By Khurram Saeed - The Journal News - Westchester, NY, U.S.A.
Monday, May 8, 2006
During the Cold War, Richard Deats led peace delegations to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe to let ordinary people speak for themselves, instead of governments.
Now Deats is at it again.
The Nyack man will be part of a delegation leaving today for Iran sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation. FOR is an Upper Nyack-based interfaith pacifist organization and Deats is the former editor of its Fellowship magazine.
"We believe in what we call people-to-people diplomacy," Deats said. "You know, when Eisenhower was president, he said, 'The people of the world want peace so much that some day the governments are going to have get out of the way and let them have it.' "
This will be FOR's second peace mission to Iran in six months. It comes at a time when tensions between the leaders of the United States and Iran are rising over Iran's nuclear power program. President Bush has threatened military action and economic sanctions, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has refused to back down.
"What we need right now is to defuse the hostile rhetoric," said Deats, a Methodist minister.
Deats will be joined by 23 others for the 12-day stay in Iran. They include a leaders of various Christian denominations, an expert of Sufism, an art professor from Philadelphia, a Middle East professor and graduate students.
Hossein Alizadeh, who heads FOR's Iran Initiative, said securing passage for the travelers wasn't easy. Some in Iran, an Islamic theocracy, are suspicious of Americans entering their country and influencing their citizens, he said.
But visas were issued, and the delegation plans to meet with Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Zoroastrian leaders, college students, journalists and nongovernment organizations, including one that serves women and another that focuses on the environment.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
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Sunday, October 22, 2006
Rockland peace delegation heads to Iran
By Khurram Saeed - The Journal News - Westchester, NY, U.S.A.
Monday, May 8, 2006
During the Cold War, Richard Deats led peace delegations to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe to let ordinary people speak for themselves, instead of governments.
Now Deats is at it again.
The Nyack man will be part of a delegation leaving today for Iran sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation. FOR is an Upper Nyack-based interfaith pacifist organization and Deats is the former editor of its Fellowship magazine.
"We believe in what we call people-to-people diplomacy," Deats said. "You know, when Eisenhower was president, he said, 'The people of the world want peace so much that some day the governments are going to have get out of the way and let them have it.' "
This will be FOR's second peace mission to Iran in six months. It comes at a time when tensions between the leaders of the United States and Iran are rising over Iran's nuclear power program. President Bush has threatened military action and economic sanctions, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has refused to back down.
"What we need right now is to defuse the hostile rhetoric," said Deats, a Methodist minister.
Deats will be joined by 23 others for the 12-day stay in Iran. They include a leaders of various Christian denominations, an expert of Sufism, an art professor from Philadelphia, a Middle East professor and graduate students.
Hossein Alizadeh, who heads FOR's Iran Initiative, said securing passage for the travelers wasn't easy. Some in Iran, an Islamic theocracy, are suspicious of Americans entering their country and influencing their citizens, he said.
But visas were issued, and the delegation plans to meet with Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Zoroastrian leaders, college students, journalists and nongovernment organizations, including one that serves women and another that focuses on the environment.
Monday, May 8, 2006
During the Cold War, Richard Deats led peace delegations to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe to let ordinary people speak for themselves, instead of governments.
Now Deats is at it again.
The Nyack man will be part of a delegation leaving today for Iran sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation. FOR is an Upper Nyack-based interfaith pacifist organization and Deats is the former editor of its Fellowship magazine.
"We believe in what we call people-to-people diplomacy," Deats said. "You know, when Eisenhower was president, he said, 'The people of the world want peace so much that some day the governments are going to have get out of the way and let them have it.' "
This will be FOR's second peace mission to Iran in six months. It comes at a time when tensions between the leaders of the United States and Iran are rising over Iran's nuclear power program. President Bush has threatened military action and economic sanctions, but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has refused to back down.
"What we need right now is to defuse the hostile rhetoric," said Deats, a Methodist minister.
Deats will be joined by 23 others for the 12-day stay in Iran. They include a leaders of various Christian denominations, an expert of Sufism, an art professor from Philadelphia, a Middle East professor and graduate students.
Hossein Alizadeh, who heads FOR's Iran Initiative, said securing passage for the travelers wasn't easy. Some in Iran, an Islamic theocracy, are suspicious of Americans entering their country and influencing their citizens, he said.
But visas were issued, and the delegation plans to meet with Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Zoroastrian leaders, college students, journalists and nongovernment organizations, including one that serves women and another that focuses on the environment.
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