Bruce Feiler - Where God Was Born, Abraham, Walking The Bible

Feiler Faster EXCLUSIVE: Inside Interfaith Peace Talks with Iran
Friday, February 16, 2007

I received the following email this week from John Chane, the Bishop of Washington, who gave me permission to post this news.

I recently returned from Tehran where I spent three days in inter-faith dialogue with former president Khatami and many high level religious leaders in that country. We will be meeting again in Switzerland this Spring to continue our discussions and to find ways in which we can lower the rhetoric between the US and Iran. Was in New York Monday for a social gathering at the UN with the Ambassador of Iran to the UN and many in leadership positions within that country.

I met with President Bush several weeks ago, not to reveal the confidential discussions had with Iranian leaders, including the head of their nuclear development program...but to let him know that we intended to keep the conversations going. He gave a thumbs up. It was he who signed the order to allow Khatami to visit Washington last September.

Our next round of discussions in Switzerland will address the anti-Israel, anti-semetic stance taken by the current Iranian president and to further discuss Sunni/Shiite violence. Have been meeting as well with all ambassadors from Middle Eastern countries now serving in Washington to remind them that although religion cannot be blamed for the current crisis in the Middle East, it is in fact the "fault line" and therefore it needs to have a place at the table for ongoing negotiations that seek peace.

For more on this story, click here. Meanwhile: TALK. TO. IRAN.

Labels: Interfaith Relations, Middle East

Posted by B Feiler at 12:49 PM
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