SHARING FAITH OPENED DOORS ON IRAN TRIP
By Kim Barto

Martinsville Bulletin
le.cfm?ID=14956
Aug 3 2008
VA

Two Christian pastors have returned to Martinsville after a year and
a half of study in Iran, where they set out to learn and build trust
and love between the people of both nations.

Husband and wife David Wolfe and Linda Kusse-Wolfe, both Quaker
ministers, studied Islam and Iranian culture at the Imam Khomeini
Education and Research Institute in Qom, Iran, from January 2007 to
May 2008.

There, they found a "very hospitable, very gracious people" and made
lasting friendships, Kusse-Wolfe said.

"It was a really privileged look at a society many Americans don’t
get to see," she said.

The trip was an exchange program through the Mennonite Central
Committee designed to deepen religious and cultural understanding
between the East and West.

"We’ve had deep interest in reconciliation work, so when this
opportunity opened up, we leaped at the chance," Kusse-Wolfe said.

Though they are Quakers, not Mennonites, the exchange program is
"open to Christians active in their church and committed to pacifism,"
she added.

Kusse-Wolfe said they embarked on the trip expecting to "make good
friends, do a little traveling and know what it’s like to live in a
Muslim republic."

Wolfe said they also wanted to "get a feel for all the questions we
as North Americans ask about Islam. How do people live out what they
believe? What does the Quran really say about different things?"

Perhaps the ultimate question is, "How do you live in a world with
each other when you have significantly different histories and
tradition?" Wolfe said.

"You have to do it. You have to be sociable and respectful and figure
out how to get along," he added. "Even if some of our beliefs are
different, we have to find ways to respect and love each other."

During the exchange, the couple took classes in English about the
Quran, Islamic mysticism, Iranian culture and the Farsi language. But
the learning didn’t end in the classroom — both were struck by the
warmth and hospitality of the Iranians they met.

Before the trip, "we had people ask us, ‘Aren’t you scared to go
over there?’" Kusse-Wolfe said. "I’m convinced the (Iranian) people
would’ve laid down their lives for us."

"We never heard an unkind word," Wolfe said.

The city of Qom has a "significant number" of English-speaking people,
Kusse-Wolfe said, especially among university students.

"They would almost immediately invite us home to meet their parents
and share a meal," she said. "There’s a saying in Iran that guests
are friends of God. They really understand that."

Iran is "very diverse," with communities of Christians, Jewish people
and Zoroastrians, Wolfe said.

Every other week, the couple took a train to the city of Tehran for
an Armenian Christian church service. The service was in Armenian,
but "someone sitting behind us would make notes in English and pop
them over back of the pew to us so we could know what was going on,"
Kusse-Wolfe said. "It was very kind."

On the train ride, she added, people often would get up and offer
her a seat.

While in Iran, Kusse-Wolfe had to cover her hair and wear a long
cloak. The traditional women’s garment is called a chador.

"There’s still a traditional culture where women are the boss of the
home and men are the boss of the public domain," Wolfe said.

The woman’s role in Iran is "very complex," Kusse-Wolfe said, and
they are proud to have much more freedom than their counterparts in
Saudi Arabia.

"Under the chador, many women have master’s degrees and Ph.D.’s. We
knew female professors and business people," Kusse-Wolfe said.

Visas between the United States and Iran are "extremely difficult to
get," Wolfe said. "We read that only about 300 American visas were
accepted last year in Iran. There’s kind of a tit for tat between
the countries."

The couple had to apply for entrance and exit visas. After their
experiences, Kusse-Wolfe said, "We’re encouraged now and want to
support really aggressive diplomacy."

For those who cannot travel to Iran in person, the couple put together
a PowerPoint presentation from the trip. They spent five weeks in
Kansas and Arkansas sharing what they learned with churches and
civic groups.

Now, they hope to make presentations locally and give people a better
idea of what life in Iran is really like.

"We don’t have positive media images of everyday people in Iran,
and most of them are just marvelous human beings," Kusse-Wolfe said.

Just as many Americans have misperceptions about Iranian people,
television has given rise to many stereotypes about Americans.

In Iran, "satellite dishes are illegal, but a lot of people have them,"
Wolfe said, which gives them access to American shows. "Think what
your perception of Americans would be if your only knowledge came
from movies and sitcoms."

Some people were surprised to find out that the couple — and other
Americans — believe in God, Kusse-Wolfe said. But by living their
faith, they proved the stereotypes wrong.

"As we practiced our faith and shared with them, that opened a lot
of doors. It meant we had integrity," she said.

Muslims consider Jesus an important prophet, and the people they
encountered showed a great respect for the couple’s faith, she added.

Muslims consider Christians and Jews to be "people of the book,"
Wolfe said. "They believe that we all worship the God of Abraham,
and they are all protected and have a place in Iran."

"Islam is a great monotheistic faith, very moral and ethical, with
a deep sense of community and respect," Kusse-Wolfe said. "What
impressed me was their deep practice of their faith in God."

Explaining Christian beliefs to their Muslim hosts was educational
for the couple, as well.

"We’ve learned from having to explain what we believe," Wolfe said.

Kusse-Wolfe added, "My personal faith is certainly deeper, more joyful,
more trusting now."

Before the trip, Wolfe was the chaplain at Memorial Hospital in
Martinsville, and Kusse-Wolfe ministered at First United Methodist
Church.

"We’re significantly different people from having done this," Wolfe
said. "So what does this mean for our ministry? We don’t know yet."

They do know, however, that encouraging peace and understanding begins
at home.

"We could start by loving our Muslim brothers and sisters in our own
towns. That would be a huge step forward for peace and friendship,"
Kusse-Wolfe said. "Even if we disagree, we simply have to advocate
for each other to live in peace."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress