NCC-led religious leaders report
on mission to Iraq
[1-4-03]
A delegation of 13 US religious leaders, under
the aegis of the National Council of Churches, returned from a mission
to Iraq on January 3, after witnessing the 20-year legacy of suffering
of Iraqi civilians -- especially children -- and burdened with the
knowledge that war would further deepen that suffering.
Terming
preemptive war immoral, illegal and theologically illegitimate, the
group contends that a war against Iraq would result in widespread
suffering and death for innocent people and would make the U.S. less
secure, not more secure.
Click
here for the full news story on their visit.
Here
is the statement the group issued on their return:
Press
Statement
Sowing the Seeds of Peace
January
3, 2002
New York, New York
Dr.
Bob Edgar, General Secretary, National Council of Churches (U.S.A.)
We
are a delegation of 13 religious leaders and experts visiting Iraq under
the auspices of the National Council of Churches (U.S.A.). Ours is a
religious and not a political delegation. We came to see the faces of
the Iraqi people so that the American people can see the faces of
children laughing and singing and also hurting and suffering. We brought
with us dozens of pictures drawn by American children. We shared these
pictures with Iraqi children who, in turn, gave us messages to take back
to children in the United States.
We
are called by God to be peacemakers. War is not inevitable and can be
averted, even at this moment. President Bush reiterated, on New Year's
Eve, his desire to reach a peaceful conclusion to this crisis and we are
grateful for his words.
We
came as humanitarian inspectors, not weapons inspectors. We visited
schools and hospitals and saw for ourselves the devastating impact of 12
years of sanctions on the people of Iraq. We touched babies suffering
illnesses that can be prevented by proper medication currently
unavailable to the people of Iraq. We held the cold hands of children in
unheated schools with broken windows and underpaid teachers, nurses, and
doctors.
UNICEF
officials shared heartbreaking statistics of malnutrition, disease, and
hunger with us. We are concerned by the increasing reliance of Iraqi
people on the food basket provided through the 'oil for food' program, a
program not intended to be the primary source of nutrition or a balanced
diet. We intend to advocate to our government for changes in the 'oil
for food' program that will allow for humanitarian, educational, and
medical needs to be better met. We understand the cruelty embedded in
the 'oil for food program' as it affects ordinary Iraqis.
We
worshiped with Iraqi Christians and in the presence of Muslims; and, we
prayed with both. This is the birthplace of Abraham, the father of
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We acknowledged and celebrated our
oneness in God. We attended a New Year's Eve Mass at a Catholic Church
and a potluck dinner at a Presbyterian Church-a potluck that would be
intimately familiar to American Christians. On the street and in
informal settings we experienced the spontaneous warmth, hospitality and
openness of the Iraqi people. We feel privileged and honored by these
human relationships
We
asked pointed questions of Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz regarding
the human rights situation in Iraq, the opportunities for dissent and
criticism of the government, and choices made by the government with the
resources available to it. We want to be clear with the American people
and the Iraqi government that we do not support authoritarian
governments.
We
came with 'what?' questions-'what's going on?' 'what can we discover?'
but we were met with 'why?' questions-'why us?' 'why now?' We have
concluded that we are opposed to this war because:
