Christian Peacemaker Teams report from
Iraq[1-27-03]
Witherspoon member Alyssa Burgin has shared with us some
informative e-mails from Charlie Jackson, a delegate in a Christian
Peacemaker Team currently in Baghdad, Iraq.
His first letter, dated
January 14, 2003, reports on his recovery from a motor vehicle accident (a
Firestone tire blowout!) which killed one of the team members. His note
includes a glimpse of the Iraqi people as he gets acquainted with them.
His second note, dated January
18, includes more reflections on the cost of war for the Iraqi people.
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative of the
historic peace churches (Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Quakers)
with support and membership from a range of Catholic and Protestant
denominations. Their website
provides much more information on their activities and the people
involved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 14, 2003
Dear Friends,
Greetings again from Iraq! While I've only
been gone for a couple of weeks it seems like eons since I've had a chance
to visit and communicate with you. I am looking forward to returning
sometime around the 27th if plane arrangements and doctor permission works
out.
I was injured on in a wreck on January 6 in
which one of our team, George Weber of Ontario, was killed. George, a former
history professor, was a wonderful and kind gentleman and we all miss him. I
suffered some spinal injury and some other cuts and bruises from which I am
recovering but was in the hospital for 5 days. The wreck occurred as we were
traveling back to Baghdad from Basrah in the South of Iraq. While traveling
at highway speeds our tire (a Firestone wouldn't you know) blew out and
despite the driver's skill the car spun out of control down an embankment
and overturned several times. Another of our team, Michelle Naar 46 of
Duluth, MN suffered a broken nose but we were fortunate that there weren't
more injuries.
The trip to Iraq has been a great
eye-opener. This is/was a very modern country that has been steadily in
decline due to lack of money and certain resources that resulted from
ongoing embargo (sanctions). Baghdad has a very cosmopolitan feel to it and
doesn't seem to be a place where war could erupt. I have traveled alone
through streets at night and day and haven't felt any danger …… much less so
than in parts of the U.S. The people here are very friendly and like meeting
Americans although the are surprised that there are any here. The families
and children that we've met have been gracious about letting us into their
homes to share meals and conversations. I also need to commend the medical
personnel since I have been a direct recipient of their ongoing care.
I hope that you all are doing what you in
the U.S. to keep a war from happening. The entire idea of subjecting these
people to another war is not only evil but laughable. There appears to be
nothing here to fight over except the oil fields and the residents would
rather join the nations of the world and return to the normalcy that they
remember during the early 1980's than anything else. If war does come many
people, guilty only of having been born in this country instead of
elsewhere, will die. The younger children here have never experienced war -
only the effects of the sanctions - and there is no reason to create another
generation of fear. Help to get your friends out around the country on the
18th and come up with some creative CD where possible. We plan to have an
MLK vigil on Jan. 15 down by the Tigris River and a bigger demonstration on
the 18th to coincide with those in DC, San Francisco, San Antonio and
elsewhere.
...
I look forward to seeing you all again soon
and treasure your thoughts and prayers while I remain,
Peaceably yours in Baghdad,
Charlie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Charlie Jackson, CPT
delegate in Baghdad
01-18-2003
It's January 18, a big day that all have
been working towards in the U.S. We've spent the last couple of days trying
to get permission to have an action in solidarity with the demonstrations in
D.C., San Francisco, San Antonio, and elsewhere. We had hoped to stand in a
busy square with our "War is Not the Answer" t-shirts and give leaflets out
to passing Iraqis. However, we weren't able to get permission in time for
such an action so are planning a "Demonstration Watch" at the Al-Dar Hotel
where we have invited folks from other hotels to come and watch live
coverage of the D.C. event and share Iraqi "pizza".
There are only 12 members of our group here
this week, both Iraq Peace Team and Christian Peacemaker Team, but we are
expecting 16 more to arrive early next week. We have also been joined by a
few of the academics who stayed on from the Academic Peace Conference at
Baghdad University. We spent much of our day on "process" to gauge where
people are regarding their feelings and outstanding issues and to begin
planning for the arrival of the larger group.
This has been a wonderful week to get to
know more individual Iraqis and their families. I spent yesterday, Sunday,
going to the Mosque in a regular holy day worship. I will put that
experience in another email. I am sending a separate email with a photo of
Omar the shoeshine boy who waits outside of the Al-Fanar each day to shine
shoes. He's a really lively youngster.
I am still recovering from my injuries. I
am wearing a back brace but get tired after about an hour of sitting,
otherwise I would have sent more emails. I am trying not to take the pain
medication and to get plenty of rest so that I can return sometime towards
the end of next week. More to follow now that I am able to get out of bed
and get some work done.
"Baghdad Charlie"