Another successful semester of the U.N. Pathways Lecture Series concluded December 3 as approximately 150 people gathered at the College at Florham’s Mansion to listen to Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Javad Zarif discuss politics in the Persian Gulf and relations between Islam and the West.

Zarif, the permanent representative of Iran to the United Nations, described a range of problems in the Persian Gulf, which he said have created “a region in turmoil, a region that has fallen behind in the path of modernization.” Among the problems he described were the absence of democratic institutions, regional rivalries, extremism, the superimposition of outside rivalries and mutually reinforcing phobias among those who see the West as the enemy and among those in the West who see “people of the region as terrorists and extremists.”

Left photo: Ambassador Mohammad Javad Zarif Center photo: Zarif speaks with Faramarz Fatemi, director, history/political/international studies (Metro). Right photo: Zarif with College at Florham students Brian Overman and Brandi Carnivale. Carnivale is the president and Overman is the treasurer of the United Nations of Fairleigh Dickinson University student club.

Of the extremist faction in the Middle East, Zarif said it’s a “serious and endemic problem” that is the “product of decades of humiliation” along with “the lack of institutions for peaceful expressions of dissent.” But Zarif added that extremism poses an even greater threat domestically than it does to other countries.

Zarif said, “we need to arrest the widening gap between Islam and the West.” The first step toward that, he said, is the need to solve the problem of Iraq. Toward that end, he suggested that while the United States should not yet leave, the United Nations should take the “driver’s seat” in determining Iraq’s political future. Zarif said the U.S. is seen not as a liberator but as an occupying force and that the situation was providing fertile ground for recruiting new terrorists. “We are happy Saddam Hussein is no longer in power but not happy with the method by which it was achieved.”

The next part of the solution, he said, is “to reverse the trend of misunderstanding. We need to learn from one another.” To help increase understanding, Zarif said the media and educational institutions must play a key role.

He added that those in the gulf must also achieve internal reforms, but such progress must come from within. He said, “Democracy cannot be imposed at gunpoint. It should be a local indigenous process.”

A lively question-and-answer session saw audience members, including several students, ask the ambassador about Iran’s nuclear capabilities and its inclusion in President George Bush’s “Axis of Evil” reference. Zarif said Iran’s nuclear program is designed exclusively for civilian purposes and that the country is complying with the United Nations monitoring program. As for its being labeled part of the Axis of Evil, Zarif said Iran was “outraged. We had provided lots of help in getting rid of the Taliban and that’s the reward we received.” When questioned about future dialogue with the United States, Zarif said, “We are always prepared for serious dialogue, but we don’t find it necessary to accept a dialogue, that would be dehumanizing toward us.”

Among the many students who attended the most recent U.N. lecture was Brian Overman, treasurer of the U.N. FDU Club, who said, “It’s great to get a first-hand perspective of things that are going on around the world. It’s one thing to learn it in a book, but another thing to hear from a real actor in the international arena.”

Overman was one of several students, faculty and staff who joined the ambassador for dinner after the lecture.

President J. Michael Adams concluded the program by describing such events as “part of the landscape” of educational opportunities designed to further Fairleigh Dickinson’s goal of creating global citizens. “Only through such interaction can we learn to look at the world through the eyes of others.”

Following his lecture, Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Javad Zarif, left, shares a light moment with President J. Michael Adams, second from left; Rick Isquith, second from right, executive director for global partnerships (Metro/Flor); and Ahmad Kamal, right, president of The Ambassador’s Club at the United Nations.

Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations since 2002, Zarif is a career diplomat who has served in several senior positions in the Iranian Foreign Ministry and at various international organizations. He previously was Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs. His lecture was filmed by C-SPAN.

Zarif was the latest among several prominent dignitaries who visited the University this semester. Others included President Guido de Marco of Malta, who spoke on “The New Europe: A Study in Enlargement”; Undersecretary General and Special Adviser on Africa H.E. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, who discussed “African Challenges at the Turn of the 21st Century”; Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, who talked about “The Situation in the Gulf”; and John Dauth, permanent representative of Australia, who lectured on “Australia in the World Today.”

In addition, three videoconferences originating at the United Nations were viewed in the ITV rooms on both campuses: “Global Health Issues,” “Women’s Rights Issues” and “The Future of the United Nations and the Secretariat.” FDU invited Rider University, Lawrenceville, N.J.; Lock Haven (Pa.) University; and Roger Williams University, Bristol, R.I.; to join in the dialogue with the U.N. guests.

The United Nations Pathways Lecture Series is presented in conjunction with The Ambassador’s Club at the United Nations. Director of Global Initiatives Dalila Suhonjic has worked closely with Ahmad Kamal, president of The Ambassador’s Club to schedule these events. For information on upcoming lectures, visit http://www.globaleducation.edu, call 201-692-7362 or e-mail suhonjic@fdu.edu.

December 2003/
January 2004

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Flor =
College at Florham, Madison, N.J.

Metro =
Metropolitan Campus, Teaneck, N.J.

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