June 30, 2009

Protests in the streets of Tehran

Last week, MPAC signed onto a letter along with 70 interfaith religious leaders calling on Iran's leaders to end the violence immediately.

Addressed to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedenijad and Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei, the letter reads in part:

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.... 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."

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.

-- Salam Al-Marayati (salam@mpac.org)
Executive Director