Posted on 03/13/2007 9:16:16 PM PDT by Pikamax
Bondevik launches peace effort with Iran's ex-president Former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik is afraid the US will attack Iran and create a situation worse than Iraq.
He's teamed with Iran's former president to urge peace and understanding.
The two former statesmen, both running their own peace centers these days, have recently agreed on a cooperative venture that may take Bondevik to Teheran and bring former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to Oslo.
"It was joked that both Norway and Iran were run by clergymen,"says Bondevik, referring to the time he and Khatami were both in office. Bondevik is an ordained minister in the Norwegian state church and veteran member of the Christian Democrats, while Khatami is a high-ranking Muslim.
Today both men reportedly want to narrow the distance and increase the trust between Islam and the West.
Bondevik has just returned to Norway from a trip to the US, and confirms that opposition to the war in Iraq just keeps increasing, also within evangelical groups that earlier supported Bush. At the same time, Iran is emerging as a huge area of uncertainty.
"It's troubling that the US has sent a pair of aircraft carriers towards Iran," he told newspaper Aftenposten. "Is it to threaten Iran or to attack? I want to warn in the strongest terms against attacking Iran.
"That could easily develop into something that can be worse than what's happening in Iraq. I'm also afraid that an American bombing raid will boost support (among Iranians) for Iran's nuclear program and strengthen radical forces."
"You can't bomb Iran into obedience on the nuclear issue," Bondevik claims.
Khatami, known as a political moderate in Iran, appears to share Bondevik's concerns and took the initiative to talks between the two. His center for dialogue between civilizations and cultures is based in Teheran with a branch in Geneva.
"We want to try to reduce the feeling that we're enemies and build trust between Islam and the West," Bondevik says, noting that the West often generalizes that Muslims are all terrorists and extremists, while Muslims believe Westerners look down on them.
"We can contribute to fighting extremism and terrorism," Bondevik says. "I believe in dialogue."
You can't? Sure you can. Just depends on what bombs you choose to use.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.