Religious Delegation Meets with Iranian President Ahmadinejad

Matters of Faith, Justice, and Peace Discussed

A delegation of nearly 45 religious leaders met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday, September 20, for an hour at the Inter-Continental Hotel, where the president was staying during his visit to the United Nations. The event was organized and sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee, of Akron, Pennsylvania, a relief, development and peace organization of the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in the U.S. and Canada.

Sara Lisherness, Associate Director of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, and Joel Hanisek, Presbyterian United Nations Representative, participated in the delegation. In describing the purpose of the meeting, Lisherness said, "We accepted the invitation to be part of the delegation as a witness to the reconciling gospel of Jesus Christ."

The delegation engaged the Iranian leader on matters of faith, justice and peace, exploring the role that religious communities can play in easing tensions in the Middle Eastern region. The group affirmed the right of the state of Israel to exist and expressed concerns about anti-Semitic attitudes and statements of the president. The conversation also focused on the obligations held by signatories to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

"The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has worked very hard to be a faithful advocate and partner for peace and justice in the Middle East," said Hanisek. "We did not want to miss this opportunity to give witness to the Presbyterian Church's support of Israel and to reject the false and disturbing rhetoric of Holocaust denial used in the past by President Ahmadinejad. The meeting also gave us the opportunity to hear how the reality of life in the occupied Palestinian territories affects other nations in the region."

"A meeting of this nature is challenging, but is a necessary step towards being the reconciling community that Christ calls us to be," said Hanisek. "We never know where we will be given the opportunity to live out the biblical and confessional mandate to be ambassadors for Christ," Hanisek continued. Participants in the delegation look forward to continuing conversations on these issues.

The Presbyterian Church has historic roots in Iran. American Presbyterians first arrived in the region in 1834, and have sustained many close relationships over the years. The Evangelical Church of Iran, like the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is a member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and part of the global family of Presbyterian churches.