Friday, May 2, 2008

Mid-Day: Walking at Alborz Mountain

Itinerary:

Morning: Visit to the Armenian Christian Cultural Center

Mid-Day: Walking at Alborz Mountain

Afternoon: Meeting at Sapir Charity Hospital with Morris Motamed (Current Jewish MP), Ciamak Morathegh (Incoming Jewish MP, Chairman Tehran Jewish Committee, and Chairman Sapir Charity Hospital) and Farhad Aframian

Evening: Service at Synagogue
Visit in North Tehran

Mid-Day: Walking at Alborz Mountain

(see below for photos from Alborz Mountain)

That afternoon, we visited Alborz Mountain. Tehran is surrounded to the north by the Alborz Mountain range. Friday was a smoggy day, but even with the decreased visibility, being at the mountain was still an amazing experience. As our bus arrived at the mountain, it became evident that people were watching us! For the first time, it was made obvious that we were identifiable as tourists. Our big, yellow, caterpillar bus didn't help our attempts to blend in! But throughout our trip--even as we were out alone at the market or in smaller groups, it was obvious to Iranians that we were from somewhere else! Many people guessed I was from Germany; others in the group, I'm sure, were assumed to be from different places. People were often surprised when we said we were from America, which makes sense considering there are only 300-500 US visitors to Iran each year (note: I'm having a hard time confirming that number right now, but this is what I remember being told or reading somewhere in preparation for the trip).

Anyway, within less than a minute after exiting the bus, we were approached by people saying hello and asking where we were from. One of the first people who approached us was a young man who asked where we were from and upon hearing "America" asked "What do you think of Iranians? Do you think we are all terrorists?" We rushed to say "Of course not," "We're having a wonderful time," "Iran is wonderful." But the point was well taken--Iranians know that they are misrepresented--especially to the American people. It was a saddening moment in some ways, but a great opportunity to explain that our purpose in Iran was to work to dispel the myths and misconceptions between the people of our two countries. A chance to explain, as we would hundreds of times, that "We want to go back to America and tell the truth about Iran to the people we talk with."

The hospitality and kindness of the Iranians we met that day on the mountain was overwhelming. I often talk about how it was our first experience to really interact with everyday Iranians on a one-on-one level. And our first glimpse of what would be 10 more days of incredible interactions with open, kind, welcoming Iranians. Though some were surprised when we said we were from America, they were always quick to welcome us and to ask what we thought, if we were having a nice time and were thrilled to learn that we are working for peace and understanding between the people of our two countries.

In stating a recognition of the difference between Americans and our government, they demonstrated wisdom and understanding, an absence of blame for the horrendous things Iran has gone through since the US was engaged in a covert CIA operation to overthrow their democratically elected government under the leadership of President Mosaddeq in 1953. In some ways (though the Iranian government's actions have had very little impact on the lives of Americans) I think they were asking the same of us. We, especially as Americans, should work to recognize the differences between Iranians and their leadership--elected or otherwise.

Now, this is obviously not an adequate forum for addressing the intricacies of the Iranian form of governance or the history of the relationship between our countries. My point here is this: We must work to recognize that the current conflict between our governments should not trump our human ability to care for each other and to see past the stereotypes and generalizations that we are too often presented with in the lead-up to war. Iranians--the hundreds of Iranians I connected with during my trip to Iran--recognize the human ability to connect and demonstrate an ability to understand and to love and to welcome even with complex histories and current political climate between our two governments. We would do well for ourselves and for humanity to work towards the same.

That day, along with the 21 of us, Alborz was host to hundreds--probably thousands--of other visitors. It was a Friday, the holy day, so people had taken the opportunity to visit the mountain with their friends and families. There were small children with their proud parents, groups of young adult men and women, wealthy people and poor people. It is truly a wonderful experience. As it was still early in the trip, I found myself timid about approaching people in an effort to strike up a conversation. The Iranians we met were completely opposite! Some of the conversations were very brief--just "Hello," "How are you." Others were longer--opportunities to explain what, exactly, 21 Americans were doing in Iran, to discuss our thoughts about peace, etc.

The mountain, I guess you could say, is a tourist destination, so in addition to a beautiful (though smoggy view) of Tehran, we also saw children on a carnival-like mini-bungee jump bouncy thing. And men competing in an archery competition. There was a ski lift that took people up the mountain. Places to stop for tea or snacks and an actual bungee jump!

Hearing kids complain to their parents about how they were tired of walking, watching a 4 year-old pout because his mother would not let him do the jumpy thing, and seeing a father pick out a snack with his children at the snack cart reminded me of my own childhood!

Interacting with two university women who were stylishly dressed (and one of whom had just had plastic surgery on her nose) reminded me of day trips I have taken with my own friends. Seeing a couple talk as they sat on rock overlooking the city; and teenagers holding hands as they walked back down the mountain; and married couples enjoying the day reminded me of similar scenes from many places in the United States. But most important, was the welcome we received that day. The overwhelming sense that Iranians do not let a stranger remain such for long.

As we were preparing to board the bus, I got the email addresses of the two university students I mentioned earlier. I have been in contact with both of them via email. They have invited me back to Iran, told me about their lives, and reminded me of the importance of continuing to demand peace and diplomacy of our government.

As those of you reading this probably know, there is legislation in Congress right now that is directly related to Iran. You can read House Congressional Resolution 362 and see if your Representative has signed on as a sponsor here. Please do. Be informed. And make sure you tell people what you think about it. In all of this please remember that we, the people have a responsibility as the employers of our Senators and Representatives to tell them what we expect of them. The number for the Capitol Switchboard, which I have memorized since returning from Iran is (202) 224-3121. Call your representatives!

As Scott Ritter so eloquently reminds, "The Constitution does not begin with 'I, the president' or 'We, the Senators' it begins with 'We, the people.'" Tell a friend how you feel about Iran--tell two or three or ten. Encourage them to read the resolution and do research. Encourage them to form their own opinions about Iran. Refer them to this blog if you think it's worthy of their time! Call me if you have questions. Invite me to speak and show my pictures. Ask me for a copy of my presentation. Send your ideas. It's time to get serious.

Until next time: Be informed, Be powerful.

Because I referenced Iranian governance and US-Iran history in this post, I've included a couple of helpful links below. I've used these pages as resources during preparations for my presentations and reference them often.

Government

Iran: Who Holds the Power?

This page from the BBC is very helpful. Explore it and become familiar with it, so that when this topic comes up in conversation you can speak knowledgeably about it. While there are some who are technically elected by the people, there is definitely a process of oversight by the religious leaders. I always remind people of several things before I talk about Iran's government:

1) Remember our role in overthrowing a democratically elected government in that country in 1953 and supporting a dictatorial Shah who was in power until 1979.

2) Never forget the rule of the mirror. Here in the United States, people are often disillusioned by our electoral process and feel misrepresented by our elected leaders. While the situation in Iran is certainly different from the situation in the United States, it is important to remember that neither is perfect. And it is always important to check ourselves before we judge the imperfections of others.

3) Separate the imperfections within Iran from the war drums. Bombing Iran--launching or supporting a military attack on Iran--will not make the situation any better. Our emotions, our ideals, and our regard for humanity are being manipulated and we must reclaim them with reason. The powers that be in the United States do not want to attack Iran because they are concerned about Iranian citizens. They don't even want to attack Iran because they're concerned about the the security of US Citizens--"If Iran were a true security threat," as Scott Ritter mentions, "we'd already be at war." They want to attack Iran because they want to control the Middle East.

US-Iran History

First of all, the history between our two countries is complicated. The page I've linked below is a good start, but I highly recommend "All The Shah's Men" by Stephen Kinzer. It is an incredibly well-written book that gives a detailed and comprehensive history of US-Iran relations, especially leading up to and after the coup of 1953. The website linked below seems to rely heavily on Kinzer's book and is a good summary of important points in US-Iranian history. Heads-up: The page has been flagged because the "neutrality and factual accuracy of the article have been disputed" read it for yourself, do some research and make your own decision. Wikipedia is not perfect, but I've found this page to be a helpful resource and I, therefore, am recommending it to you.

As far as the more recent history and the current conflict, I'll recommend Scott Ritter's "Target Iran," And Trita Parsi's "A Treacherous Alliance."

"United States-Iran Relations" - Wikipedia.org

Again, please, if you've read this and if you have questions or thoughts about how we can work together to organize in Columbia or nationally, let me know.

Don't forget about our annual Signature Ad, which anybody--ANYBODY--can sign. You don't have to be a registered voter, you don't have to live in Columbia, or in the United States! You just have to be a human being who is concerned about peace. The annual ad marks the anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This year's ad calls for three things:

1) Ending the Iraq War
2) Preventing a War with Iran
3) Working to Eliminate Nuclear Threats

Print if off, take it to your 4th of July parties, have your family sign it, take it to the office, etc. Then, send it in to us so your name will be included in the full-page ad to appear in the Tribune on Wednesday, August 6.

Voices for Peace

This video was sent to me by Suad, one of the members of my recent delegation to Iran. Please share it widely.



You can learn more about Voices for Peace at their website www.voicesforpeace.net

This quote appears on the Voices for Peace website:

It is time for all people of conscience to call upon America to return to her true home of brotherhood and peaceful pursuits. We cannot remain silent as our nation engages in one of history's most cruel and senseless wars. During these days of human travail we must encourage creative dissenters. We need them because the thunder of their fearless voices will be the only sound stronger than the blasts of bombs and the clamor of war hysteria.

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
February 26, 1967



It's hard to believe that I've been back for more than a month and I'm only just now writing about the second day of our trip to Iran. Time does fly! I've had several talks about the trip to various groups and individuals since my return. I'm working hard to refine my PowerPoint and am realizing that every presentation requires some revision/tweaking so I meet the time restraints or improve on the one before. It has been quite a journey thus far! And I'm excited to report that the trip to Iran is not something that happened and is now over. I've had the pleasure of exchanging several emails with some of the wonderful Iranians I met in the trip--so this continues to be a living experience, which means my sense of purpose is fulfilled almost daily. Today, I received an email from the sister of Simin, the woman I met at the square in Esfahan. Simin's sister is living in Arizona; she was impressed to learn of Peaceworks, and found our work hopeful--especially given our location right in the heart of America. Keep up the energy, friends. There are people on the other side of the world who are counting on us to use our voices for peace.

In hope and love,

Lily

Friday, May 2, 2008

Itinerary:

Morning: Visit to the Armenian Christian Cultural Center

Mid-Day: Walking at Alborz Mountain

Afternoon: Meeting at Sapir Charity Hospital with Morris Motamed (Current Jewish MP), Ciamak Morathegh (Incoming Jewish MP, Chairman Tehran Jewish Committee, and Chairman Sapir Charity Hospital) and Farhad Aframian

Evening: Service at Synagogue
Visit in North Tehran

Morning: Visit to the Armenian Christian Cultural Center

I have vivid memories still of arriving at the Armenian Christian Cultural Center in Tehran. We had breakfast at the hotel--bread, cheese, dates, yogurt, cucumbers, tomatoes and nectar--and loaded our big yellow bus. Traveled through Tehran's streets and arrived at a gated entry to the Armenian retreat in the middle of the city. I believe we arrived late--this is something that would happen often in the following weeks--and our bus was greeted by the men who would be our guides for the morning.

There were children playing some dodge ball-type game in the parking lot adjacent to the the one our bus parked in, and we spent several minutes admiring their activity and becoming introduced to the complex itself. I took my candy and pencils with me that day, but was too timid until the very end to actually approach the children and risk interrupting their activities; thus, frustrating their teachers.

I suppose it's difficult to understand what I mean when I say Armenian Christian Cultural Center. Try imagining a retreat center--a huge retreat center. There, take yourself to an entire football (soccer) stadium--complete track and bleachers--full tennis courts with a clubhouse for dining, a chapel, gardens, a massive indoor building with a cafeteria and basketball court, an outdoor courtyard with enough room for hundreds to dine and a swimming pool and swing sets. Then imagine enough green spaces for children to participate in summer camp picnicking and activities. This will catch many off guard, but it reminded me of the family camp in the film Dirty Dancing--the oasis-ness of it is what I'm referring to.

First, we visited the enormous soccer stadium.



Then, the tennis courts.



Next, we visited the chapel, complete with a small, historic graveyard.



On the way to the chapel area, I admired the pristine landscaping, which included beautiful flowers--trumpeter flowers and roses.





In the yard near the chapel, groups of campers/children gathered with their leaders. Watching them took me back to the family groups that were formed during summer camps I participated in at Rickman Center in Jefferson City. The children, guided by their teenage leaders, sang songs and participated in silly camp games, and eagerly anticipated the popsicles and watermelons that were served as snacks!



Seeing the chapel was meaningful. I don't know if that makes sense, but being inside and admiring the beauty of the decorations--the stained glass windows.





Then, seeing the way it stood with integrity as I admired geometrical architecture of the outside of the building was a meaningful experience. It was a place for silence, which was paired quite paradoxically and beautifully, really, with the energetic campers who greeted us as we approached, and intentionally entertained as we waited for the next stop on the tour.

We walked back toward the main entryway, and to the outdoor courtyard and dining area. For the first time, I truly appreciated what a large number of people the complex serves. I tried to count the chairs and tables in the area but was unable as we were pressed for time and only had a moment for absorbing the sight.

As we entered, we saw many, many rows of sunflower tablecloth covered plastic tables lined with yellow and green plastic chairs--all together, I imagine the courtyard seated hundreds.



On the far end, was the place for ordering food. To our left, the playground protected by large trees. Just to the left of the entrance was a table where three or four were selling candy for children--this took me back to the Fayette swimming pool in the summertime during the snack breaks! And to the right was the entrance for the swimming pool.

Beyond that, a small hill with many rose bushes which was bordered by the fence for the swimming pool beyond it.



I gave a piece of candy to a girl who was shyly, but intentionally watching me as I ventured over to the playground.



She was delighted and embarrassed--running back to her parents to show them her newly acquired treat! It was the first of many energizing encounters in which the joy and innocence of a child would transform me by melting my heart. A nearly ever-present reminder that if we could just bring the brewing conflict back to the human and remember the children, we might all be humbled and touched. Children--wanting joy for our children, wanting peace and joy for our children--it's part of the concrete that the Arch Bishop mentioned the day before. Peace becomes concrete when experiencing the joy of a child.

I was hungry by the time we made it inside for tea and pastries! We sat with the group as our hosts treated us to a tasty mid-morning snack! Because we were running late already and because we wanted to make it to the mountain and to lunch before our afternoon meeting at the Sepia Charity Hospital, we were somewhat rushed in our exit from the Armenian Christian Church Complex in Tehran.

Looking back, I have a desire to be in that parking lot again. I would sit down for a just few minutes and tear up I observe our group of 21 Americans lovingly admiring the children who were playing dodge ball (or something) in the adjacent parking lot. I'd breathe in the air again and admire the blue sky.

And I'd run back to the soccer stadium for just one second, so I could close my eyes and imagine a game taking place with admiring community members watching cheering on their favorite team.


I'd go back to those trees between the stadium and the tennis courts that somebody had carved their names into who-knows-how-many-years-ago and I'd trace the patterns in their trunk with my fingertips.



I'd let it take me to Hannibal, Missouri on the Muddy Mississippi as Tom carved his name and Becky's in to the tree. And in that moment, I'd remember that from country to country, and century to century we're all still human beings.



That afternoon, a team of young adult journalists from one of the TV stations in Iran interviewed our delegation leaders and several of the young adults in the delegation. There were two women interviewing—one asking questions and one translating—and two or three cameramen getting different angles on each interview. We were interviewed individually, not as a group. They asked each of us questions about why we had chosen to travel to Iran. We were also asked about our religious background, our beliefs/feelings about Islam and our opinions about dialogue and the potential for an agreement between our governments.

It was an exciting experience for our first day in Iran! It was the only time members of our group would be interviewed by a TV station, though this interest in what we were doing and how we felt about different topics was something we would experience hundreds of times during the next 11 days in Iran. We were told the interview would air sometime the following week, and as we walked the mountain Friday afternoon, somebody recognized Rabbi Lynn, one of our leaders, from the TV, so we assumed the interview aired, though none of us ever saw it.

It was nearly 3:00 p.m. by the time the interviews were finished. The restaurant at Hotel Howezyeh closes for the afternoon at 3:00 p.m. so we hurried to the dining room on the second floor and ordered kabobs. We enjoyed a nice lunch discussion—a debrief of sorts—on the interviews we had just completed. What did we do well? What would we work to improve for next time?

After lunch, I went with several of the group members to Valiasr, the longest street in the Middle East! Suad, an Iranian American woman who was born in Mississippi, raised in DC, and has been living in Tehran for the past several months, guided us on this exciting first day adventure. The six of us took two cabs. I sat in the front of one with Alicia and Charles in the back. We watched in awe as the driver navigated the busy freeways and city streets! I clenched the armrest on the door several times in a nervous-mother manner as people crossed the street in front of or behind us, or as motorbikes/scooters sped their way through traffic!

We were dropped off just near Valisar and had to cross a busy freeway to get there. Our first of many daredevil street crossings during the trip! It was worth it!
Valiasr is amazing! Imagine a busy street lined on both sides with beautiful, towering sycamores—miles of sycamores. We walked up the street, window shopping and soaking in the music of passing cars; enjoying the sight of partners holding hands or friends on benches just people watching; observing the stylish tunics on young women, the way they wore their scarves; we were amazed at the fashion of young men; we saw our first gas station and the cars lined up waiting to fill up with their weekly ration of fuel.

Suad led us to a curvy side street. There were more and more people. And there it was! The most beautiful, enclosed market. Perhaps the most magical experience on the trip. I’m not much of a Harry Potter fan, but I know many of you will appreciate the reference to Diagon Alley and the imagery it brings to the imagination. We were only in the massive, enclosed entryway for a moment and I’m so glad I have a picture to recall the memory of awe as I tried to absorb the essence of the space we were in. Then, we continued on our way through the market!

Before long, we were in a hurry to get back to the main street and in cabs so we could make it to the hotel at the group’s agreed upon meeting time. Dinner would follow. Then, sleep. Friday would be another exciting day.



I'll continue making blog posts, but I wanted to go ahead and post this slideshow of some of my favorite people pictures from the trip.

Enjoy!

Lily





I've had a hard time uploading photos. I'm hoping I'll be able to post a few from Thursday, May 1, our first day in Iran. I'll continue writing about the trip and posting entries here. I plan to have more entries up by Tuesday afternoon, so please keep checking in.

Here is a photo of the Armenian Christian Church that was located in the same complex as the Arch Bishop's offices.


Funeral preparations were taking place as we exited the courtyard--notice the enormous flower arrangements around the outside of the church.



After our meeting at the Armenian Christian Church, we went back to the hotel. There, several of the young adults in the group had an interview with Channel 1 TV. I'll write more about that in my next post.

Following the interview, we had our first of many lunches at Tehran's Hotel Howeyzeh. Here are some shots of the delicious kabobs we had that afternoon.





Some of the group members opted for a mid-afternoon nap, others of us went for an adventure at Valiasr, the longest street in the Middle East. Again, I will write more later about the Valiasr adventure--including reflections of my first (and only) cab ride in Iran and more. For now, here are some pictures to wet your appetite!








We arrived at Imam Khomeni Airport in Tehran on Thursday, May 1, 2008 around 2:30 a.m. Time didn't really matter then because we were all so jet lagged anyway. But I suppose it was the adrenaline that kept us awake during the next two hours at the airport. We presented our passports at customs and preceded to have our fingerprints stamped. Then, as mentioned in an previous post, we waited. None of us really know why we waited. Perhaps it was just a bureaucratic thing--it will always be left to speculation, I suppose.

I think we left the airport around 4:30 a.m. After loading our bags, and leaving the airport, we eventually made our way to the early morning traffic of the enormous city of Tehran. According to Wikipedia.org, a 2006 census estimated Tehran's population at 11 million, I believe I heard 14 million on the trip.

I still have vivid memories of that drive. I was exhausted, but seeing the city for the first time was exhilarating! I remember being excited as I saw the street lights along the freeway and imagined discussions in which I explained this new city to people back home! I even counted the lanes of traffic so I'd be able to say something like "There are 5 lanes of traffic going one way; they look just like highways look in the US." I nervously observed our bus driver closing in on a couple of men driving a scooter/small motorcycle. He'd flash his lights to signal them to move out of his way. The distance between our bus and the scooter increased and decreased several times before the bus driver finally sped past them. Our delegation became fond of sayings like "Lane markings and traffic laws are just suggestions in Iran!" People frequently straddle the dotted white lines with their cars. Though the average blood pressure of FOR Civilian Diplomats probably increased as a result of observing the seemingly crazy traffic of Iranian streets, highways and freeways, it (almost) always seemed to work out in the end.

We drove from south of South Tehran where the airport is located all the way to Howeyzeh Hotel in Central Tehran. Howeyzeh is a four-star hotel. I'm not mentioning that to impress or brag. Just to note that there is such a thing in Iran. I don't really care about having complimentary shoe shining kits, slippers or bathrobes, but the beds were comfortable, the showers were nice and, no, I wasn't sleeping next to a camel stall.

Shortly after we arrived in our hotel rooms (around 5:30), we learned that a meeting was scheduled for later that morning. We would meet in the main lobby of the hotel at 10:30 a.m. So, we slept for a few hours, got up and headed to the office of Arch Bishop Sebouh Sarkissian of the Armenian Christian Church in Tehran.

We walked several blocks to the gated entrance of the meeting location.

Upon entering, we hurried through a giant courtyard with a beautiful church to an office building and climbed the stairs to the formal meeting room. High back chairs and fancy tea tables (one for every two chairs) lined the walls of the room so that we were sitting on the edges of a giant, square "U" with the Arch Bishop in the center. We stood out of respect as he entered the room, something we would do numerous times in the weeks to come.

The Arch Bishop started with background information about the Armenian Christian Church in Iran. There are three dioceses in Iran, they are centered in Tabriz, Esfahan and Tehran. The Armenian population in Iran is decreasing. This started before the revolution, but "since the revolution, migration has become an unfortunate phenomenon." There are presently 100,000 Armenians in Iran--80,000 living in Tehran.

Arch Bishop Sarkissian spoke of the importance of dialogue--particularly dialogue between Christians and Muslims. I felt as though I were back in Conflict Resolution, reading Fisher and Ury at Earlham as Sarkissian spoke of the importance of recognizing fundamental differences from the beginning, moving beyond those differences and building dialogue on commonalities.

We must recognize our theological differences and move beyond them, he advised, and build relationships and conversations on "human issues" such as justice, peace, poverty, and modernity.

"[The present lack of] peace in the Middle East has nothing to do with religion, he said." "It is a political issue, related to Israel, Palestine and surrounding countries. All religions call for peace, mutual respect, love, understanding, and for living together." This would be the first of many times that the Israel Palestine conflict was mentioned in conversations on the trip.

He went on to say that the Bush Administration is playing a tragic role in the Middle East. "If countries are trying to bring peace, they must take into consideration the needs and desires of people living in the region. Iraq has become another Vietnam for the United States."

Tea was served. Then, delicious pastries.

Coming from the United States, where peace is so often dismissed as a flighty dream, it was encouraging to hear the Arch Bishop speak words I deeply believe: "Discussions of peace and humanity are concrete." Meaning, again, that the human interests are something we all share while political debates, discussions, and actions are clouded by ulterior motives and interests.

Later in the conversation, Arch Bishop Sarkissian called to question the hypocrisy of the US denying a high level religious leader a visa as he attempted to travel to New York in August 2000 for a conference of world religions. (I've done some research in an attempt to determine which conference he was referring to and think it must have been the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders. It took place at the UN in August 2000 and drew over 1000 religious leaders from around the world.)

As I worked on this entry and reviewed my notes from the meeting, I was taken back to the thought provoking topics we covered. Group members who had been on similar delegations in the past expressed some frustration with the very "safe" nature of the conversation and a desire to have explore more controversial topics in the weeks to come. Getting beyond the pretty was something we struggled with throughout the delegation, especially in our more official meetings.

But sometimes, I think, the pretty is profound. I'll leave you with this quote from our meeting with Arch Bishop Sebouh Sarkissian of the Armenian Christian Church of Tehran:

"Unless I see myself in you and unless you see you in me, we will continue to struggle."


April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008