Common Humanity
Peacemaking through Understanding, Respect and Friendship with the Middle East and the Muslim World
Merry Christmas
from Bethlehem!
In December, 2025, Common Humanity Director Mel Lehman traveled to Bethlehem to deliver Christmas cards from U.S. Christians and to bring back cards from Palestinian Christians in return. Below are several photos of cards being written in Hesston, Kansas, and from the trip and an article about the trip, and a sermon Common Humanity Director Lehman preached about the trip.. If your church in interested in participating in 2026 please contact us at info@ CommonHumanity.org.
Common Humanity Peace Channel
Conversation With Iraqi Artist Shahad Adnan
Join us for an interview with Middle East artist Shadad Adnan who will be discussing her beautiful paintings. She will also tell us about her journey growing up in Iraq and then moving to Egypt and then moving here to the U.S.
Peacemaking with Iran: A Discussion with Doug Hostetter
Doug Hostetter believes peace with Iran is possible. He bases his belief on the extensive conversations he has had with Iranian religious and government officials, the ten webinars he has organized with Iranian universities, and a two-week friendship learning visit he made to Iran.
His career has included 10 years as Mennonite Central Committee Represen-tative at the United Nations. After retiring, he has worked with LUKE 10, an organi-zation devoted to building peace with Iran.
A painting by Shahad Adnan
See the Through the Eyes of Palestinian Artist Ahmed Hmeedat
Join us for an interview with Ahmed Hmeedat as he discussed his work which reflects life in Palestine today. Mr. Hmeedat holds a degree in international law from Al-Quds Bard College in East Jerusalem.
Despite Testing, Christian Palestinians' Faith Remains Strong
As I got off the airport train at the Jerusalem station during Advent 2025 and looked around to find my way, an elderly man with a snowy white beard approached me and politely asked where I was headed.
"Bethlehem," I said.
"Oh," he replied, "you better take a shotgun." Click to continue
Holiday Greetings
from Baghdad!
In December, 2023, Common Humanity
Director Mel Lehman traveled to Baghdad in a peacemaking journey to exchange holiday greetings between Americans and Iraqis. Below is a half-hour video report, an article he wrote, and photos from his trip.
Merry Christmas from Baghdad
As my plane takes off into the darkness from Amman, Jordan, heading east towards Baghdad, I watch the thin string of lights along the desert road below mark punctuation points across the Great Syrian Desert. Around me the plane is nearly full of passengers whom I guess are Iraqi business people and professionals heading home after a long day's work.
I watch the narrow string of lights — at first slowly, and then quickly — multiply into the millions of lights of Baghdad as we begin our descent. I can't help thinking of the American pilots who 20 years ago followed this same string of lights carrying their planeloads of deadly bombs they would then drop on the very same people who are sitting around me now. (More click here.)
A Painting by Ahmed Hmeedat
An Interview with Iraqi Artist Khalid
Alaani 20 Years After the U.S. Invasion
In the two decades after the U.S. invasion of his homeland, Iraqi Artist Khalid Alaani has continued to paint.
A painting by Khalid Alaani.
An Interview with
Palestinian Peacemaker
Jonathan Kuttab
Long-time Palestinian Peacemaker
Jonathan Kuttab describes his vision
for peace and discusses his new book
"Beyond the Two-State Solution."
(Recorded March, 2022)
Reading Rumi Together Dr. Amir Akrami, a Professor in Tehran, Iran, and Rumi scholar and his long-time friend, Ed Martin, who led Mennonite peacemaking efforts for many years with Iran, discuss the poetry of the beloved Persian poet Rumi. Click below.
Merry Christmas from Syria!
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Travel with us to Syria and learn how Common Humanity took 893 Christmas and New Year's cards from Americans to Damascus and Aleppo and brought back cards in return in 2018.
Inside the Mosque is a Shrine to St. John the Baptist who is revered by Christians and Muslims. Click to read article.
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Click here other previous programs including "A Mennonite-Maronite Dialogue in Lebanon," "The Many Faces of Love in Palestinian Poetry," as well as programs on Iran, Vietnam, and Iraqi and Syrian art.