Quaker speaker: Iran's nuclear goals peaceful

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BY BOB REEVES / Lincoln Journal Star

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems sincere when he says his country doesn’t want to acquire nuclear weapons.

That’s the assessment of Joe Volk, a Quaker who was part of a 13-member religious delegation that met with religious and political leaders Feb. 17-25 in Iran.

The group, made up of Quakers, Mennonites, Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, United Methodists and other Christians, met with ayatollahs and ordinary Iranians and had individual talks with both Ahmadinejad and former President Mohammad Khatami. It was the first time an American delegation of any type had met in Iran with an Iranian president since the Islamic revolution in 1979, Volk told an audience of about 80 at Union College Thursday morning.

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Joe Volk, a Quaker who went on a delegation to Iran recently. (Bob Reeves)

Joe Volk, a Quaker who went on a delegation to Iran recently. (Bob Reeves)

Volk, executive secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, also spoke Thursday to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln chapter of Nebraskans for Peace and at Trinity United Methodist Church on how religious communities can help bring about peace with Iran.

Before meeting Ahmadinejad, Volk said, he had an image of the Iranian president as “a rabble rouser — a ranter and a lecturer who would not be open to dialogue.” Instead, Ahmadinejad impressed the delegation as willing to listen and interested in seeking political, rather than military solutions to conflicts. 

“I got the sense that here was a head of government who really does want negotiations and what he’s asking for is something most Americans will accept — that the U.S. has to show good will,” Volk said.   “The U.S. has to say it’s not going to try to overthrow the Iranian government.”

At one point, Ahmadinejad told the religious visitors that he knows  U.S. President George Bush is frustrated by the war in Iraq, Republican losses in Congress and other problems, but cautioned, “If I were in his shoes and had those frustrations, I would be angry, but tell your president the worst time to make important decisions is when you’re angry,” Volk said.

The delegates also met with the deputy foreign minister, who told them Iran is prepared to negotiate with the U.S. and other countries to ensure its nuclear program complies with international safeguards, but won’t comply with the UN Security Council demand to suspend uranium enrichment as a precondition to talks.

Volk also told about meeting with some Iranian schoolboys who were eager to talk English with the visitors and learn about America.  But when asked their feelings about the United States they cheerfully sang , “Down with America.”

Later, the same boys met the delegates again and said, “Hello, Americans, let’s talk,” he said.

“Behind the (anti-American) rhetoric is a real feeling of friendship and engagement between people,” Volk said.  Some Iranians  told them, “We love the American people; what we have a problem with is your government.”

Volk added: “Let’s use those good feelings between people to help solve the problems between governments.”

He urged people individually and as faith communities to write to members of Congress and President Bush calling for negotiations with Iran.

Volk spoke earlier this week in Hastings and Grand Island and was scheduled to speak Friday in Omaha.  He also has taken his message to several other states and has been impressed, he said, with Americans’ desire to avoid a military confrontation with Iran.

The religious leaders would like to return to Iran with a larger delegation and invite Iranian religious leaders to come to America.  But real progress toward peace won’t happen until U.S. and Iranian political leaders sit down together and talk, Volk said.

When he met with Khatami, Volk gave him a button with the message “War is not the answer.”  Khatami  responded with the words, “That is a good sentence,” Volk said.

“Then he looked at me, and I said, ‘Yes, I need to take this (message) home.’”

Reach Bob Reeves at 473-7212 or breeves@journalstar.com.