Reclaiming `language of belief': religious scholars have crucial role, statesman (Mohammad Khatami) says.New York President Mohammad Khatami of the Islamic Republic of Iran told a panel of U.S. interfaith religious leaders meeting here that they must wrest the language of belief away from those "who concoct con·coct tr.v. con·coct·ed, con·coct·ing, con·cocts 1. To prepare by mixing ingredients, as in cooking. 2. weapons out of religions." Mr. Khatami, who has been president of Iran The President of Iran is the head of government. The current president is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Role in the state In contrast with most republics, the effective head of Iran's political establishment is not the president, but rather the Supreme Leader since 1997, spoke at a symposium convened by the World Conference on Religion and Peace (Religions for Peace) in November. He was in New York for a special session of the United Nations General Assembly on the Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations Dialogue Among Civilizations is a theory in international relations. The theory in its current form was first introduced by Mohammad Khatami, former President of Iran. He originally introduced the idea of Dialogue Among Civilizations as a response to Samuel P. , which he proposed in 1998 with the goal of achieving greater understanding and respect among the world's diverse peoples. Referring to terrorists, Mr. Khatami said, "What we are witnessing in the world today is an active form of nihilism nihilism (nī`əlĭzəm), theory of revolution popular among Russian extremists until the fall of the czarist government (1917); the theory was given its name by Ivan Turgenev in his novel Fathers and Sons (1861). in social and political realms, threatening the very fabric of human existence. This new form of active nihilism assumes various names, and it is so tragic and unfortunate that some of those names bear resemblance to religiosity and self-proclaimed spirituality. "Vicious terrorists who concoct weapons out of religions ... are utterly, incapable of understanding that, perhaps inadvertently, they are turning religion into the handmaiden hand·maid also hand·maid·en n. 1. A woman attendant or servant. 2. often handmaiden Something that accompanies or is attendant on another: of the most decadent ideologies," he added. In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and in a world that he said is "on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of social chaos," Mr. Khatami noted that "the role of religious scholars has become even more crucial, and their responsibility ever more significant ... Religion goes beyond philosophy, theology and rituals. Religion provides both an origin and an end, a safe haven." |
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