Murder in the National Cathedral

Iranian ex-president Mohammed Khatami is coming to the US on a two-week private visit that includes a possible reconciliation meeting with Jimmy Carter and speaking invitations at Harvard and the National Cathedral. Is this trip by the supposed reformer the harbinger of some kind of reconciliation between the US and Iran? Maybe we should ask Richard Armitage – he seems to be on the inside of everything these days. or better yet, why don’t we do a little research and find out where Mr. Khatami has been lately?

Well, turns out he’s been to Kyoto for an ecumenical event called the 2006 World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP). Sounds promising, doesn’t it? But wait… what was the great representative of Iranian reform doing at the conference when the Israeli chief rabbi was speaking? That’s a little more troublesome. According to Israel National News…

When the chief rabbi began speaking at the closing ceremony, held on Tuesday, the Iranian delegation, led by former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, stormed out of the hall. In his remarks, Rabbi Metzger expressed his disappointment that he could not talk with some religious leaders because he was Jewish.

Not to worry, Reb Metzger. Mr. Khatami is a reformer. We all know that. After all, he’s been invited to an ecumenical event at our National Cathedral by Rev. Canon John L. Peterson, director of the National Cathedral’s Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation. Kofi Annan helped arrange it.