Aired this weekend, PBS' NOW focused on the 13-member team from the NCC which met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, top officials in the government, and several of the ayatollahs who have a powerful influence on government policy. "When political leaders mess up, religious leaders ought to be here to go and build up the people, build up relationships, and bring the conversation up the high moral ground," said one of the U.S. delegates, Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, who represented Episcopalians, Methodists, Evangelicals and dozens of other denominations.

The Associate General Secretary for Interfaith Relations, National Council of Churches USA, Rev. Dr. Premawardhana has received criticism from Rabbi James Rudin of the American Jewish Committee, who called the visit "An Exercise in Spineless Christian Diplomacy."

On his blog, Premawardhana recently responded:

"Ahamdinejad told us he is not building nuclear weapons because Iran is an Islamic country and Islamic Scripture forbids them. Ayatollah Ali Khamanei has issued a fatwa against such weapons. On the other hand, as a signatory to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), he said, Iran has every right to develop nuclear energy.

Rudin, rather than seize the slight ray of light that is in that statement, would disregard that comment and continue as if Iran is building nuclear weapons. And to what end? Would he encourage President Bush to attack Iran? Would he encourage Israel, which unlike Iran is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to use its nuclear weapons against Iran?"

If you have a few minutes, the video, available here from PBS, is worth watching just to see the kids trying out their English on a Mennonite delegate, and then half-heartedly chanting "Down with USA" while smiling.