Friday Prayers: Division and Connection

I noted that several of our peace delegates blogged about attending Friday prayers at Tehran University last week. Here is a roundup with links to each of their blogs for more. Read on for thoughts from Mark Johnson, Le Anne Clausen, Dan Smith, and Jane Harries.

Ayatollah Kashani was already well into his teaching as we arrived. With clear reverence and affection in his voice, he was describing a meeting he had attended as a young boy with his father, when he sat at the feet of Ayatollah Khomeini. He spoke of Khomeini’s gentle voice and of his soft hand on his head. The moment was an aside in a long but fairly coherent explication of a Sura from the Koran, which is interpreted to mean that Allah created the earth and all therein not simply to be left untouched, but to be used by human beings. Starting with a geological creation story that captures the magma rising through the earth to become the Ka’aba in Mecca, to a defense of the Iranian goal of using nuclear fuel to generate electricity, it was an intricate argument, not unlike the Biblical rationale commonly used to defend extractive practices by our political and economic leadership.

The step from the Allah-sanctioned use of nuclear fuel to the political contest with a U.S.-led coalition to restrict Iranian experiments and developments in this area will be expected by the reader, and it came closely on the heals of a mantra-like chanting of "Death to America." The chants were in Farsi, included the tomahawking movement of the hand, and were both perfunctory and passionate at the same time, much like the calls for "Defense, Defense, Defense" by a stadium full of fans at a Washington Redskins game.

- "Friday Prayers at Tehran University" Mark Johnson

The women attended the same service, but were safely partitioned away the men.

A large green curtain about standing height sectioned us off from the men and granted some privacy. I wish I had pictures, but our cameras didn’t make it past security and were kept for us by an attendant. In the meantime, hundreds of women filled the space, open air but covered by a high roof, and lined up on the carpets provided to soften the plaza as well as offer a seating arrangement for those gathered. Each woman who arrived took off her wet black chador, changed into a white chador, usually with some floral pattern printed on it, rolled out her own prayer mat, opened a handkerchief with a small clay tablet made from the soil of Holy Kerbala in Iraq and placed it where her forehead would later touch the ground in prayer, and usually also brought out a set of prayer beads. She then made her initial prayers, and sat to listen to the sermon...

Occasionally, as we’d been cautioned by our guide, the speaker would prompt the assembly to shout, ‘Down with the USA!’ or ‘Death to America!’ I think there might have been a few enthusiastic men on the other side of the curtain, but for the most part the women took no notice. A few halfheartedly raised their arms in the air and muttered along. Others talked to their neighbors. Some were a little embarrassed, because they could see us from where they were sitting, and others didn’t seem to notice. One woman said to us, "We mean your administration, but not you. Don’t panic."

- "Death to America?" by Le Anne Clausen

You might not be surprised to learn that the sermon also mentioned a 2008 Presidential candidate, but you might be surprised by who it was...

Now, bring in Joe Biden. Yes, Joe Biden. It came out of his mouth, I heard it myself. Joe Biden. Why Joe? Because apparently Joe stated that if he became president of the United States-- "Are you listening Iran?" Kashani roared, interrupting only himself. "Are you listening Islamic countries?" Then quoting Biden: "I would look into the cracks of Iranian society and try to resolve the differences."

"The enemy wants to use these cracks that might be existing against us," added the imam. He went on to state that the U.S. armies are scattered, and basically stated that Bush is scrambling to complete his agenda.

"Torturing centers and bloodshed are the representations of the laws of the U.S., only thinking of themselves and their own interests....the slogans of the U.S. are inflammatory and hostile."

- "Death to America, Death to Iran" by Dan Smith

Ultimately, our delegates found a connection.

Now the prayers begin. Many of the women adjust their veils, and one woman changes completely from black to white. The mood changes completely to a more reverential one. The women stand, kneel and are prostrate according to the meaning of the prayers. Many mutter verses from the Quran under their breath or count prayer beads. This is when the TV cameras appear. Plastic bags containing shoes and handbags are whisked aside and hidden from view. This is the image which will be relayed to the world. Rows of devout women, their bodies prostrate in the damp pavilion, demonstrating their allegiance to Allah.

We are ushered away once again, struggling with our robes in the rain, to the warmth of the kerosene stove and then the ‘normality’ of the bus.

How easy it was to feel isolated and alienated by this scene. We remind ourselves that the rows of women facing us also feel the rain, that their shoulders too are damp, their knees stiff and their hearts warmed by the same humanity. Fundamentally, too, we share the same God and the same desire for peace. As we prepared to rejoin the bus the lady in the booth wished us well, bowed and smiled. Despite the strangeness of the situation we had just witnessed, here was genuine human connection and concern. Outside the bus we sang a peace song.

- "Friday Prayers" by Jane Harries