U.S.-Islamic world panel urges open dialogue on Iran

U.S.-Islamic world panel urges open dialogue on Iran

by Mary E. O’Leary, Register Topics Editor
New Haven Register
02/20/2007

NEW HAVEN — An open dialogue between the people of Iran and the United States is the only way to keep the war in Iraq from spilling into Iran and furthering the aims of al-Qaida.

That point was emphasized several times in a videoconference Monday between students at Yale University, American University, the University of Jordan and the University of Qatar as part of the U.S.-Islamic World Forum being held in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Advertisement "We need to have concrete and widespread dialogue, otherwise the whole situation is doomed," said Bahman Farmanara, an Iranian filmmaker, who was one of three panelists answering students’ questions.

The annual three-day forum, held by the Brookings Institution, brings together more than 150 American and Muslim political, business, academic, media and arts leaders. The off-site student voices were brought in with the help of Americans for Informed Democracy, headed by Seth Green at Yale.

Reza Aslan, author of "No God, but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam," said after listening to the speakers all weekend, there appears to be a 50/50 chance the United States will engage in strategic bombing of Iran over that country’s plans to pursue nuclear power.

A journalist and professor, Aslan told the students the United States is misreading violence in Iraq as religious-based, rather than as political jockeying for power complicated by a lack of security that aligns people with militias for protection. "Don’t fall into the trap that this is a deep-seated inherent (religious) conflict just waiting to flower," Aslan said of the battle between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq.

Escalating rhetoric, however, on both sides, is reaching dangerous levels, Aslan asserted, and only validates the extreme dogma of al-Qaida.

"Treating them as religious battles, they will very quickly become religious battles," which will spread beyond the Middle East, said Aslan, who has written for The New York Times and Slate, and has taught at the University of Iowa.

Farmanara agreed with his colleague. "There has never been a record of this kind of fight. We have always lived together."

The filmmaker said there is ignorance on both sides over the true nature of the Iranian and American societies and he blamed U.S. media in particular for perpetuating stereotypes. "Take off the labels and look at each situation case by case," Farmanara said, who advised the students to seek multiple international sources of news to get a clearer picture.

On the nuclear issue, Farmanara said Iranians feel they have the right to the peaceful use of nuclear power. "We are not at war with anyone," he said.

Aslan said it will be 10 years before Iran will be in a position to develop a nuclear weapon, plenty of time to stop it through negotiations. Still, it is imperative that Iran not acquire them because of the arms race it will set off in the Middle East.

The writer said Vice President Dick Cheney’s argument that government opposition in Iran will rise up if the U.S. bombs that country, "is just about the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard in my whole life." He said Iranians are "extremely nationalistic," and would rally behind the government if attacked.

The six female Muslim students who were speaking from Jordan said they have tried to reach out to Westerners through the Internet and in dialogue with the many people who come to their country to learn Arabic.

"Everyone has to dream big. If I can change one person’s mind, maybe he will change another," one student said, of the image of Muslims as terrorists.

Green said his experience over the last 4½ years since AID was formed is that people are open to discussion. "Even where you expect closed minds, they are wide open," he said.

©New Haven Register 2007