Sister of a 9/11 victim is visiting
Iraq with other members of September 11th Families for Peaceful
Tomorrows
[1-7-03]
Scholar and
author Diana Eck has passed along a press
release from Terry Rockefeller, who is a producer in public
television, having worked earlier for the
Pluralism Project.
September 11th
family members to visit Iraq
People-to-People
delegation will highlight the human face of war
CARY, NORTH
CAROLINA. Bolstered by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assertion that
"wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows,"
family members of September 11 victims will travel to Iraq from January
5-14, 2003, to make public their conviction that war will not bring
peaceful tomorrows to that nation, to the Middle East region, or to the
United States. The four-member delegation represents September 11
Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, an advocacy group seeking effective,
non-violent alternatives to war and terrorism.
Recognizing that
innocent civilians are often the ones most deeply affected by military
action, the family members will bear witness to the conditions of Iraqi
civilians while also acknowledging the price American civilians will
pay. Increasing anti-U.S. sentiment, the possibility of future terrorist
attacks, injury and death to U.S. military personnel and the harsh
economic consequences of spending billions on military intervention are
all deemed likely consequences of this war.
"It has
struck me how many people in this country were so very moved by the New
York Times' 'Portraits of Grief,'" said Peaceful Tomorrows'
Colleen Kelly, who lost her brother, Bill Kelly, Jr., at the World Trade
Center on September 11. "We all got to see the faces and learn
about the lives of those lost on September 11th. I'm going to Iraq for
this very same reason. I want to see the faces of the Iraqi people. I
want to learn about their lives. I want to understand that Iraq is not
just one man, Saddam Hussein, but many, many people, with hopes and
dreams and families, just like my brother."
While in Iraq, the
delegation plans to visit service and humanitarian aid projects,
including hospitals and clinics, schools and orphanages, and water
treatment facilities. They will also talk to civilians, share their
stories of losing loved ones on September 11, 2001, and explain why they
united to turn their grief into action for peace.
Upon
returning to the United States on January 14, the group will commemorate
Rev. King's birthday by speaking out as widely as possible about the
need to avoid war in order to spare additional innocent families, be
they Iraqi civilians or the families of U.S. military personnel, the
suffering experienced by September 11 families.
"Dr. King
recognized the connections between war and poverty, between war and the
diminishing of human rights," said Terry Kay Rockefeller, who lost
her sister, Laura Rockefeller, at the World Trade Center. "We hope
our search for non-violent alternatives to war in Iraq will help to
build trust within the global community so that it becomes possible to
truly end terrorism and war, in all of their manifestations."
Kristina Olsen,
who lost her sister, Laurie Neira, on Flight 11, said, "I am
traveling to Iraq as a witness for peace. I feel a deep sense of moral
responsibility, both as a citizen of the global community, and as a
person who lost a loved one on September 11, to promote the message of
peace - by bearing witness to the suffering of innocent people, as well
as by working toward creating an opening for constructive, non-violent
approaches to dealing with conflict in our world. This I feel is the
most meaningful way I can honor the memory of my sister."
"My hope is
that all people will come to realize that loss of more human life will
not solve the problems of the world," added Kathleen Tinley, who
lost her uncle, Michael Tinley, at the World Trade Center.
September 11
Families for Peaceful Tomorrows was launched on February 14, 2002, and
today includes 50 family members directly affected by September 11, as
well as 2,000 supporters. Its mission is to seek effective nonviolent
solutions to terrorism, and to acknowledge the shared experience of
September 11 families with all people similarly affected by violence
throughout the world. By conscientiously exploring peaceful options in
their search for justice, the group's members choose to spare additional
innocent families the suffering that they have already experienced, as
well as to break the endless cycle of violence and retaliation
engendered by war. In doing so, they hope to create a safer world for
themselves and for their children.
For more information: www.peacefultomorrows.org.
Contacts:
East Coast, David Potorti
919-608-7322, 919-466-9355
david@peacefultomorrows.org
West Coast, Kelly
Campbell
415-518-1991
kelly@peacefultomorrows.org
| Diana Eck
is Professor of Comparative
Religion and Indian Studies, Harvard University.
The
Pluralism Project is a program designed to encourage
dialogue among diverse faiths and cultures. |
