War
Is Still Not the Answer
March
20, 2003
War is still not
the answer to Saddam Hussein, terrorism, or the proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction. Yet now the bombs are falling,
and the U.S.-led military invasion of Iraq will begin soon.
As members of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), we are called to witness
to God's love for every human being; to respect the human dignity
of each person; to promote equality and justice; to oppose violence
and war; and to work for a peaceful world. We call upon the
President and Congress to halt this inhumane, unjust, unnecessary,
provocative war.
We pray for the
peoples of Iraq, now suffering from both Saddam Hussein's oppressive
rule and the unjustified U.S.-led military attack. We pray for
the men and women in the U.S. armed forces, needlessly sent
into harm's way and for their families. We pray that our government
leaders will come to recognize the arrogance of power that is
reflected in their policies and actions and that they will seek
instead peaceful alternatives to war based on international
cooperation and law. We pray for President Bush and Saddam Hussein,
that their hearts may be turned from war to peacemaking. We
pray that our country will recognize its historic complicity
in creating the circumstances we now face.
Over the past year,
increasing millions of people across this country have labored
with Congress and the Administration to prevent this war and
to promote peaceful alternatives. Strong majorities of like-minded
citizens and governments around the world united in this call
for peace with justice.
Yet, the voices
of the people have been ignored. Instead, we have watched in
anguish as our government squandered the international good
will for the U.S. that followed the attacks of September 11,
2001. We have seen the rhetoric of "security" used to justify
the erosion of civil liberties and human rights and the rejection
of the United Nations and international law. We have watched
as federal budget priorities were shifted further away from
addressing unmet human needs toward building global military
dominance and pursuing an ever-expanding "war on terror."
By launching a preemptive
war against Iraq, the U.S. government is needlessly putting
at risk the lives of U.S. military personnel and the Iraqi people,
spreading the seeds of hatred, and increasing the chance that
violence will spread far beyond the bounds of the current conflict.
The community of nations is being torn apart. International
law, the UN Charter, and the principles of cooperation for peace
and security are being undermined. The proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction is accelerating in North Korea and elsewhere
in the fear that, following the war in Iraq, the U.S. will attack
other countries or that others will follow the U.S. example
by launching preemptive wars of their own to resolve historic
disputes.
True security arises
not from the exertion of military power and control, but from
respect for international law and the lifting up of our common
hopes, aspirations, and humanity. We join with all those who
seek to build a society that respects the dignity of each person,
resolves conflicts peacefully, promotes freedom, justice, and
democracy, and preserves the natural environment. We call upon
the President, Congress, Friends and all people of good will
to help end this war now, to heal the deep wounds from this
conflict, to prevent further bloodshed, and to build a world
in which all people may enjoy true security, free of war and
the threat of war.
Reviewed: 8/22/05
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