Statements In Response to the War on Iraq WAR ON IRAQ A Statement by Sojourners March 20, 2003 -- The U.S. war on Iraq is a failure of political and moral imagination. Sojourners continues to believe that war is not the answer to the threat posed by Saddam Hussein.  Our political leaders did not exhaust all diplomatic options.  The efforts by U.S. church leaders to provide an alternative to war fell on deaf ears.  The tens of millions of people in a new global peace movement were ignored.  The world community as represented in the U.N. Security Council was disregarded. As Christians, our first response to the beginning of war is to pray.  We pray for the safety of all people in harm's way--civilians, servicemen and women from all countries, and especially the children of Iraq now living in bomb shelters.  We pray that the leaders of the U.S., U.K., and Iraq will even now find a way to peace. We pray for the peacemakers of the world. We encourage Christians and other people of faith to respond pastorally - to open sanctuaries or other locations as places for prayer services, to lead or participate in local candlelight vigils. We encourage all people to protest the start of war by publically dissenting and disassociating themselves from the Bush administration's doctrine of pre-emptive attack. We support those who are called to participate in actions of conscientious objection, nonviolent civil disobedience, tax resistance, or other nonviolent acts of refusing consent to this war. We encourage and support every effort to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Iraq.  In particular, we urge support for All Our Children, an alliance of relief organizations providing critical health care to vulnerable Iraqi children.  (www.allourchildren.org) We continue to urge the administration to clarify its plans for creating a democratic Iraq, to implement the "Roadmap to Peace" in the Middle East, and to sustain international cooperation in the campaign against terrorism. Sojourners' work continues. Join us as we watch, pray, and act for peace.   The Intercommunity Center for Justice and Peace in New York City (ICJP) urges U.S. Government to cease military action against Iraq. Contact:  Sister Arlene Flaherty, OP  212-475-6677 March 20, 2003 -- The Intercommunity Center for Justice and Peace, a coalition of more than 40 Roman Catholic Congregations of men and women religious with ten thousand members, denounces the commencement of the war with Iraq and calls for an immediate cessation of US military action against Iraq. In a statement today, Executive Director of ICJP, Sister Arlene Flaherty says, “The failure of the United States to cooperate fully with the United Nations diplomatic and weapons inspections process establishes a dangerous precedent that undermines international law and global peace.  Twelve years of sanctions and embargo have caused in Iraq, a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions.  War will only escalate the suffering and death of innocents, the great majority of whom are women and children.”  As people of faith, we affirm and echo the words of Pope John Paul II, “ War is always a defeat for humanity,” as we call upon our national leaders to halt the progress of this military action and reestablish diplomatic efforts at the United Nations. As members of the global community, we  reaffirm our commitment to uphold human rights as we call upon the global family to continue building the global network of peace by participating in local, national and international peace efforts. As members of the human family, we pledge our prayers for the safety of the men and women of the coalition forces, as well as the safety of all those who are voluntary and involuntary participants in this war. As members of the earth community, we denounce the toxicity of warfare to our environment, limiting its capacity to sustain healthy life systems. As citizens of the United States, we urge our elected officials to employ every measure possible to bring about a ceasefire and a return to non-violent means to bring about peace with Iraq.  The Intercommunity Center for Justice and Peace located in Greenwich Village, NYC, is coalition of forty-two Roman Catholic Congregations of men and women religious.  Through  education and advocacy efforts, ICJP fosters the integration of faith and justice in all areas of life while effecting changes in societal structures toward the realization of a more human, just and peaceful society.   LET NOT THE FLAME OF PEACE BE EXTINGUISHED (Statement of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines) March 20, 2003 -- The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) raises its strong condemnation of the United States’ attack on Iraq.  It is nothing but a show of arrogance and a senseless disregard for human life.  We reiterate our position that this US-led war of aggression has no moral justification. It goes against the grain of the Christian tenet of justice and the right of sovereign nations to chart their future. In a very patronizing and self-righteous manner, the American government has ignored what the peoples of the world have clearly expressed: a forceful NO to acts of unilateral aggression in order to control and an even more forceful YES to peace based on justice. The US has unmasked its real intention in this war and, therefore, has isolated itself from nations and peoples who love and work for freedom. Its utter disregard for internationally accepted norms of operation belies its claim that it is engaged in peace keeping in order to restore democracy. In the self-same spirit, we denounce the way in which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has not withdrawn support to the Bush administration despite the outpouring of anti-war sentiments of the Filipinos. We appeal to her reason to avoid using her emergency powers in an already chaotic emergency situation in the country. We call on our lawmakers not to use this war as a pretext for legislating bills that will further violate the democratic rights of the citizens. At a time such as this, our people must be vigilant against anyone who would take advantage of this situation to sow more fear and disorder. We raise our supplications to the God of peace and justice for the Iraqi people and the overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East in this very troubled times. We pray that all Filipinos will continue to work for peace in Iraq, in the Philippines and in the whole world. Rev. Dr. Domingo J. Diel, Jr. Chairperson Ms. Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes General Secretary   U.S. Church Leaders Issue Statement on Iraq War Churches for Middle East Peace, 202-543-4150; jim@cmep.org (WASHINGTON, March 20, 2003)  On behalf of Churches for Middle East Peace, the following statement was issued by Fr. Stan DeBoe, chair, and Corinne Whitlatch, director.  The full text follows: Churches for Middle East Peace deeply regrets the decision by the United States and other nations to begin military action against Iraq. We are concerned about the injury and loss of life of U.S. personnel who have been deployed to the region and of the Iraqi people who once again suffer the devastating effects of war. In the midst of these horrific events, our prayers are with our brothers and sisters in the Middle East.  Mindful of God’s will for peace and justice on earth, we pledge our efforts to work actively for peace and to urge the U.S. government to: bring hostilities to a swift end, take measures to protect civilians and non-combatants, abide by the Geneva Conventions and international law in the conduct of war and     in its aftermath, support efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis that will result from the war, support multilateral measures under the leadership of the United Nations to rebuild Iraq and protect the Iraqi people, bolster regional arms control measures following the war, and provide concrete and immediate leadership to the process of establishing a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. We pray that the leaders of our nation and the nations of the world will have compassion and wisdom.  We join the members of our churches in praying for the safety of United States servicemen and women and for the safety of the people of Iraq.  We call upon members of our churches to act in a manner consistent with their faith and conscience to foster peace in the Middle East. As a people of faith, we believe that God calls us to paths of peace rooted in mercy and justice.  In the midst of conflict, violence, and death, we will not stray from that path. Instead, we recommit ourselves to God’s vision of peace and will strive to build a world of greater understanding, compassion and care, until we can live without the threat of war and all people can live in peace.   Jewish, Christian and Muslim Leaders Pray for All Victims of the War, Express Concerns Over Possible Consequences, and Renew A Call for Active U.S. Efforts for Peace in the Middle East. Now that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has begun, we are concerned for U.S. and British service personnel and for the Iraqi people who already have suffered so much.  We pray for the shortest war and fewest casualties possible. Once the war is over, we renew our call for urgent U.S-led efforts for peace between Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab states. We share the concern cautiously expressed by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Anan that "with some more perseverance, this crisis might have been resolved peacefully;" and we also agree with him that, despite strong divisions of opinion, now is the time for people and nations to unite in mobilizing humanitarian relief to help "shield Iraqi civilians from the grim consequences of war." We are concerned that this war not permanently undermine the Security Council’s role and not set precedent for preemptive war in the future. Eliminating Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction is a step toward a Middle East zone free of such weapons, in the context of comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. We are concerned that many consequences of this war are unpredictable.  We fear that possible negative effects might include undermining global cooperation essential to preventing terrorism, increased anti-Americanism, especially in Arab and Muslim countries, possible new terrorist attacks on the U.S., and greater government assaults on civil liberties here at home. We are concerned that reconstruction and democratization of Iraqi society, to which the U.S. is rightly committed, will present complex and daunting challenges. While the Bush Administration did not get U.N. endorsement for going to war, we believe it is essential that future Iraqi reconstruction and democratization be developed with broad involvement of the international community. We are concerned that abandonment of active efforts for Middle East peaceduring the last two years has compounded the suffering and loss of hope among Israelis and Palestinians.  The Committee has consistently advocated that peace between Israel, the Palestinians and Arab states should be the highest priority of U.S. Middle East policy.  We believe it is imperative as quickly as possible as the war in Iraq ends that the United States, working with the EEU, Russia and the U.N. Secretary General, press ahead with the Quartet’s Roadmap for peace in the Middle East.