Abstract:
The Mennonites relationship ongoing with Iran has developed
over a period of more than twenty years. This essay traces the development
of our relationships with Iranians and our program with
Iran, how it began with relief and reconstruction and progressed
through a student exchange to an ongoing interfaith dialogue and
visiting scholars. The roles of several key Iranians, to whom much
credit must be given, will also be discussed. The views expressed
herein concerning the development of Mennonite engagement
with Iran are the personal views of the author and do not represent
those of any Mennonite institution.
Machine summary:
This essay traces the de- velopment of our relationships with Iranians and our program with Iran, how it began with relief and reconstruction and progressed through a student exchange to an ongoing interfaith dialogue and visiting scholars.
During this visit, we made our first important contact: Sadreddin Sadr (di- rector general for international affairs, IRCS), who had a vision of what coop- eration between MCC, a North American Christian humanitarian organization, and the IRCS, an Iranian essentially Islamic humanitarian organization, would symbolize.
When this exchange program was presented to the MCC board, some members worried that the MCCers would water down their Christian faith when engaging in dialogue.
In fact, one IKERI professor told an MCC student couple that they should go home if they ever sensed a desire to convert to Islam, for he wanted only strong Christians who could engage in serious dialogue from a Christian perspective Since the IKERI-MCC exchange agreement was signed in 1997, four Mennonite couples have studied in Qom and the fathers of two Iranian fami- lies studying in Toronto have completed Ph. D.
There have been five interfaith conferences in all – three in Canada and two in Qom – initiated by Jim Reimer (director, the Toronto Mennonite Theological Center; the host institution for the Iranian students studying in Toronto) and Aboulhassan Haghani (IKERI).
”4 • Peace and Justice: Shi’ah Muslim-Mennonite Christian Dialogue IV.
The Center for Interfaith Engagement at Eastern Mennonite University has hosted a couple of visiting Iranian Islamic scholars for the past eighteen months.