Related articles and links |  1 of 4

Ahmadinejad: What would Jesus do?
The leaders of Iran and the United States have had no official communication since 1979. This week, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad broke the silence and wrote a letter to President Bush, largely criticizing his actions in the Middle East as being inconsistent with Christian faith.

"Can one be a follower of Jesus Christ, the great Messenger of God," Ahmadinejad wrote, "But at the same time, have countries attacked: the lives, reputations and possessions of people destroyed?" (That's a cleaned up version from what appears to be a somewhat poor translation.)

Ahmadinejad criticized the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the treatment of prisoners, support for Israel, U.S. actions in Latin America and Africa, and several other items.

"My students ask me how can these actions be reconciled with … duty to the tradition of Jesus Christ, the Messenger of peace and forgiveness," he said. "If prophet Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Joseph, or Jesus Christ were with us today, how would they have judged such behavior? Will we be given a role to play in the promised world, where justice will become universal and Jesus Christ will be present?"

The letter (which also alleges that the September 11 attacks were carried out with "coordination with [U.S.] intelligence and security services—or their extensive infiltration") doesn't say anything directly about the conflict over Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. It does, however, claim that scientific research is "one of the basic rights of nations." Ahmadinejad asks, "Why is it that any technological and scientific achievement reached in the Middle East regions is translated into and portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime?"

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the letter does nothing to help resolve the nuclear conflict.

"This letter is not the place that one would find an opening to engage on the nuclear issue or anything of the sort," Rice told the Associated Press. "It isn't addressing the issues that we're dealing with in a concrete way. … There's nothing in here that would suggest that we're on any different course than we were before we got the letter."

Quote of the day:
"Sometimes my own messages send signals that I don't mean to send, but stirs up anxieties in the Muslim world."

—President Bush, in an interview with the German magazine Bild.

("Today's Top Five" will return when there are five stories worth noting.)

Church and state:

1. House bill would remove limits on military prayer | Tucked into a massive defense authorization bill that the House will vote on this week is a provision aimed at giving military chaplains more freedom to pray as they see fit (The Washington Times)
   
   
2. Commandments could be put on public buildings | The Ten Commandments could be coming to a courthouse or other local government building near you if legislation endorsed by the Louisiana Senate on Monday becomes law (The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.)
   
   
3. Pastor's eviction was a mistake, sheriff's department says | One Sunday morning about two months ago, some members of his congregation had the Rev. Jimmy McCants arrested for trespassing as he stood on the altar preaching (Chicago Sun-Times)
   
   
4. Government blocking registration of tsunami NGO | The Minister of Fisheries, Abdulla Kamaluddeen, ordered the completed marketplace to be torn down in April because it was donated by "people in opposition to the government" and "Christians" (Minivan News, Maldives)
   
   
5. The Vatican's China problem | Beijing and the Vatican, like many antagonists, have some key traits in common. Both are intolerant of dissenting opinions. Both follow rigid orthodoxies, and both are control freaks. It's tempting to suggest that they deserve each other (Seth Faison, Los Angeles Times)
   
   

next page... |  1 of 4

May (Web-only) 2006, Vol. 50