To: Middle East Advocates
From: Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach, Washington Office Director
Date: November 6, 2007

Issue:

Tensions between the United States and Iran are ratcheting up at a worrying pace. On October 25, the Bush administration announced unilateral sanctions on Iran and declared a subgroup of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps to be a terrorist organization. The week before, President Bush warned “if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing [Iran] from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."

It is critical that members of Congress hear from their constituents that a military strike on Iran would be unacceptable. Robust diplomacy that addresses these difficult issues is the only way forward.

Background:

The current conflict between the United States and Iran is focused on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program. The United States alleges that Iran is seeking to produce nuclear weapons. Iran, meanwhile, asserts that it is simply enriching uranium for use in nuclear power plants, which is within its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In late October, Mohammed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that at this point there is no evidence that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb.

But the roots of the conflict go deeper than just the nuclear program. At stake is influence and control in the Persian Gulf region, which is rich in oil resources. Historically, Iranians trace their grievances with the United States back to 1953, when the CIA supported a military coup that overthrew the democratically-elected government of Prime Minister Mussadeq. On the U.S. side, many recall watching the crisis unfold in 1979, as Iranian students held U.S. citizens hostage in Tehran.

Faith Reflection

In 1990, Mennonite Central Committee responded to an earthquake in Iran by providing material aid. Since then, relationships have continued to grow and develop. Since 1997, a student exchange program has allowed North Americans to study in Qom, Iran, and several Iranian students to study theology in Toronto.

In late September, MCC and other faith-based organizations helped to organize a meeting in New York City between Iranian President Ahmadinejad and North American religious leaders. A similar meeting had taken place one year earlier, and a delegation of religious leaders visited Tehran in February 2007. MCC believes that face-to-face contact is crucial for building relationships of trust and understanding. As Ron Flaming, MCC international program director, said at the September meeting, “It is hard to demonize people who you know by name, or with whom you have shared a meal.”

Jesus called us to love our neighbors as ourselves and to extend that even further, to our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). As Anabaptists, we have long claimed that this call is not restricted to our own personal interactions—it includes those who our nation designates enemies, as well.

Action

There are several bills in Congress designed to prevent the U.S. from initiating an offensive attack on Iran. Recently Sen. Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced a resolution which would require congressional approval before any offensive military action is taken against Iran (S. Res. 356). Similarly, Sen. Webb (D-Va.) has sponsored a bill which would prohibit the use of funds for military operations in Iran (S. 759). The same bill has also been introduced in the House (H.R. 3119) by Rep. Udall (D-Colo.).

Please contact your senators and representative, and ask them to support a strong diplomatic effort to resolve the crisis with Iran. Express your dismay over the calls for military action against Iran. Encourage your senators to co-sponsor S. Res. 356 and S. 759, and your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 3119.

Contact Congress

Visits, e-mails, phone calls, faxes and letters are all good ways to contact your legislators. E-mails, phone calls and faxes are good for time-sensitive issues. Postal mail travels slowly in the Capitol, but letters have long-term impact. Be sure to include your mailing address in all correspondence to confirm your residency in a particular district and state.

We would be grateful for copies of your correspondence and any responses you receive! Please send them to