Mark C. Johnson, Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation, with UUA President William G. Sinkford.
The UU delegation which participated in the Fellowship of Reconciliation meeting with President Ahmadinejad of Iran.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as he spoke to religious leaders in New York City on September 24.
Sinkford Joins Fellowship of Reconciliation for Meeting with Iranian President
September 25, 2008
On Wednesday, September 24, during the opening of the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly, Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) President William G. Sinkford participated in a meeting between members of the United States peace movement and high level Iranian officials, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and the Ambassador to the United Nations, Mohammad Khazaee. The meeting took place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City and was organized by the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), one of the oldest peace organizations in the United States.Rev. Sinkford was joined by a delegation of Unitarian Universalists (UUs), including Adam Gerhardstein, Acting Director of the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy, Bruce Knotts, Executive Director of the UU-United Nations Office (UU-UNO), Marilyn Mehr, Board President of the UU-UNO, and Helen Lindsay and Marion Ward, both Unitarian Universalists who traveled to Iran with Fellowship of Reconciliation peace-building delegations.
Mark Johnson, Executive Director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, welcomed President Ahmadinejad saying, on behalf of the 150 representatives from faith and peace organizations attending the meeting, “We all believe that change is possible, and that reconciliation is needed.”
Rev. Sinkford was one of twelve attendees invited to address the Iranian delegation. He shared the following remarks and question:
"Central to our religious heritage as Unitarian Universalists is the defense of religious and political freedoms and full equality for all people, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or national origin. In the United States we struggle to make these freedoms and that equality real.
"The reports we receive about the treatment of women and political dissidents in Iran raise questions and concerns for us. Is Iran moving towards allowing its citizens more freedom of choice and affiliation? Is the government working towards equality for women in public life? Are protections being created for citizens who identify with different political parties, religious beliefs, and sexual orientations?
"Our governments and our cultures are very different. Given those basic differences, I would like to hear from you how the U.S. and Iran can best work together to find non-violent resolutions to our differences."
In his response to President Sinkford’s question, Ahmadinejad talked at length about Iranian attitudes towards women. He cited many statistics about the civil engagement of Iranian women, (e.g., 70% of university students are women) and even joked that women are about to replace him. He also spoke about the Iranian belief that women are the essence of society’s beauty and kindness, and said that Iranians do not want women to work too hard, in fear that their spirit will be broken and that this will destroy society’s beauty.
Bruce Knotts recognized that President Sinkford’s question went largely unaddressed, “As a fairly new UU, Rev. Sinkford’s question makes me proud. I regret that Ahmadinejad only addressed the gender issue and avoided the more uncomfortable subjects.”
The eleven other speakers covered many issues. Some questioned Iran’s intimidation of its citizen diplomats and its violence towards youth trying to shape Iran’s future. One speaker asked Ahmadinejad to clarify Iran’s stance towards Israel and Palestine. Another raised concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, asking why they were pursuing a civilian nuclear program when the entire world is shifting towards renewable energy. The final questions sought to gauge Iran’s willingness to collaborate with the U.S. government and the peace movement to find solutions to the many outstanding issues between our countries.
President Ahmadinejad spent an hour systematically answering each question. He unequivocally condemned the use of war, saying that it brings nothing but “pain, destruction and tension.” In response to the nuclear question, Ahmadinejad declared, “the time for the atomic bomb has come to an end.” He defended Iran’s civilian nuclear program, stating that Iran spends three times more money on solar and wind energy than nuclear. To the Israel/Palestine question, he said that every nation deserves the right to decide its own future, and that if Palestine is given a free referendum, Iran will support the outcome.
He summed up his remarks by addressing the concerns of those fearing that the U.S. will launch another war. “I really believe that the U.S. is no longer able to start a war for decades to come,” he stated. As he departed the gathering, he told the assembled peace organizations to count him as a member.
Reflecting on the meeting, Rev. Sinkford remarked, “Ahmadinejad presented an image of Iran as a peace-loving, progressive, ethical, sane member of the community of nations. One question I have is how the reality of life in Iran would match that image.”
Bruce Knotts, who is a retired United States diplomat, understood the significance of this meeting, “Iran is a great regional power and the U.S. is a great world power. For the sake of the world, these countries need a peaceful relationship.”
The UU delegation left the meeting convinced that President Ahmadinejad was sincere in pursuing a relationship with the American people and the U.S. government. Rev. Sinkford remarked, “I could not imagine the current U.S. president taking the time to honor questions about his actions the way Ahmadinejad did today.”
The UUA invites UUs across the nation to practice citizen diplomacy by participating in our Action of the Month: Publish for Peace with Iran. Find more information at our Action of the Month Campaign Headquarters.
For more information contact la_international @ uua.org.
Last updated on Wednesday, October 1, 2008.
