> By the way, how many people in Iran are of the Baha'i faith? are they
> still being persecuted?
Don't know, but the news report that appeared in Times of India (appended below) attributes to Ahmadinejad the following remarks:
"My basic question is this: Is there no better way to interact with the rest of the world? Today there are hundreds of millions of Christians, hundreds of millions of Muslims, and millions of people who follow the teachings of Moses.
All divine religions share and respect one word, and that is monotheism, or belief in a single God and no other in the world."
I suppose Judaism, Christinity and Islam alone are _'divine'_ religions!:)
Ulhas
The Times of India http://timehsofindia.indiatimes.com/
> World> Rest of World>
Letter has the tone of a teacher and preacher http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1524560.cms
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
AGENCIES
CAIRO: With the tone of a teacher and the certainty of a believer, the president of Iran wrote to president Bush that Western democracy had failed and that the invasion of Iraq, US treatment of prisoners and support for Israel could not be reconciled with Christian values.
"September 11 was not a simple operation," he wrote. "Could it be planned and executed without coordination with intelligence and security services, or with extensive infiltration? Of course, this is just an educated guess. Why have the various aspects of the attacks been kept secret?"
The 18-page letter, did not offer any concrete proposals for dealing with the crisis, but suggested that the United States give up its liberal, democratic, secular system and turn more toward religion.
"Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the liberal democratic systems," he wrote.
"We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point that is the almighty god," he wrote. "Undoubtedly, through faith in God and the teaching of the prophets, the people will conquer their problems. My question to you is: 'Do you want to join them?' "
"My basic question is this: Is there no better way to interact with the rest of the world? Today there are hundreds of millions of Christians, hundreds of millions of Muslims, and millions of people who follow the teachings of Moses.
All divine religions share and respect one word, and that is monotheism, or belief in a single God and no other in the world."
"It would be a big mistake if the US dismissed it or if they only consider it as a philosophical, religious, historical letter," Nasser Hadian, a political science professor at Tehran University, said by the telephone.
"It would be a good idea if president Bush responds to it. It can open up some space." Citing the war in Iraq, Ahmadinejad argued that the US failed to live up to its own values.
NYT News Service
Copyright ©2006Times Internet Limited.