Iranian "Reformer" Disgraces National Cathedral

The National Cathedral’s invitation for Khatami to participate in a “dialogue” on the role of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims to achieve peace is absurd and reprehensible. I can't believe they actually invited this "political reformer" to lecture anybody about religious toleration when, under his presidency, Iran was designated by the United States government as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act — that is, one of the world’s worst religious persecutors.

According to the Rev. Keith Roderick, Christian Solidarity International’s Washington Representative, and secretary general for the Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights, and Episcopal Canon for Persecuted Christians, the Anglican Church and its leadership in Iran all but disappeared during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami.

Nina Shea, director of the Center for Religious Freedom at Freedom House, reports that all of Iran’s religious minorities — Bahaiis, Assyrian Christians, Catholics, Anglicans, Armenians, Evangelicals, Mandeans, Jews, and Zoroastrians — have suffered. Their numbers have steadily dwindled as they have fled religious oppression in their homeland; the presence of the ancient Assyrians and Mandeans is approaching statistical insignificance.

The other Abrahamic faiths, officially “protected” by the state, are forced to abide by Islamic rules and live in great insecurity. Christian and Jewish grocery shop owners have been required to post their religion on their store fronts. Jews, whose numbers have been reduced to about a third of their pre-1979 population, have faced relentless state-sponsored anti-Semitism. Some were arrested and put on trial for spying for Israel under Khatami, until being later freed after international protest. Christians have been vulnerable to apostasy charges, with some imprisoned and others killed by government-linked death squads.

Wikipedia notes:

Despite its long history in Iran, Christianity has often been seen by Islamic Republic as sympathetic to western ideals. The persecution of the Protestant churches has perhaps been more severe for this very reason. Government intrusion, expropriation of property, forced closure and persecution, particularly in the initial years after the Iranian Revolution, have all been alleged. Most prominent has been the death of Haik Hovsepian Mehr, bishop of the Jamiat-e Rabbani, in 1994. Recently the continuing imprisonment of Hamid Pourmand a lay pastor of Jammiat-e Rabboni and the murder of Ghorban Tourani, the pastor of an independent evangelical church have created international concern.

Other than being vehemently opposed to the use of taxpayer funds to finance his visit to Harvard, I couldn't care less if he speaks at that institution. In fact, I'm pretty sure he would get a more respectful reception there than President Bush would. But, letting this fascist desecrate a Christian house of worship is utterly offensive and an insult to all those persecuted for their faith in Iran. Sickening.