"Sojourners in the news" articles are from our archive of news clippings that mention Sojourners in any way - whether favorably or unfavorably. Though we provide the text on our site for your convenience, we do not necessarily endorse the views of these articles or their source publications.

Bush Administration Denies Visas for Iranian Religious Leaders' Goodwill Visit

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bush administration has denied visas to leaders of an Iranian religious delegation that was scheduled to visit the United States this week to continue a dialogue with religious leaders in the United States, the U.S. organizers of the exchanges announced today.

"We are disappointed and troubled that the administration denied the visas on what are said to be national security grounds, particularly because we received assurances from the State Department that State would move heaven and earth to make this reciprocal religious leaders' visit possible," said Joe Volk, Executive Secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quakers). "The denials parallel a disturbing escalation of rhetoric against Iran and further demonstrate this administration's current strategy of confrontation rather than diplomacy. Again, this administration appears to be choosing the war path rather than the negotiating table."

The administration denied visas to four of fourteen Iranians invited to the United States, including the two leaders of the delegation. The Iranians were invited to meet with their counterparts in the United States this September as the next step in an ongoing dialogue with a diverse group of Christian leaders from United Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist, Catholic, Evangelical, Quaker, and Mennonite traditions. The U.S. group traveled to Iran in February 2007 at the invitation of Iranian religious leaders and the government. Members of the U.S. delegation hoped that by reciprocating the Iranians' hospitality, they could further work to inspire the governments and people of both countries to commit to a diplomatic solution to the ongoing dispute between the United States and Iran. Words not war could answer the national interests of both peoples.

The U.S. delegation last February, which also included the National Council of Churches and Sojourners/Call to Renewal, was the first U.S. delegation to meet with an Iranian president in Iran since the fall of the Shah in the late 1970s. The delegation returned to the United States with a proposal that the U.S. and Iranian governments immediately engage in direct, face-to-face talks and promote more people-to-people exchanges among religious leaders, legislators and civil society.

"The consensus among U.S. allies in Europe and the Middle East is in favor of direct, face-to-face diplomatic talks with Iran," said Joe Volk. "The U.S. administration continues to rely on threats and coercion not to resolve the U.S.-Iranian nuclear dispute but rather to use that dispute to escalate tensions toward some kind of military confrontation. War is not the answer. This U.S. approach actually hardens and entrenches politics of Iran resulting in diminishing rather than expanding political space for dissent. Despite the clear failure of that approach to end the current stalemate between our two governments, the administration is blocking the efforts of the faith community to explore pathways to peace."

For more on Iran: http://www.fcnl.org/iran

The Friends Committee on National Legislation, the oldest registered religious lobby in Washington, is a non-partisan Quaker lobby in the public interest. FCNL works with a nationwide network of tens of thousands of people from every state in the U.S. to advocate for social and economic justice, peace, and good government. For more information: http://www.fcnl.org//