Author: Badalian Vardan

REPRESENTATIVE TEAM OF ARMENIA DEFEATS THAT OF ANDORRA IN SECOND STAGE OF GROUP IV TOURNAMENT OF EUROPEAN/AFRICAN ZONE OF DAVIS CUP TOURNAMENT

Noyan Tapan
Aug 10 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The games of the second stage
were held in the Group IV tournament of the European/African zone
of the Davis Cup Tournament in Yerevan on August 9. Among Armenian
tennis players Ashot Gevorgian was defeated and Haroutiun Sofian
gained a victory in the solo game during the meeting with the team
of Andorra. In the couple game the Hayk Zohranian – Haroutiun Sofian
couple defeated the Andorrians with the following scores: 5:7, 7:5,
and 8:6.

The Chernogoria – Rwanda competition finished with the advantage of
the first.

August 10 is a day-off for the Armenian representative team. In the
following stages the Armenian representative team will compete with
those of Botswana and Chernogoria. It should also be mentioned that
irrespective of the outcomes of these meetings, the Armenian tennis
players have already provided themselves with the right of being
included in the Group 3.

TURKISH ORGANIZATIONS PROTEST AGAINST ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Aug 6 2007

Igdir, 6 August: Members of several non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) gathered in the eastern Turkish city of Igdir to draw attention
to hazards of nuclear power plants.

They also demanded closure of the Metsamor nuclear power plant in
Armenia, which is situated only 16 kilometres away from the Turkish
border.

Speaking on behalf of the protestors, The Association of Health
Workers For Peace and Environment Against Nuclear Jeopardy (Nused)
secretary-general, Derman Boztokm said, "Global nuclear energy lobbies
put pressure on the developing countries to use nuclear energy instead
of renewable energy for their own financial benefits."

"Whole eastern and southeastern Anatolia would be affected in case of
an accident at the Metsamor nuclear power plant. The plant was declared
as the most dangerous power plant in the world by the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the EU. This power plant should be
shut down as soon as possible," he said.

The Metsamor Nuclear power plant was built in 1970s, about 30
kilometres west of the Armenian capital of Yerevan. The plant was
constructed with two VVER-440 Model V230 nuclear reactors and the
technology used at the time was no longer compatible with modern
safety standards.

The power plant produces about 40 per cent of Armenia’s electricity.

It was closed due to the 1988 earthquake in Armenia. However, energy
shortages in Armenia compelled the Armenian government to reopen the
plant in 1993.

The EU continues to encourage the Armenian government to shut down
the Metsamor power plant but the Armenian government first wants
to acquire enough alternative sources of energy to compensate for a
shutdown of the reactor.

2ND ROUNDUP: OPPOSITION CANDIDATE WINS BY-ELECTION IN METN REGION

Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Germany
August 5, 2007 Sunday 9:49 PM EST
Beirut

DPA POLITICS Lebanon Elections 2ND ROUNDUP: Opposition candidate wins
by-election in Metn region Beirut A Maronite Christian opposition
candidate in the Metn region and a government candidate in Beirut
won Sunday’s by- elections to replace two assassinated anti-Syrian
lawmakers, initial results showed.

Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun said that his candidate,
Camille Khoury, closely beat Amin Gemayel, a former Lebanese president
and key ruling coalition member, in the Metn district northeast
of Beirut.

"We have been informed about the victory of the candidate Camille
Khoury by a small margin," Aoun told reporters.

There was still no official confirmation of Aoun’s announcement,
but opposition sources said that Camille Khoury had won by a margin
of some 300 votes out of 75,000 cast.

The results showed pro-government candidate Mohammad Amin Itani winning
by a large margin the Sunni Muslim seat in a Beirut district held by
slain MP Walid Eido, who was assassinated in June.

Turnout at polling stations in the Christian heartland was reported
to be around 50 per cent, while in Beirut it reached 20 per cent.

Gemayel, leader of the Phalange Party, was running to replace his son,
Pierre Gemayel, who was killed in November. The father refused to
admit defeat and demanded a return of the vote in one mainly Armenian
region, where he claimed voter fraud.

"We want elections to be replaced in the Burj Hammoud district,"
Gemayel told supporters in his hometown of Bikfaya.

In a first reaction to the initial results, anti-Syrian MP Walid
Jumblatt said, "The legend of Michel Aoun as the sole Christian leader
has fallen," he told Lebanese satellite television LBCI.

"The next phase will give March 14 Forces (the ruling majority) a
greater chance to chose the next president of the republic from its
own camp, if the destructive Syrian regime allows the elections to
take place on time."

Christian leader and head of the anti-Syrian Lebanese Forces, Samir
Geagea, said, "No matter what are the results, we will accept them."

Geagea spoke from the residence of Amin Gemayel in Bikfaya, north-
east of Beirut.

The Lebanese Parliament faces a challenge in the coming weeks to
elect a president to replace pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud. Even
if the majority controls enough seats to elect a new president,
it needs the opposition to take part for the two-thirds quorum that
Parliament traditionally needs to convene.

Sunday’s voting took place amid tight security measures to prevent
any violence between the parties.

Gemayel is a key member in the anti-Syrian majority coalition, backed
by the Western-backed government of Fouad Seniora. Aoun is the

main Christian leader in the opposition, which includes Shiite militant
movement Hezbollah, an ally of Syria and Iran.

In the by-election in Beirut, the opposition had not launched a
challenge. Turnout was around 20 per cent.

Gemayel and his allies accuse Syria of orchestrating the killings of
Pierre Gemayel, Eido and other anti-Syrian figures. Damascus denies
involvement in the killings.

Milford Daily News, MA
Daily News Tribune, MA
MetroWest Daily News, MA
Aug 5 2007

Mazzaglia: Rethink the Armenian genocide

By Frank Mazzaglia/Local columnist
GHS
Sun Aug 05, 2007, 12:21 AM EDT

An unlikely squabble broke out last week between Watertown’s Armenian
community and the Anti-Defamation League. This is what happened.

Along with scores of other cities and towns, Watertown proclaimed
itself a "No Place for Hate" community back in 2005. The idea, of
course, was to promote public policy against discrimination. Indeed,
Watertown is one of the most densely populated communities in the
Commonwealth. It is also home to the state’s largest Armenian
concentration. Closely built houses encourage neighborliness. Still,
there is genuine anger out there.

It turns out that the Anti-Defamation League, which sponsors "No
Place for Hate," refuses to acknowledge a dark period from 1915 to
1923. That’s when the Turkish army implemented a policy of ethnic
cleansing and mercilessly murdered an estimated 1.5 million helpless
Armenian civilians. Turkey’s subsequent denial of having anything to
do with the Armenian genocide caused Hitler himself to believe he
could get away with the ruthless slaughter of Jews which we now know
as the Holocaust.

Leaders of Watertown’s Armenian community want to maintain the "No
Place for Hate" program but are lobblying to separate its connection
with the ADL.

Mark me down as one who believes that there is real danger in looking
the other way when any nation attempts to cover up shameful episodes
of its past. Japan attempted to do that by changing school textbooks
and omitting its unspeakable attrocities in China and Korea.

Modern China, too, gets more than a bit touchy when the subject of
Tibet comes up.

Turkey’s refusal to accept any responsibility for its past history
against the Armenian people, however, gets a bit more problematic
because of its political and strategic importance. Even the United
States drags its feet when it comes to Turkey. It’s more in our
interest to be concerned about the present and the future than to
dwell on the past.

Still, there are some of us who get very angry with anyone who denies
the Holocaust. That’s why the ADL’s position, or rather lack of
position, about the Armenian genocide just doesn’t make sense.

Founded in 1913 to fight anti-Semitism, the ADL has taken risky
positions which have done us all proud. The ADL condemned the
senseless killings in Darfur and the genocide in the Balkans. That’s
part of the problem. There’s nothing ‘selective’ about genocide. It’s
wrong to condemn one genocide and turn a blind eye to another.

Following World War II, a huge wave of anger was directed against
Pope Pius XII for his ‘silence’ during the Holocaust. Some still seem
to think the Swiss Guard could have been a real match against the SS.
Dan Kurzman’s new book "A Special Mission," however, reveals evidence
concerning a secret Nazi plot in which Hitler planned to kidnap and
then kill Pope Pius XII precisely because he was aiding and abetting
Jews whenever and wherever he could. Notwithstanding Kurzman’s
evidence, there has been no apology for the defamation.

The real problem comes right down to money. To acknowledge its past
would mean that Turkey would have to pay compensation to Armenians
who suffered under the genocide in the same way the German government
was required to compensate the victims of its Nazi past.

The sad fact remains that no amount of compensation could ever be
enough for what Jews and Armenians have suffered at the hands of
morally sick tyrants.

Sadder yet is the growing conflict between two groups that have both
experienced the terrible result of senseless hatred and intolerance.
In the end, the ADL’s refusal to support the truth about the Armenian
genocide places a serious dent in its own integrity. That’s why it
makes sense for the ADL to re-think its position. It’s too important
an organization to risk losing its moral authority.

The faster wise minds come to that conclusion, the better it will be
for us all.

Frank Mazzaglia can be reached at [email protected]

m/opinion/x510835716

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES

Azat Artsakh Tert
Aug 2 2007
Nagorno Karabakh Republic

"Dear Mr Sahakian, I congratulate you warmly on your election as the
President of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Having unreserved confidence
of Artsakh people, I’m sure, that You’ll continue to make efforts
directed to providing people with prosperity and to strengthening
and developing the statehood of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The NKR
presidential elections carried out accordingly to the democratic
standarts, re-establish the irreversibility of the process of the
statehood of NKR. I wish you success at Your high and responsible
post for the welfare of people and State of Artsakh". (Serge Sargsian,
RA Prime Minister). "We send our patriarchal sanctification from the
Cathedral church St Edjmiatsin and congratulate you on the election
President of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. We serve satisfaction to God,
that our Artsakh people builds its free life in peace for enriching
the native land with belief of leaving safe and happy. In the just
work of realizing the wishes and hopes of all Artsakh people, you’ve
brought your efforts and devotion by participating in the Artsakh
liberation and Statehood. I wish you, Dear President, long lasting
days of healthy life, courage and energy at your post, success
in your programs and undertakings". (The supreme patriarch of all
Armenians Garegin B). "Dear Mr Sahakian, I heartly congratulate you
on the election President of Nagorno-Karbakh Republic. The success
of the elections, which met high internatioanl standarts, is an
excellent foundation for further consolidation of NKR, international
recognition and prosperity of the heroic Artsakh people. I’m sure,
that your experience and devotion will serve as guarantees for further
success. I assure, you of all asistance of the Armenian National
Assembly and wish you every success at the post or the welfare our
people and prosperity of NKR".(The Speaker of RA NA Tigran Torossian)

NYT COLUMNIST PUSHES FOR ACTION ON DARFUR: TIME TO STOP THE SHOOTING
By Paul Haist

Jewish Review, OR
Aug 2 2007

CAHANA (LEFT) AND KRISTOF

At least 1,000 people filled the sweltering sanctuary at Temple Beth
Israel July 22 to hear Oregon’s own two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning
New York Times columnist make yet another pitch for action on the
continuing genocide in Darfur.

Nicholas D. Kristof grew up on a cherry farm in Yamhill where he
graduated from high school before going on to graduate as a Phi Beta
Kappa from Harvard University, after which he earned a law degree at
Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.

Regarding America’s reaction to the Darfur genocide Kristof said,
"There is a history of Washington ignoring genocides." He pointed to
Armenia, the Holocaust, Bosnia and now Darfur.

"Bush did aspire to do better than Clinton had (on Darfur)," he said,
"but that has not been the case."

Kristof recounted many of his own often harrowing and deeply moving
experiences on eight visits to Darfur. He accompanied these remarks
with a slide presentation of graphically explicit victim images
from Darfur.

"You see incredible brutality there," he said, "but also incredible
courage."

Kristof took time to clarify that the conflict there, unlike in
many other venues in the world today, is not between Muslims and
non-Muslims.

"Darfur is all Muslim; there is no tension there," he said. The
violence, he explained, is "between Arab and non-Arab," between the
Janjaweed militia and African tribesman, with the former receiving
support from the Sudanese government.

Kristof largely dismissed the belief fashionable in some quarters
that the violence in Darfur is the first conflict to arise from
global warming.

He noted that Arab tribes of the region tend to be nomadic herders,
while the African tribes tend to be farmers and that some disputes
arise between the two groups because of this difference.

But as for the conflicts arising from that difference owing to
declining rainfall totals, which negatively affect both groups,
Kristof looked to Darfur’s neighbors where similar climatic and
cultural conditions exist.

"It hasn’t happened in neighboring states," he said, referring to
the violence.

Kristof believes it has more to do with the government of Sudanese
President Omar Hasan al-Bashir.

"Sudan brought in the Janjaweed to put down a rebellion," he said,
explaining that Bashir’s Khartoum government opted for the private
militias instead of its army because the army includes non-Arab
Africans whose loyalty to their own could be problematic in quelling
a rebellion.

Kristof harbored no doubt of the government’s complicity in the
violence by the Janjaweed. He reported having witnessed highway
checkpoints manned by government troops allowing Janjaweed militias
to pass unquestioned, while he and his Sudanese interpreter were
arrested and interrogated.

Kristof elaborated on the use of rape as a weapon in Darfur.

"Rape was a central part of this," he said. "This is very much a
policy of rape, often by security forces in uniform."

One of the reasons for the use of rape, Kristof explained, is that
that it engenders less public condemnation.

"Because of the stigma, women don’t talk about it," he said." It
doesn’t bring the opprobrium that a pile of bodies does."

The fact that the government often arrests women who do come forward
with charges of rape, he added, further discourages others from doing
the same, which helps to maintain a low public profile for the atrocity
while its effectiveness as a tool of coercion is undiminished.

A policy of rape, he added further, helps to undermine the authority
of local sheiks or chieftains, who are seen as unable to protect
their women.

While Kristof believes "we’ve done a pretty good job of providing aid"
to Darfur’s victims, he also believes that it’s past time for more.

"After four years of this, it seems so incredibly inadequate,"
he said. "It seems at this point the need is to stand up and stop
the shooting."

One of Kristof’s top concerns is stopping the spread of the violence.

"Eastern Chad is now in complete disarray," he said. "The Janjaweed
are doing this; (they’re) being directed by Sudanese security." He
added the Central African Republic was similarly threatened now.

"If we allow it to go on, Chad and CAR will fall apart and the
north-south war (in Sudan) will reignite," said Kristof.

He suggested that America call on other nations to join the effort
to resolve the crisis.

"We have to work more closely with other countries in the area,"
he said. "We don’t have much credibility in the area after Iraq."

He looked to China to bring its "great deal of influence" to bear.

"Those who have been shot there (Darfur) were shot with Chinese
AK-47s," he said. China is a major source of income and aid for Sudan,
which sells much of its oil to China.

Kristof encouraged using the forthcoming Beijing Olympics for leverage
with China, while he urged caution not to alienate China.

"Call on China to suspend all military transfers to Sudan until the
violence ends," he said. "Use the Olympics, but keep them on our side."

Kristof believes that sending U.S. troops to Darfur may not be a good
idea, although he did call for a no-fly zone to be enforced over
Darfur and suggested that U.S. planes might take part in that. He
suggested what he believed would be a less costly alternatives for
enforcing a no-fly zone than was used in Iraq, one in which it would
not be necessary to keep planes aloft around the clock.

Individuals can take action on their own to help end the violence in
Darfur, said Kristof. He called on all present to make their opinion
known in Washington and elsewhere.

"Stay involved," he said. "Sign up. It won’t be solved this week
or this month. The real pressure point in this country is the White
House."

Allowing that "President Bush is embarrassable," Kristof said,
"When there is enough outrage out there, the White House will respond."

Kristof’s appearance was cosponsored by Amnesty International USA Group
48 (Oregon), the Oregon Chapter of the American Jewish Committee,
Congregation Beth Israel, the Portland Coalition for Genocide
Awareness, the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation
of Greater Portland, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and
the World Affairs Council of Oregon.

SUKHOI DIRECTOR GENERAL QUITS JOB AS DESIGN BUREAU CHIEF – COMPANY

RIA Novosti
12:22 | 01/ 08/ 2007

MOSCOW, August 1 (RIA Novosti) – Mikhail Pogosyan, director general of
the Sukhoi Aircraft Holding Company, has resigned his post as the head
of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

The Sukhoi Design Bureau’s board of directors accepted Pogosyan’s
resignation at a July 30 meeting, citing the official’s desire to
focus on managing the Sukhoi Aircraft Holding Company.

Pogosyan currently holds several posts, including board member of the
United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a majority state-owned corporation
consolidating aircraft-building companies and state assets engaged
in the manufacture, design, and sale of military, non-military,
transport, and unmanned aircraft.

The board also appointed Igor Ozar as managing director of the Sukhoi
Design Bureau starting July 31.

The bureau is part of the Sukhoi Aircraft Holding Company, which is
100% state-owned.

ARMENIANS ANGRY AT ADL

Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NY
.html
Aug 1 2007

A nationwide program sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League is
prompting an angry response from Armenians upset by the organization’s
stance on the Armenian genocide.

Armenian residents of the Boston suburb of Watertown want the local
"No Place for Hate" program to sever its ties with the ADL, the Boston
Globe reported. "No Place for Hate" certifies individual communities
that undertake anti-bias programming.

At issue is the ADL’s refusal to endorse a proposed congressional
bill that would recognize the Turkish murder of an estimated 1.5
million Armenians during World War I. Turkey refuses to acknowledge
the genocide, and has enlisted the help of several prominent political
figures to help defeat the bill.

The ADL contends that it doesn’t take positions on historical issues.

Other Jewish groups, including B’nai B’rith, the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee and the American Jewish Committee have taken
no position on the resolution.

BBG RENEWS CONTRACT WITH PRIVATE STATION IN ARMENIA: RFE/RL ARMENIAN SERVICE STILL OFF PUBLIC RADIO

Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Aug 1 2007

(Washington, DC–August 1, 2007) The Broadcasting Board of Governors
(BBG) has renewed a contract to carry the programs of Radio Liberty’s
Armenian language service on a private radio network based in the
Armenian capital, Yerevan.

The contract with AR Radio Intercontinental runs from August 15,
2007 until September 14, 2008. The network has 23 transmitters,
which cover Yerevan and a number of outlying districts.

"We are pleased that many Armenian listeners will be able to
continue to hear our programming on AR Radio Intercontinental," said
Jeffrey Gedmin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL, Inc.).

However, Gedmin noted that efforts to renew a contract with Armenian
Public Radio, which has transmitters covering the entire country,
have so far proven unsuccessful.

"We remain deeply committed to nationwide coverage of Armenia.

Hundreds of thousands of listeners rely on Radio Liberty’s Armenian
Service and depend on us for accurate, comprehensive news," said
Gedmin, noting that the latest national surveys indicate 15 percent
of Armenians tune in each week.

Armenian Public Radio announced in mid-July that it would stop carrying
Radio Liberty broadcasts on August 9, 2007 on the 80 transmitters in
the network.

"We have worked diligently to settle any legal and contractual issues,
and believe there is no reason the broadcasts shouldn’t continue,"
said Gedmin.

RFE/RL Armenian programs have been aired on Armenian Public Radio —
Armenia’s top radio network — since 1998. Three days of contract
discussions in Yerevan in mid-July ended without resolution.

James K. Glassman, Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors,
said at the time, "We value our relationship with Armenian Public
Radio, and certainly want it to continue."

RFE/RL’s Armenian Service has been on the air since 1953 and produces
more than three and one half hours of Armenian-language programming
daily in Prague and its Yerevan Bureau. Armenian Service programming
is available via satellite, local affiliates and the Internet,
at the service’s website and at ;
English-language news about events in Armenia can be found on the
RFE/RL website, at

DESTINATION: IRAN
By Helena Garan

Press & Sun-Bulletin, NY
Post Comment
July 31 2007

Mission of peace met with favorable response from citizens

As part of an effort to strengthen peaceful relations between
the United States and Iran (formerly Persia), I joined a group of
civilian diplomats traveling to the Middle East in May 2007. The
group was sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR, see
) which is an almost 100-year-old non-denominational
organization dedicated to working towards peace through citizen
diplomacy. It was our group’s sincere hope that by immersing ourselves
in the Iranian culture and by getting to know its people firsthand,
we could help foster better relations between our countries at a
time when tensions are so high. We need to do everything possible to
prevent the start of a war with Iran.

Our delegation consisted of 16 people who came from a variety of
backgrounds — 14 of us from the United States. The group included
professors, ministers, peace activists, students and two documentary
filmmakers from the Netherlands who were making a movie about how we
as Americans experienced Iran.

The trip demanded significant preparation including a lengthy list
of required reading, a condensed course on the Iranian culture and
customs and weekly conference calls with the group. We were divided
into three groups: religious, political and cultural.

After much energy and effort had been put into our preparations,
we were disheartened to receive word from the Iranian government
10 days prior to our intended departure that approval of our visas
was still pending. We were notified that our documents would not be
granted unless we agreed to travel exclusively as tourists and not
move forward with the meetings we had scheduled with Islamic clergy,
government officials, university students and professors, health
organizations, and leaders of religious minorities such as Christians,
Jews, Zoroastrians and Armenians. Disappointed, we all agreed and
the visas were finally granted — only six hours prior to departure.

Some friends and family of the delegates were quite concerned because
they felt that the stage is being set for an attack on Iran by the
United States. Also, several Iranian-Americans were detained in Tehran
and accused of spying for the United States.

The United States issues about 100 visas annually to Iranians. And
Iran issues 300 to 500 visas a year to Americans. Tourism has
suffered enormously in Iran, a country with a rich, long history and
breathtaking beauty. We did, however, encounter a French and a Dutch
tour group and another peace group from the States.

My daughter and travel companion, Farrah, and I met our fellow
travelers at JFK Airport several hours before boarding the
plane that would take us to this country shrouded in mystery and
misunderstanding. After a lengthy meeting and further instruction
by the two FOR officials who were part of our delegation, we were on
our way via Amsterdam to Tehran.

Upon arrival at the airport in Iran, a government official collected
our passports and disappeared through a door. Anxiously, we waited.

And waited. After what seemed like an eternity, with many of us hoping
we wouldn’t be sent home, the gentleman returned, flashed us a warm
smile and said "Welcome to Iran. I hope you will love my country. I
wish you a wonderful trip." It certainly would not be the last time
our group encountered such an amicable reception.

The bus we would be using for the next two weeks was waiting for us,
along with the driver and his assistant who would serve us tea and
snacks during our lengthy trips. We were welcomed with roses for all
participants by our Iranian tour leader and our travel agent. All
the hotels we stayed in were impressive and exceeded all expectations.

Our first full day in Iran was spent sightseeing in Tehran, a clean
and beautiful city with modern high-rises, lots of construction,
great highways. It is settled in the foothills of the Alborz Mountains
with its snow-topped peaks. The traffic is rather chaotic, to say
the least. Then we went shopping for culturally appropriate clothing
for the women in our group. Since the revolution in 1979, Iran has
become an Islamic republic. All women — including tourists — are
required to show only their face and hands and to wear loose-fitting
clothing that hides the curves of their body. So we bought veils or
head scarves and chadors or coats and wore them the entire duration
of our visit, even in 95-degree temperatures. One of the delegates
got creative and wore her son’s graduation gown, which turned out to
be a great substitute for the chador.

Some other Iranian cultural rules we learned while there: Do not shake
hands or have any physical contact with the opposite sex in public;
always remove your shoes when visiting a mosque; always refuse at
least twice before graciously accepting a gift.

In spite of the rules by which they are required to live, we
consistently found the Iranian people to be hospitable, outgoing,
sophisticated, generous and very willing to talk to us, which enabled
bonds of friendship to form quickly. Politeness and hospitality rank
high in their culture.

The people we met openly expressed dissent toward their government and
its restrictive Islamic regulations. Only a few women we encountered
claimed to appreciate the dress code as a traditional symbol of their
Islamic faith, and they enjoyed the freedom of going out in public
without being looked at inappropriately by strange men.

Iran, with a population of about 71 million people, has one of the
oldest civilizations in the world. Now it is a very young country:
about 70 percent is under the age of 30. Iranians are not Arabs
but Indo-Europeans. The size of Iran equals about 18 percent of the
United States, and their language is Farsi. Sixty-five percent of the
university students are female and seem to dress very fashionably
under their Islamic cover-up. They drive cars and work outside the
home just like we do in the States.

We were strongly encouraged by our Iranian tour guide to be extremely
cognizant of what we said, how we behaved and how we dressed, so that
we would not inadvertently disrespect the Iranian traditions or in
some way create an incident that the government could use against
the United States.

We had absolutely no problems while in Iran. Our movements were not
restricted. We were never frightened, intimidated or concerned for
our safety. We stayed in luxury hotels, ate delicious Persian food
and enjoyed what many of our group believed to be the best ice cream
in the world — saffron and rosewater. We consistently experienced
kindness from strangers, who gave freely of their time, food, drink
and stories. Everywhere we went, people approached us and wanted to
engage in conversation. When asked where we were from, contrary to
what many Americans may have expected, the Iranian people delighted
in our answer. "We love America! Welcome! Welcome to our country!" At
the end of my conversations, I always asked if they would like to
accept a letter from a caring American friend.

I brought 200 letters with me from peace-loving people in America.

The letters were filled with friendship, compassion, understanding
and love. Because of them, I had so many opportunities to interact
in a warm and meaningful way with the people of this ancient country.

The women showed their appreciation for the letters with hugs and
kisses. Though a letter is such a small gesture, my hope was that
if they were to share it with their extended family and neighbors,
it might be a catalyst for a positive change in perception and
understanding. Mother Teresa once said, "What we are trying to do may
be just a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less because of
that missing drop."

While our trip was informative and a success based on the
positive interactions we had, much more needs to be done to promote
understanding between our two countries. Our goal should be to prevent
the tragedy of war by fostering peace and understanding between the
people of Iran and the United States. Direct diplomatic negotiation
is the way to resolve the issues with Iran. Responsible, farsighted
problem-solving is needed to help stabilize the Middle East. I don’t
want to see a nuclear-armed Iran. There is still time to dissuade
Iran from going after the higher levels of uranium enrichment that
are needed to make nuclear weapons. However, I strongly believe
that bombing Iran will create another Iraq. Dialogue and diplomacy
with Iran, including people-to-people diplomacy, is the best way to
protect America.

We also visited the Caspian Sea (think: caviar), bazaars, mosques
and shrines of Iran’s famous poets, mountains, deserts, palaces
and museums. We flew to Shiraz on an old Russian plane and were in
awe of Persepolis, which was discovered in the 1930s by an American
professor of the University of Chicago. We also saw Esfahan, said to
be the most beautiful city in the world, the Holy City of Qom, where
the majority of the people seem to be clergy in tulbans and cloaks,
and many more places.

Any group interested in seeing a photographic presentation about the
places we visited in Iran can contact me at [email protected]. To
find out more about the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) and past
and future delegations all over the world, please visit their web
site at

I’d like to finish with a poem by one of Iran’s famous poets, Sa’di,
that is very special to me and so appropriate:

The Sons of Adam are the members of a whole.
Each is created from a greater, single soul.
Whenever Fate to one of them brings pain
No other can without distress remain.
You, who for others’ torment do not care
Cannot the name of ‘human’ rightly bear.
Garan is a Johnson City resident.