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Canadian Churches Cry NO to Iraq War
Urge PM to Pursue "Genuine" Negotiation
and
Resist Pressures for"A New Invasion"
25 September 2002
(TORONTO) Fifteen prominent church leaders — representing
a broad spectrum of Canadian church denominations — as well
as the ecumenical peace organization Project
Ploughshares and the inter-church justice coalition KAIROS joined
together to send an urgent message to Jean Chrétien today,
imploring the Prime Minister to resist growing "pressure"
in favour of "a new invasion of Iraq."
"This is a time for intense diplomacy and face-to-face negotiations,
not for missiles and high-altitude bombing. This is especially a
time for multilateralism," states a joint letter signed by
Bishop Jacques Berthelet, President of the Canadian Conference of
Catholic Bishops; Archdeacon Jim Boyles, General Secretary of the
Anglican Church of Canada and the Right Rev. Dr. Marion Pardy, Moderator
of the United Church of Canada, along with leaders of fourteen other
churches and church coalitions.
The churches warn against supporting any United Nations resolution
that makes it virtually impossible for Iraq to comply with demands.
Such a UN resolution "would be a mere cover for an invasion
that might be multinational but would still be unjust", states
the letter.
The Canadian church leaders explain that their decision to send
a joint letter to the Prime Minister was prompted by pleas from
colleagues in the Middle East to "speak and act against the
threat of another war".
Canadian churches have a long and close relationship with the
Middle East Council of Churches, which includes churches in Iraq.
Together they have been vocal in denouncing the devastating impact
of eleven years of international sanctions against Iraq, sanctions
they say have not weakened the oppressive grip of the Saddam Hussein
regime but instead hurt ordinary and innocent Iraqi civilians. Canadian
church personnel are also engaged in humanitarian relief efforts
in Iraq.
Acknowledging that many in Iraq "long and pray for a regime
change", the church leaders emphasize it is "all the more
striking" that "voices from that country and region urge
us not to bring about a new regime by means of a violent invasion
from outside".
Instead the church leaders call on Prime Minister Chrétien
to ensure the Canadian government supports a negotiated, peace-building
approach "consistent with international law and taking the
common good of Iraq's people as its starting point".
"We do not understand how a cataclysm can be averted without
genuine negotiation," continue the church leaders. "Furthermore,
negotiations cannot open minds and possibilities if the universe
is divided beforehand into two camps, the good and the evil, with
'our' side being only good. Such an approach, besides running counter
to a Christian sense of sin and grace, reveals an arrogance which
can only deepen anger and hostility."
The church leaders conclude by urging the Prime Minister to press
all countries to comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions
— since "Iraq is not the only country that stands in
violation of them" — and to reconsider onerous compensation
obligations imposed on Iraq after the Gulf War.
"There must be economic hope for Iraqi society, for without
it Iraqis will not recover the energy they will need to rebuild
their country — nor to change their government," counsel
the church leaders. "The world should not repeat the errors
of the settlement imposed on Germany after World War I."
The churches' letter to Prime Minister Chrétien is signed
by:
Church Leaders:
Bishop Jacques Berthelet, C.S.V., President, Canadian Conference
of Catholic Bishops;
Right Rev. Dr. Marion Pardy, Moderator, United Church of Canada;
Archdeacon Jim Boyles, General Secretary, Anglican Church of Canada;
Rev. J. Mark Lewis, Moderator, 128th General Assembly, Presbyterian
Church in Canada;
Rev. Raymond Schultz, National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church
in Canada;
Dan Nighswander, General Secretary, Mennonite Church Canada;
Right Rev. Seraphim, Bishop of Ottawa and Canada, Orthodox Church
in America;
John Calder, Clerk of the Canadian Yearly Meeting, Religious Society
of Friends (Quakers);
Rev. F. Tom Rutherford, Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples
of Christ) in Canada;
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, Armenian Orthodox Church,
Canadian Diocese;
Rev. Dr. Kenneth Bellous, Executive Minister, Baptist Convention
of Ontario & Quebec;
Rev. Messale Engeda, Presiding Priest, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo
Church in the Western Hemisphere;
Very Rev. Anthony Nikolic, Polish National Catholic Church of
Canada;
Rev. Siebrand Wilts, Stated Clerk, Regional Synod of Canada, Reformed
Church in America;
Metropolitan Archbishop Wasyly (Fedak), Primate, Ukrainian Orthodox
Church of Canada;
Ecumenical Organisations:
Dr. Walter Pitman, O.Ont, O.C., Chair, Project Ploughshares;
and
Jane Orion Smith, Chair, KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.
For more information or to arrange interviews, contact:
Dale Hildebrand, KAIROS Middle East Coordinator: 416-463-5312,
ext. 235
Janet Somerville, General Secretary, Canadian Council of Churches:
416-972-9494, ext. 22
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