p.m. CST

COLUMBIA — Lily Tinker-Fortel clenched the passenger door armrest as her Iranian taxi weaved in and out through the congestion of cars, motorbikes and pedestrians on Valiasr Street, the longest street in the Middle East and the busiest 12 miles for Tehran’s 13 million residents.

“Imagine a busy street lined on both sides with beautiful, towering sycamores. Miles of sycamores,” Tinker-Fortel wrote in her blog on June 9, 2008, recounting her first afternoon in Tehran.

It was day one of a 12-day, 21-person civilian diplomacy trip that took the 24-year-old peace activist from Columbia to numerous Iranian historical and cultural centers of the villages Qom, Esfahan, and Abyaneh, and the city of Shiraz. Tinker-Fortel, community outreach coordinator for Mid-Missouri Peaceworks, was part of an interfaith delegation that went to Iran in May on a mission of fellowship.

The Fellowship of Reconciliation, the oldest and largest interfaith organization in the United States, organized the delegation and began their Iranian program in December 2005. According to Leila Zand, director of the organization’s Iran program, the delegation sends civilian diplomats into Iran to meet Iranian civilians, government officials and religious leaders from Iran’s Muslim majority and those in the minority Armenian-Christian, Iranian-Jewish and Zoroastrain communities.

“In the Iran program the main goal is to educate Americans and Iranians,” Zand said. “Its really important to see that Iranians are just like us and its really important for Iranians to know that Americans don’t always accept their (the American) government’s policies.”

Tinker-Fortel recalls that although the 36-hour trip from Missouri to Tehran was exhausting, her adrenaline kept her wide-awake.

“We were embarking on this very exciting journey for all of us. Anytime you are in the midst of a new experience your senses are definitely alert and excited,” Tinker-Fortel said.

Tinker-Fortel believes the purpose of her trip and the concept of civilian diplomacy is to get past the political rhetoric in the lead up to war and get back to the human component of violent conflicts.

“What gets lost is that we are talking about human beings. It’s tragic that it’s lost,” Tinker-Fortel said.

Tinker-Fortel used the kids she met and saw in Iran as an example.

“A picture comes to mind of these boys and one was eating an ice cream cone,” Tinker-Fortel remembered. “They like cool cars, they read books. And they go with their moms and dads to the park. They have hopes and dreams, too.”

Tinker-Fortel has given presentations to organizations and friends in Columbia about her civilian diplomat experience in Iran as part of a campaign to educate Americans about Iran and correct misconceptions about Iranian society.

Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, co-founder of the Muslim-Jewish Peace Walk and the Shomer Shalom Institute for Jewish Non-Violence, was a fellow delegate to Iran and believes civilian diplomats can build bridges of understanding and influence their societies towards peace.

“Its part of our duties as citizens to create peace on the ground. It has to be intentional,” Gottlieb said.

Both women experienced firsthand Iranian anxiety of the possibility of war with the United States as Tinker-Fortel was confronted with the fear while exploring the Imam square of Esfahan, the second-largest public square in the world.

“I woke up early and went with a couple of other women to explore the square,” Tinker-Fortel said. “As we were shopping for scarves we were approached by three other women, one knew English and a conversation was born.”

The American women explained who they were and showed the Iranian women their peace advocate buttons. Tinker-Fortel recalled that as the conversation ended the English-speaking woman began crying and asked them to tell American people that Iranians are friendly.

“It was one of the first times I experienced the fear of an American-led or -sponsored war with Iran,” Tinker-Fortel said.

She explained that Iranians have witnessed war in recent history and have vivid memories of the Iran-Iraq war.

The Fellowship requested Tinker-Fortel join the delegation after she worked with Mid-Missouri Peaceworks to bring Stephen Kinzer, an author and lecturer, to Columbia. Jeff Stack, coordinator of the Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation cited her compassion and articulation as reasons he believed she was a good representative to Iran.

“I’m encouraged by this next generation that she seems to represent,” Stack said. “She is a person working hard to help support and make possible a more creative and constructive uplifting society.”

Long-standing political and cultural tensions between the United States and Iran have increased recently with U.S. opposition to Iranian attempts to develop a nuclear program. As recently as Thursday, President Bush repeated his willingness to include military force as a viable option to curtail Iran’s nuclear program during a meeting with European leaders in Germany, according to other media reports.

“We literally spoke to hundreds of people who expressed their hope that the U.S. would not bomb their country,” Rabbi Gottlieb said.

Tinker-Fortel’s experience in Iran has increased a sense of urgency for her to use civilian diplomacy to effect change by encouraging citizens to demand more from their elected officials.

“We have a great opportunity to reclaim the way we are represented,” Tinker-Fortel said. “I’m just another person trying to share that with others, bring it back to the people. There’s nothing to lose by trying diplomacy.”

Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb

A personal message from Ed Hale

Thank you for visiting www.peacewithiran.com. Your presence here is welcomed and appreciated. I want to caveat by saying that though “war is imminent” or “military strikes are imminent” may be an idea or thought or belief that many are carrying around today in regards to the United States and Iran and even Israel, I do not personally hold this thought or idea or belief myself.

Yes I certainly see the news being released everyday about the various issues, and I recognize that parties on all sides feel very passionate about these issues; whether it is the threat of a “nuclear Iran” on one side, or a ”bullying America” on the other side, or a “fearful and hostile Israel” on yet another side. I also certainly understand the potential dangers that all three countries pose against the others and truly against all living beings on the planet today. But I believe that what we think about, what we give energy to, is what we create. We have seen it time and time again. As soon as a country starts beating its war drum, it is only a matter of time until it decides it’s time to “go to war.” Regardless of the loss of life, liberty, respect in the world community, or the burden it places upon the rest of the world. Throughout human history, there has always been one country or another “ready to attack” another country.

The truth of the matter is that this is bound to continue until mass human consciousness changes to the point of what might be called “critical mass” in a way that these people who see “war” as the only answer for “peace” simply no longer exist. In time this will be our reality. It might take our total annihilation and extinction and subsequent reincarnation in yet another form for this to happen, but let us hope not. Let us hope that those of us who see “peaceful means” as the only means available to us to achieve “peace” win this historical battle of wits that is being played out on the world stage.

With that said, let us take it for granted that for the next few months or years even we will have ample opportunity to read about “war” and the “threat of war” in regards to Iran and the United States and Israel if we so choose to. There are plenty of people who find the time and enjoy searching for the latest article or report on what “so and so” said bad about “so and so” and of course in the end it is really nothing but talk leading up to more “war” – even if their intentions are good – meaning that they don’t want “war” – but in fact that is exactly what they will create. Some people have just not evolved to the level of understanding of the “mechanisms of consciousness” yet to the degree that they realize that if they spend all their time thinking and reading about it, they will indeed create it. Whether they claim to want it or not. They are creating it simply by focusing so much attention on it.

But that is not what this particular website is concerned with. Our goals with the www.peacewithiran.com website is to show an entirely different side of US/Iran relations and to the country of Iran itself, and the Iranian people. The idea is to literally ignore that pink elephant in the room that at various times is called “war” or “threats of war” or worries or concerns about nuclear energy programs or WMDs or any of that lower-mode primitive-minded nonsense. Because God knows we have plenty of people already giving plenty of energy to those ideas in today’s world.

Remember elementary school? There were always those one or two kids in each class who were the bullies, who picked fights for the slightest reason or for no reason at all, who made fun of other kids, who tried to make us laugh at the expense of others, who tried to pit one classmate against another for the sheer wicked enjoyment they got out of it. Though this isn’t elementary school anymore, it sure seems like it sometimes. Those kids have now grown up. And if we aren’t careful and vigilant to our cause – the safety and survival of our species – these grown up kids could blow us all up simply because they haven’t fully matured yet as most of us have, and also because we haven’t done enough to speak up and tell them to back the fuck down.

It’s too bad we weren’t able to do that in regards to the United States Government’s invasion of the sovereign country of Iraq. Lord knows plenty of people from all over the world tried. But no one was brave enough to really stand up and say “no.” And so in the last five years we have watched in horror over one million innocent people die. It is also equally regrettable that we have thus far been unable to stand up against the Chinese government in regards to how they are slowly but steadily killing hundreds of thousands of Sudanese people right before our eyes.

Of course, the issue of Iran is a bit more complex than Iraq or the Sudan. Both countries were radically unstable and not much of a threat nor a strong foe to begin with. But Iran is a very different matter. The people of the United States of America should feel very lucky that the Iranian people are such a strong, busy, and resilient people that up until this time they have not taken the constant beating of the American war drum by the few barbarians in Washington who do not understand the basic principles of diplomacy too seriously. Instead they choose to just continue on with their lives and hope that eventually America finds someone else to bully. For unlike Iraq or the Sudan or Tibet for that matter, Iran does have the potential to pose a serious threat as a formidable enemy if they ever felt so inclined to. Not only do they have a very proud and loyal populace since their own revolution, they also have the backing and allegiance of many other countries around the world. Luckily for all of us, they instead choose to do their best to just keep on trying to move forward with their day to day lives.

So instead of focusing on war and threats of war and who has the biggest army or the biggest guns or who said what about whom each day in the international press, those of us on the light side need to start focusing our energy on Peace and on People. After all, Iran is a country full of people. So is the United States. And in a nutshell, war isn’t good for people. Nor has it ever done much good for “peace”.

It is easy to find ourselves upset at the US Government, just as it is easy to find ourselves upset with the Iranian government or the Israeli government or the various factions within the Palestinian government. But it isn’t going to do us much good to focus on these feelings of upset. Let us instead choose to focus on Peace itself. Let us instead focus on discovering how many millions of Iranian/Americans we already have living here in the United States who still have family “back home” in beautiful Iran. Let us instead develop a curiosity for this rich and ancient and historic land once called Persia, now called Iran.

Let us instead develop a place online and in our hearts where we who care can share photos, films, books, movies, art, and music from the fascinating cultural exchange that is taking place right this very minute between our two great countries. Iranians love Americans. There is much to like about us. And they can see that. And though many don’t yet know it, Americans love many famous Iranians. Iran has contributed much to the planet in its five thousand year history. Our very own Constitution is said to be inspired by the Persian King Cyrus the Great and his drafting of what many believe to be the very first “constitution.”

PeaceWithIran.com is a story of hope. It is a place to learn and to share. The goal being to add some balance to the already nauseating clutter of war-related stories coming out from the hawks and bullies of the world – and the hapless media lapdogs who follow their every step. We made a grave mistake with Iraq. We never bothered to even look these poor people in the eye before we attacked them; because our hearts were heavy from the events of September 11th, and our minds were confused by falsified “intelligence reports” coming out of Washington. But we will not make that same mistake again.

Let us take a look at the face of Iran – since after all, Iran is a country full of 70 million faces. Our goal is that not one of them is touched, hurt, injured, attacked, maimed, deformed, put out of their homes, or killed by anyone. Just as I am sure most would agree that we have the same goal for ourselves. Let us hold it for our Iranian neighbors as well.

In the meantime, there is much to learn about this truly fascinating people and country. Take your time and look around. And if you have something to share, please feel free. This site is open to all who have something to contribute, even if it is just a photo, a comment, or a message of hope or inspiration. Most of all, share the space in your hearts that we finally acheive that seemingly ever evasive goal of peace not just in words and rhetoric but in actual practice.

Sincerely,
Ed Hale