Dialogue, Justice and Peace

24 March 2009

H.E. Dr Seyed Mohammad Khatami

Our interdependent world creates both new opportunities and new challenges.  The gravest danger today is insecurity, which has taken on global proportions.  In order to deal with the threat of this insecurity, it is imperative for the world community to engage in constructive dialogue, but this must be based on two foundations:  a deep comprehension of civilisations, religions and cultures; and justice. Indeed, in our insecure world, full of extremism and conflict, only serious dialogue, mutual understanding and justice can generate peace and prosperity.

This lecture was hosted by Professor Lawrence Cram, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President of The Australian National University and Professor Amin Saikal, Director of ANU Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies.

The lecture was followed by Former Prime Minister of Australia, The Right Honourable Malcolm Fraser AC CH, giving the vote of thanks and launching Professor Amin Saikal's book The Rise and Fall of the Shah: Iran from Autocracy to Religious Rule. The book has a new introduction and preface by Professor Saikal, in which he reflects on what has happened in Iran since the fall of the Shah and relates Iran's past to its political present and future.

The lecture was presented by the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies (the Middle East and Central Asia), ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences. 

Broad Topics: Arts and Social Sciences

Sub-topics: Law, Justice & Law Enforcement, Policy & Political Science, Society & Culture

Areas: ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences

His Excellency Dr Seyed Mohammad Khatami was the fifth president of the Islamic Republic of Iran.  Previously Minister of Culture, he was elected to the presidency in a landslide election in 1997 and was re-elected in 2001. President Khatami advanced a reform agenda in Iran and a new era of engagement in foreign affairs. A scholar of Western as well as Islamic philosophy, he advocated dialogue to counter the ‘clash of civilisations' thesis and encouraged the United Nations to proclaim 2001 as ‘the Year of Dialogue Among Civilisations'.  He is the author of numerous books and articles on philosophy and modern Islamic thought.

Photo by Julie Macklin, 2009