Code Pink Activists Blaze the Trail for Obama's 'No Preconditions'

By Linda Milazzo, AlterNet. Posted November 23, 2008.

Today from Iran where these peace makers traveled, I received this informal message from Evans who was clearly captivated by her day. Consider that this message is from a woman who's been to over 80 countries; to every continent on the globe; who served in the cabinet of the Governor of the largest state in the union; who ran two Presidential campaigns; and who sits on more boards than any person I know. This is the exhilaration she felt after her day as a citizen diplomat, modeling communication, understanding and compassion. You know -- just being an American intent on keeping peace:

We are just back from a fantastic day. Memories of our first days in Iraq almost 6 years ago strike us as we walk the streets, enter buildings and Medea and I share a tiny room with twin beds. But no call to prayer at 4 in the morning outside our window like there was in Iraq. I came down from the bedroom this morning for breakfast and we were swept away and now just returning at 10pm. It began when Rostam Pourzal arrived to ask what we wanted from our trip. Immediately he was on the phone with friends. Habib Ahmadzadeh soon arrived -- a filmmaker who tells the story of war.

 Habib told us we take too literally the words, "Death to America" or "Death to Israel." They're meant to describe the policies of the US government or the Israeli government which seem very much like apartheid in South Africa. He said that the majority of Iranians are anti-war. He repeated what I've heard so often from Iranians: "We aren't warlike. We don't invade people. We only defend ourselves."

 Habib talked about his mother's heartache for the American soldiers who died in Iraq. She lost a son in the war and can feel the grief of those mothers. We asked him about President-elect Obama and he responded: "He is a walnut inside a shell and unknown. Hopefully history has taught us how little an individual can do. We need to learn how to rely on ourselves."

 Medea asked Habib about Afghanistan, and told him that Dobson [James Dobson, Focus On The Family] said Iran was funding the Taliban. Both Habib and Rostam laughed and said, "Taliban worse enemy of Iran… " We went to his offices and watched a powerful film, The Night Bus, about the cost of war on everyone, It takes place during the Iran/Iraq war. I was in tears almost throughout. It unflinchingly exposes the costs of war to heart, mind, spirit and soul … nothing heroic or beautiful about war. He says there is a movement in Iran to turn weapons into pens, or ways to communicate. That is why he makes films…

 He was in the military for many years and suffers from wounds of chemical weapons until today, so he also works with a group against the use of chemical weapons and the support of those who are suffering from their effects. What a big hearted wise man. In his attempts to show us his films there were technical difficulties and he laughed that Americans thought Iranians could have nuclear weapons. They can't even get high speed internet or get video equipment that works.

  At 7pm we were off to a beautifully manicured park, full of women and college age students with a caf called The House Of The Artists. The caf was rich with conversation and everyone looked as if they were a poet or an artist. A nuclear engineer came over to find out who we were, exclaiming that he was educated at Cal State LA. I asked him how close they were to a bomb. He laughed. Said it would be a very long time.

 

 

Soon our table was full of amazing women. Women who work for peace. Most were about our age, had grown children, and had suffered in some way for being outspoken - but were still fearless. Their faces were full of joy and life and the conversation was at a pitch for hours. We began to work on our project of asking Iranians what they would like to tell new President Obama. The filmmaker Rakhashan Bani-Etemad sat in the garden with Medea for about 15 minutes of filming with the camera in the hands of Habib. The generosity of everyone is overwhelming, their time, their stories, their passion ... we can't even pay for a meal.

 

See more stories tagged with: iran, peace, ahmadinejad, codepink, medea benjamin, jodie evans

Linda Milazzo is a Los Angeles based writer, educator and activist. Since 1974, she has divided her time between the entertainment industry, government organizations & community development projects, and educational programs.

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