Bill Marx
Messages from Iraq
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20030212 Received 20030212 3:47 AM EST (GMT-5), posted here 20030213 10:15 AM EST. Second photo from Bill to local friends and Dave Robinson of Pax Christi and a prior CPT team (who spoke here in Buffalo recently). Subject: Photos from Iraq
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From: [Bill Marx -- While still in Iraq]
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 7:58 PM
Subject: Photos From Iraq 1
Dear Dave: Greetings from Iraq from Kathy, Cynthia and all the rest of the Peacekeepers here in Baghdad. We are loved and appreciated by the Iraqi people just like you were back in December. Cynthia and I knew you would value the "War Kills The Innocent" picture from our action this morning at the U N headquarters where we and about fifty others gave the U N Inspectors a hearty sendoff. The theme of the Iraqi Peace Team's (IPT) tent site made known to the world by our banner was, "Inspections Yes - Invasion No." This afternoon we visited the Taji power station to post a banner as a warning to the Bush administration that the U.S. will be guilty of international war crimes if it bombs civilian infrastructure targets as it did in 1991. Such bombing during the Gulf War reduced Iraq's electrical output of 9,000 mW by 75%, to its 1920 level. In solidarity with our efforts here, we are encouraging the folks back home who really care about our brothers and sisters, to place "BOMBING THIS SITE IS A WAR CRIME (Geneva Convention Article 54)" at similar locations in their home towns. In addition to telling George Bush that the world is watching, we also want to send a message to our fellow U.S. citizens that peace can still be preserved if they act now. If Americans in sufficient numbers withdraw their consent from the Bush administration; if they speak out for peace, they can help save many thousands of lives--lives of some of the very people we have met while in Baghdad. Peace & love, Bill Marx
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20030212 Received 20030212 3:47 AM EST (GMT-5), posted here 20030213 10:15 AM EST. Second photo from Bill to local friends and Dave Robinson of Pax Christi and a prior CPT team (who spoke here in Buffalo recently). Subject: Photos from Iraq
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From: [Bill Marx -- While still in Iraq]
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 7:59 PM
Subject: Photos From Iraq
Hear is the other photo.
Peac & love to Iraq,
Bill Marx
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20030211 Received 20030211 4:10 AM EST (GMT-5), posted here 20030211 9:40 AM EST. Message from Bill Marx to friends and contacts at sponsoring and supporting organizations who will publicly distribute final versions. Subject: Nine Days in Iraq
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To the Nine Days and the Expected Became the Indescribable By Bill Marx
It’s Sunday and we arrived in the ancient northern city of Mosul after a five and one half hour drive through ever-changing landscape. The openness, then the clutter at widely spaced cross roads where it seemed everyone from nowhere gathered to buy chicken or lamb, or to have their car or truck repaired on the way to or from Baghdad. The shepherds, very young and very old, tended their flocks along side of the road or between the lanes where there was some green for them to munch. The homes ranged from tents to old and broken, to new and beautiful adobe type structures. It seemed strange to have a minder with us to be sure we didn’t go where we shouldn’t and to arrange and obtain approval for the places we did visit. Strange, but not unusual considering that the United States apparently infiltrated the weapons inspectors in the past in order to plant electronic devices at a number of military installations in preparation for the Gulf War. Strange, but now I can empathize with so many in the world who have far less freedom than what I often take for granted. One of the places we visited is probably the reason I felt so strongly that I should come to Iraq. It was the Children’s Hospital of Mosul. I brought several little stuffed Valentine teddy bears for just such an occasion. As aware as I was that Iraqi children under age five have been dyeing at the rate of 5,000 every month which has been happening for years due to the sanctions, I was totally unprepared to come face to face with one of them. The mother of this four year old who stood helplessly at his bed was almost uncontrollably angry at me, a United States citizen, for the fact that the sanctions we insist be left in place, were taking away her only son from her and his five sisters. Could anyone blame her? Will anyone hear her? Does anyone care? There is so much more to tell about my visit to Mosul, but as the world tries to establish reason over might and stop the rush to war with Iraq, I am consumed with the desire to stop us from killing their children with sanctions. These sanctions against the children of Iraq must be lifted. It is a crime against God and humanity to use innocent victims as pawns in the chess game for oil!
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20030211 Received 20030210 5:06 PM EST (GMT-5), posted here 20030211 9:30 AM EST. Received from Claire Evans and forwarded on behalf of the Team that includes Bill Marx. Subject: 2 CPT Iraq delegation releases by Matthew Bailey-Dick
| ----- Original Message ----- From: "Claire Evans" <cpt3@igc.org> To: <cpt3@igc.org> Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 12:20 PM Subject: 2 CPT Iraq delegation releases by Matthew Bailey-Dick [The author, of Waterloo, ON, is part of the Feb. 1-15 Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation to Iraq. Other delegates are: John Barber (Deerfield Beach, FL), Mabel Brunk (Goshen, IN), Lynn Coultas (Havana, FL), Scott Diehl (Burlington, VT), Peggy Gish (Athens, OH), Maureen Jack (Fife, Scotland), Cor Keijzer (Leeuwarden, Netherlands), Cliff Kindy (North Manchester, IN), Scott Kerr (Downers Grove, IL), Lisa Martens (Winnipeg, MB), Bill Marx (Derby, NY), Jane Pritchard (Toronto, ON), Linda Sartor (Santa Rosa, CA), and Betty Scholten (Mt. Ranier, MD).] "Nevertheless" Iraq release by Matthew Bailey-Dick Feb. 7 It seems that war does not have the final word. Such is my impression as our CPT delegation continues to visit people and places in Baghdad. While the brutal realities of violence become painfully evident as we learn about what happened in the last Gulf War and listen to people talk about the current threat of war, the powerful images for me are of people whose very lives seem to say, "Nevertheless! Though the raging war looms closer, nevertheless we will live!" The first "nevertheless" came in the form of a visit with a Dominican priest who told the story of what he did during the last Gulf War. As the bombs began to fall in January 1991, this priest decided that he would stay in the church compound and listen to what God wanted him to do. He discovered that his task would be quite simple: he would make candles. For the duration of the war, he spent his days melting down discarded candle wax and producing new candles that he distributed to families in the surrounding neighbourhood. Since electrical power had been cut off because of the bombing, a candle became a very practical necessity during the nights of bombardment. Nevertheless. Though the bombs were falling, nevertheless the possibility of even a very small light continued. The second experience happened while being driven through the bustling streets of Baghdad. We heard music and discovered that there was a bus directly in front of our car in which a live brass band was playing and children were dancing. Through the back window of the bus, you could see the trumpet player swinging the bell of his horn and several children bobbing up and down with smiles on their faces. As we passed the bus, we saw that it was part of a wedding procession. Nevertheless. Though the future has become uncertain and full of fear, nevertheless this couple's wedding commitment stands as a testimony of tremendous hope. The third experience was of a visit to a music hall in which over two hundred people were gathered to listen to traditional Iraqi "macam" music. The atmosphere in that basement hall was absolutely electric with laughing, smiling, and many warm greetings as people arrived. The music consisted of a fiddle player, flute player, percussionists, and several singers who sang with gusto. Nevertheless. Though much of life is at risk during these days, this musical concert spoke of the determination of traditional Iraqi culture. Threatening words are in great supply these days, as are words that bend and distort the truth of what is going on here in Iraq. Nevertheless, war will not have the last word. At this point I go on a gut feeling that the babbling voices of those who justify war will not prevail over those who honestly name the violence of the economic sanctions and the immorality of any military action. In some deep and unfathomable place inside of me, I know that there is something mysteriously at work here to inspire candle-makers, marriage-makers, and music-makers to stand as witnesses to a future with hope. ******************* "The Taxi Driver" Iraq release by Matthew Bailey-Dick February 9 "My wife's mother called from Detroit last night and she said we should get out of Baghdad." The taxi driver speaks with visible emotion as he tells me about this recent phone call from America. He maneuvers the car expertly through the busy streets, but I can tell that his heart is swirling around somewhere within the menacing news of the day. This is one of the more spontaneous and informal ways that we as CPTers find ourselves being present with Iraqi people. For a taxi driver to speak with me about such things is quite astounding. Here I sit as one who represents America, one who represents precisely those powers that might unleash yet again the nightmare of bombing on this beautiful city. Nonetheless, this taxi driver seems to want to establish a connection with me, so he continues. "We love life. We love life and we are warm-hearted people. All we want is an easy life." His words seem to carry such weight. Am I projecting too much to think that he is saying all of this in bewilderment, not knowing why anyone would be so inhumane as to bomb a place where people just want an easy life? I struggle to know what to say to him, especially when what I would say and what my government might do in my name are so different. Then the question finally comes, "Do you think there will be a war?" This man wants an answer in a way that is hard for me as a North American to understand. While my news of the day often comes in the form of carefully laid-out newspaper articles and sanitized television reports from afar, the news for this taxi driver comes in the form of fear, nervousness, and a possible evacuation of these very streets that provide shelter and a day's work. I can only reply that I do not know what will happen but that I will hope and pray for peace. We reach our destination. As I pull money out of my pocket to pay the fare he turns to me and says, "My name is Riad. Welcome." We shake hands vigorously as I tell him my name. He repeats several more times, "Welcome here. Welcome here." I thank him and tell him that I will return to my home with stories about all the people of Iraq whom I visited. He nods and thanks me, I get out of the taxi, and then he drives away. So how can I come home and tell Riad's story of living with the impending destruction of his home and his people? How can I convey his message about the warm-hearted and life-loving people of Iraq? How can I put into words the emotion I felt in that taxicab, or the emotion I have heard from other people with whom we have talked? Even if I find a way to respectfully bring these stories back to North America, who will listen? They say that the first casualty in war is truth and I understand the idea behind that. However, considering the truths I have heard from Riad and others here in Iraq, I think we can rephrase the statement and say that the first casualty in war comes when we cover our ears. The people of Iraq tell their story but the listening is up to us. In this way, truth does not live or die somewhere way out there on the battlefield - or even in the headquarters of the major media outlets - but in ourselves and in our capacity to embrace the truth. Everywhere I go in Iraq, I am hearing truths about the absolute catastrophe if war would be fought. What are you hearing from your perspective? Claire Evans Personnel and Delegation Coordinator Christian Peacemaker Teams PO Box 6508 Chicago, IL 60680 Tel: 773-277-0253; Fax: 773-277-0291 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. _______________________________________________ bpp-news mailing list - pre-empted for Bill Marx News bpp-news@buffalopeacepeople.org http://www.buffalopeacepeople.org/mailman/listinfo/bpp-news |
20030210 Received 20030210 10:33 AM EST (GMT-5), posted here 20030210 13:45 PM EST. Received from Claire Evans and forwarded on behalf of the Team that includes Bill Marx. Subject: “The Bomb Shelter”, Iraq CPT Delegation Release
[The author, of Waterloo, ON, is part of the Feb. 1-15 Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation to Iraq. Other delegates are: John Barber (Deerfield Beach, FL), Mabel Brunk (Goshen, IN), Lynn Coultas (Havana, FL), Scott Diehl (Burlington, VT), Peggy Gish (Athens, OH), Maureen Jack (Fife, Scotland), Cor Keijzer (Leeuwarden, Netherlands), Cliff Kindy (North Manchester, IN), Scott Kerr (Downers Grove, IL), Lisa Martens (Winnipeg, MB), Bill Marx (Derby, NY), Jane Pritchard (Toronto, ON), Linda Sartor (Santa Rosa, CA), and Betty Scholten (Mt. Ranier, MD).] "The Bomb Shelter" Iraq release by Matthew Bailey-Dick February 5, 2003 Twisted lengths of reinforcement rod seem to be bent like pipe cleaners. The hole in the two-meter thick concrete ceiling looks like punctured tissue paper. Blackened outlines of human figures on the wall remain as final documentation of the lives that were forever lost. Our CPT delegation is standing inside the bomb shelter in which over 400 Iraqi people were bombed to death during the last Gulf War. On the night of February 13, 1991 a U.S. fighter pilot dropped two bombs on the Amariya bomb shelter in Baghdad. From the sheer power of the initial detonation, fourteen survivors were knocked out through the doors which were blasted open, but 408 others who had taken shelter - mostly women and children - were torn apart and incinerated by the explosion. The oldest victim was an 80-year old grandfather, the youngest a baby that had been born four hours earlier. From the mouths of U.S. military personnel, this atrocity became re-cast as another regrettable instance of "collateral damage". As our CPT delegation group stands inside this place, I find myself feeling raw inside. As the guide explains what happened in the bomb shelter that night, I feel like I am back in Chiapas (Mexico) listening to the explanation about how 45 unarmed Christian pacifists were massacred by paramilitary forces. I feel like I am back at Stoney Point (Ontario, Canada) listening to the explanation about how a First Nations man was shot to death by provincial police for participating in an action to assert native treaty rights. The loss of human life cannot be measured one against the other, and yet I feel like I am hearing another wretched version of the same story of violence. Enemies are fabricated, hostilities are encouraged, people are dehumanized, easy justifications are made, and yet again we have a situation in which the horrors of violence become accepted as necessary for "national security" or "the greater good." Today this punctured bomb shelter speaks about the huge loss of life that happened 12 years ago, but it also speaks about the tragedies to come if the U.S. and its allies choose to go to war. Our guide told us that because of what happened at this shelter, most everyone in Baghdad will be scared to enter bomb shelters if war breaks out. How many people then will be killed in their homes as the bombs drop? How can we imagine what life must be like for the millions of people in Iraq who live with the threat of bombardment every day now? As with many sites throughout the world where people have been killed, the Amariya shelter now features a large memorial that tells the story of the massacre and stands as a reminder that such violence should never happen again. Our delegation group left the Amariya shelter feeling deeply emotional because of what we saw and heard. I wonder what George Bush would feel if he were to visit Baghdad today and take the tour through this bomb shelter? I wonder what Tony Blair would feel if he were to visit the homes of Iraqi people and hear their stories about the effects of the war and economic sanctions? I wonder what would happen if citizens would hold their governments accountable not just because of physical memorials like this, but because of their own inner realizations about the insanity of violence? Claire Evans Personnel and Delegation Coordinator Christian Peacemaker Teams PO Box 6508 Chicago, IL 60680 Tel: 773-277-0253; Fax: 773-277-0291 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. |
20030210 Received 20030210 10:32 AM EST (GMT-5), posted 20030210 13:40 PM EST. Received from Claire Evans and forwarded on behalf of the Team that includes Bill Marx. Subject: Iraq Peace Team Response to Colin Powell Speech
| Note: The Christian Peacemaker Team
delegation now in Baghdad is part of the Iraq Peace Team. A Response By the Iraq Peace Team To the Presentation before the United Nations Security Council By U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell On February 5, 2003 Last night U. S. Secretary of State Colin Powell provided to the United Nations Security Council the Bush administration's most detailed argument to date to justify a war on Iraq. We believe both from what Mr. Powell said, as well as from what he did not say, that the U.S. case falls far short of the legitimate justification for war embodied in international law and in the United Nations Charter. Mr. Powell stated that his presentation had two purposes: to support the assessments of the UN weapons inspection team and to provide new information about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction and involvement in terrorism. Regarding the first purpose, we are glad to see that the U.S. says that it will support the UN weapons inspection team. According to Mr. Powell, "We are providing all relevant information we can to the inspection teams for them to do their work." This is a welcome change. Only one week ago head of the inspection team, Dr. Hans Blix, had to publicly request that the United States share information with him. It is not at all clear why the U.S. has hampered the work of the team by withholding information until now. Nevertheless we applaud this change and hope the U.S. will follow through with the promised support. The "new information" that Mr. Powell presented at some length turns out to be not all that new and relies to a large degree on hearsay, interpretation and innuendo. We are skeptical of the information Mr. Powell uses to justify war for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the number of times the U.S. government has deliberately manipulated information in the past to convince the American people and the world community to support its military adventures. The Gulf of Tonkin incident that led the U.S. Congress to authorize an unlimited expansion of the war in Vietnam turned out to be contrived and misreported. Before the beginning of the 1991 Gulf War, in order to justify not making further diplomatic efforts to avoid war, the U.S. claimed it had evidence that Iraqi troops were converging at the southern border for an invasion of Saudi Arabia. Later it turned out this was a fabrication. Mr. Powell's own remarks in this presentation do not give us confidence that he is committed to being entirely straight forward. For example, Mr. Powell claims that "Saddam Hussein forced out the last inspectors in 1998". He is surely aware that this is not quite true. UN weapons inspectors were ordered out of Iraq by the chief of the weapons inspection team, Richard Butler, just days before the Desert Fox bombing began in December 1998. Iraq did not let the inspectors back in when it became known that the inspectors were providing intelligence information to the U.S. and Israel and that some of the information may have been used for targeting in the bombing campaign. Mr. Powell studiously avoided calling for "war", but repeatedly called on the UN Security Council to do "our duty", to fulfill our "responsibility to the citizens", and to enact the "serious consequences" called for in Resolution 1441. He reminded the Council members that they were well aware of "what serious consequences meant if Iraq did not comply" with the resolution. By leaving the words war, bombardment, and invasion unstated Mr. Powell avoided reminding the Council about the reality of the course of action he is promoting. He seemed to prefer that we not recognize that the "serious consequences" he has in mind may involve the death of over a million Iraqi civilians, primarily those who are most vulnerable - children, the elderly, and people who are sick or pregnant. He would encourage us to see this as a chess game between military strategists - not the tragic, widespread destruction of Iraqi people that his strategy would be. In the end Mr. Powell would have us presume that if Iraq is in material breach of Resolution 1441, that is a sufficient justification for war. It is not. The United Nations charter is very specific about the conditions that need to be present before war can be justified. Written at a time when the world community better remembered the real consequences of war, Article 39 of the Charter says that the UN Security Council can take action only after it has determined a "threat to peace, breach of peace, or act of aggression". Article 42 allows for armed force only when all non-military "have proved to be inadequate" to restore or maintain peace. The UN Charter supercedes any Security Council resolution in the same way that the U.S. Constitution is above any law passed by Congress. It is clear that Iraq has not made a breach of peace or act of aggression. That is why Mr. Powell devotes his entire presentation to allege that Iraq is a "threat to peace". Yet Iraq has not threatened anyone. Even if all of Mr. Powell's assertions were true, even if he could demonstrate that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, Mr. Powell would still need to show that Iraq intended to use those weapons in an illegal and aggressive manner. There is no evidence whatsoever that Iraq has that intention. Even the head of the U.S. CIA concludes that the only time Iraq would be motivated to use weapons of mass destruction or to provide them to terrorists would be if Iraq were invaded. The U.S. government seems determined to create the very conditions that will promote what they say they are trying to avoid. Many countries have weapons of mass destruction. Israel, for example, has over 200 nuclear warheads and the missile technology to bomb other countries (including Iraq). Israel is in defiance of numerous UN resolutions and is guilty of massive human rights violations. Yet the U.S. seems to be unconcerned about this. So why does the U.S. promote the destruction of Iraq? This blatant double-standard of U.S. policy fuels national and religious animosities and undermines the prospect of peace in the region. We must conclude that Secretary Powell has failed to make his case. There is no evidence that Iraq intends to use whatever weapons it may possess in an unlawful or aggressive way. Iraq is not an imminent threat. The inspection process has not failed and is not concluded. An invasion of Iraq will produce massive civilian casualties. We hope the Security Council will uphold the UN Charter. Further we call on all people to oppose this unjustified, illegal, immoral, and counterproductive war. Issued by Iraq Peace Team in Baghdad, Feb. 6, 2003 Claire Evans Personnel and Delegation Coordinator Christian Peacemaker Teams PO Box 6508 Chicago, IL 60680 Tel: 773-277-0253; Fax: 773-277-0291 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. |
20030208 Received 20030208 3:32 AM EST (GMT-5), posted 20030208 10:40 AM EST. Message from Bill Marx to friends and contacts at sponsoring and supporting organizations who will publicly distribute final versions.
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Johnny: Please feel free to edit, etc. the following: All is well here. I’m overwhelmed by all there is to assimilate but will continue to try and put it into words as requested.
I’m also including the “First Day In Baghdad” story I sent on Wednesday since I’m not sure how well the other path to you works. Peace & love to all, Bill
First Day In Baghdad By Bill Marx
Just over twelve hours in Baghdad, Iraq, and my eyes, ears and heart have experienced more than anyone could anticipate. I want to go home, not because I’m tired, homesick, missing the comforts of the Western world or any other such selfish reasons. I want to go home so I can share overpowering feelings with everyone, in every available way and to be able to look into their eyes and say, “listen, listen, listen, time may have run out but until a bomb drops or the U.S. Military places foot or shell on Iraqi’s sovereign soil, we must do ALL in our power to stop the war. And, we must do it now or live with our neglect to advocate the gospel of nonviolence to everyone we can reach, in every way available to us.” As I write this, I wonder how do I reach our Bishop and the priests of the Diocese from here. How do I contact Senators Clinton and Schumer, and Representative Quinn, all of whom ignored the fact that I was going to Iraq, but more importantly, ignored the fundamentals of democracy when they abdicated their Constitutional responsibility to be the ones to determine if and/or when we go to war, when they voted for the President’s War Resolution last October. How do I make them aware that the women and children of Iraq are not our enemy and have already inhumanely suffered too much for people loved by God to allow. I believe that God called me to be here at this time and now believe that God is calling you to carry the message of peace to everyone you possibly, not conveniently, not comfortably, but possibly can. You may ask why I write this way. You may question my assumptions. But, please don’t question the need for all good people to come to the aid of those in need, now! The people of Iraq have little hope left. They have suffered a war with Iran which we encouraged, the reaction by the West for their war with Kuwait over the oil Kuwait was steeling by “angle drilling”, and twelve years of U.S. encouraged UN sanctions which among other human rights violations, is resulting in the deaths of 5,000 children under the age of five every month. They have been treated so badly by so many for so long that they have come to believe that their only hope is Saddam Hussein. One example of the reality is what happened on February 13, 1991 at 4:00 AM. The United States of America, under the guise of disabling a military communications center, tested the effectiveness of a smart bomb that penetrated the 2 meter thick, steel reinforced concrete roof of the Ameriyah shelter containing 400 children, women and elderly men seeking safety from our aerial attacks on their President. After opening an enormous hole in the roof, a second bomb was sent through the hole to incinerate the building’s contents. As I observed the blackened walls with the imprint of human bodies upon them and gazed through the twisted steel in the hole over my head, I was transported back fifty years to when I stood inside the remains of the building at ground zero in Hiroshima, Japan, where the first atomic bomb had been dropped a few years before. I couldn’t help relating the second bomb into the shelter/communications center to the bomb exploded over Nagasaki. I am appalled by man’s inhumanity to man and asked forgiveness for my allowing my government to do such things in my name. You see, by not insisting that the gospel of nonviolence be observed, I too, abdicated my Constitutional responsibility to act as an empowered citizen. That was before I had the “plank” removed from my eye last March when I joined Pax Christi USA and began to learn about justice and peace. To be continued . . .
Prepared by: Bill Marx, part of a 15 member Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Baghdad, Iraq. February 5, 2003
Six Days in the Middle East By Bill Marx
It’s Friday, February 7, 2003, 6:30 AM in Baghdad, Iraq. The east coast of America has yet to tune in the February 6th 11 o’clock news or come to the end of the sixth day since I left for Iraq. At the Buffalo International Airport that afternoon, there were many friends and family; banners, signs and cameras, both personal and media and gifts of medicine and chewable vitamins for me to take to the children of Iraq. I couldn’t risk having to leave those precious gifts of love at the Jordanian-Iraqi boarder because of the inhumane sections that have been in place for the last twelve years. Thanks to the Mennonite Central Committee in Amman, Jordan, I am assured those gifts will reach there intended destination, the children of Iraq. The children of Baghdad are unbelievable. They have lost family and friends from the results of our irresponsible acts to destroy the infrastructure of their homeland during the Gulf “war.” Their water is not pure, their sewage treatment inadequate, their food allowance lacks proper nutrition, the cancer rate has quadrupled and their country is helplessly waiting for us to “finish the job”, according to President Bush’s remark, that the Columbian astronaut from Israel began twelve years ago. Yet, their faces are the image of a loving God. As Father Yousif Thomas Mirkis, O.P., pastor of Al Fikr Al Masihi Catholic church, drove us back to our hotel after our most cordial, informative and revealing visit with him, we were engulfed on the streets of Baghdad by mini-buses loaded with dancing, smiling, laughing, happy children enjoying the music and excitement of a wedding celebration in progress. Life goes on in Baghdad in spite of the impending doom. Streets are under normal repair, buildings are being built or refurbished and shopkeepers are selling their wares. Taxis, cars, busses and trucks are beeping their horns like they all are in a post wedding procession, or as though they were a part of the growing number back home, supportive of our peace demonstrations as they drive by with their beeps of approval. But the faces are different from the children’s. Many have lost the hope they displayed to the “peacekeepers” before us. They know that time is running out and that our country is determined to once again demonstrate our military superiority over the defenseless, fellow human beings in Iraq. There are no visible signs of any preparations to defend themselves. How can they defend themselves? They are not even planning to use the thirty-four remaining bomb shelters in Baghdad this time around. “Why Iraq,” I ask myself. Is it because it is one of the weakest nations in the Middle East? Or could it be that they contain such a large percentage of the world’s known oil reserve? It really can’t be that they might have weapons of mass destruction (WMD) like us and several more powerful nations in their region, some of whom, unlike Iraq, could also be a nuclear threat. Do we have more weapons to test like we did on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, or in the Gulf War on the Ameriyah shelter? Even if it is probably not any of these, who appointed us judge and jury, who gave us the right to decide if the people of Iraq live or die? Since 9/11, we have been told that the elimination of terrorism is our number one priority and we will get Osama bin Laden. Afghanistan is a mess and polluted with depleted uranium from our bombs, we are still searching out the Taliban and the Administration finds itself in need of a victory . . . any victory . . . anywhere. With all our military and economic resources, we may defeat Saddam Hussein, but will we or the world be any more secure? Maybe, just maybe the hundreds of trained and ready terrorist throughout the world, with the WMD smuggled out of Iraq when war begins, will avenge their Arab brothers in ways against which we have very little if any defenses. Just maybe. Should we take that risk, or look for ways to peace? As Fr. Yousif asked in our meeting, “Give us time to establish our democracy.” If we are a nation under God, a nation that believes in liberty and justice for all, how can we ignore the teachings and example of Jesus Christ? Did he not tell the men ready to stone a prostitute to death, “Let him among you who is without fault throw the first stone”? Are we without fault? And, didn’t his father tell us through Moses, “Thou shalt not kill”? Former President Jimmy Carter, commenting as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize said, “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.” War against Iraq has been opposed by Pope John Paul II, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops, the United States and United Kingdom Council of Churches, the Middle East and European Council of Churches, most people of our world and a few governments. To whom should we listen?
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