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A letter from the Western Massachusetts
Interfaith Coalition for Peace
and Justice
Dear President Bush,
We are people of many faiths, drawn together by our deep concern
for the
safety, justice, and peace of people of the world. We believe
that
violence is morally and spiritually wrong and are committed
to
nonviolent solutions to global injustice and conflict.
We are writing you to go on record and add our voices to the
growing number of people who are strongly and unequivocally
opposed to the threatened U.S.-led war on Iraq. Our coalition
is made up of over 300 people living in Western Massachusetts
from a large number of churches, synagogues, mosques, and
other spiritual communities. Many of us are in dialogue with
countless others in our respective spiritual communities who
share our concerns about waging war on Iraq.
Our religious
traditions and our own experiences have taught us that war
increases the cycle of hatred, claims innocent lives, and
distracts us from the work of ending poverty and injustice
at home and abroad. In the case of Iraq, the Iraqi people
have endured tremendous suffering over the past 12 years,
and U.S.-led sanctions have contributed greatly to that suffering.
We clearly understand that Saddam Hussein shares responsibility
for the oppressive conditions in Iraq. However, all our religious
teachings guide us to an understanding that it is immoral
to perpetuate this suffering. If, as you say, the liberation
of the Iraqi people is the goal, there is a moral imperative
for our country to do so in a way that does not inflict more
violence against these people.
We are also deeply troubled
by the precedent set by a preemptive
military strike against a country which has not attacked us,
and
according to many reputable sources, does not pose an imminent
threat.
We know that you value the security of the American people
as much as we
do; therefore we urge you to consider that true security will
only be
possible when the U.S. deeply considers the implications of
its choices
- past, present, and future - on the people of the world.
America's religious opposition to war cuts across party lines.
Republicans and Democrats and Independents of many faith denominations
are looking to you for peaceful negotiations. The American
people who
uphold faith and justice do not accept, nor do we want you,
as our
leader, to propose preemptive force and destruction as an
answer to
world conflict.
Know that we will not bless this war and that we work tirelessly
to end
it, should it start. Deeply aware of our shared humanity and
spiritual
unity with all peoples, and in accordance with the democratic
values of
our country, our actions are dedicated to building a culture
of peace,
eradicating poverty, guarding human rights, and working under
international law. We call upon you to do the same.
Respectfully,
The Western Massachusetts Interfaith Coalition for Peace and
Justice
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