U.S.A. Churches delegation concludes visit to Iraq; American threats illegal and unchristian
Iraq-USA, Politics, 1/4/2003

The delegation representing the American Churches delegation has called in a statement issued upon leaving Baghdad yesterday in conclusion of a humanitarian mission lasting four days, the US President George Bush not to launch war against Iraq.

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.

"Ours is a religious and not a political delegation," emphasized Bob Edgar at a closing news conference. "We came as humanitarian inspectors, not weapons inspectors." The group's four-day itinerary included visits to schools, hospitals, churches, mosques and humanitarian aid agencies.

The statement of the delegation which is composed of 13 members of the National Council for Churches led by Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches (U.S.A.) and a United Methodist minister, stressed the need of alleviating the international sanctions imposed on Iraq because of its destructive impact on the Iraqi civilians.

The delegation included other clergy and lay leaders from the United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), The Episcopal Church and Unitarian Universalist Association along with an Iraq expert from Georgetown University.

The statement said that the delegation will ask the American government to make amendments on the oil for food program so as Iraq to meet the humanitarian, educational and medical needs for its people.

"We came to meet with our counterparts in churches and mosques, visit with international aid and UN workers to learn more about the humanitarian situation in Iraq," Edgar said. "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."

While in Iraq, the group went to four houses of worship, including Syrian Orthodox and Chaldean Catholic churches and a mosque. Group members attended a New Year's Eve Mass at a Catholic Church and potluck dinner at a Presbyterian church -- "a potluck that would be intimately familiar to American Christians," Edgar commented.

Group members visited two hospitals, the Red Crescent Society, UNICEF and a school, and visited holy sites and traditional Babylon. "On the street and in informal settings," they said, "we experienced the spontaneous warmth, hospitality and openness of the Iraqi people."

Delegation members brought along dozens of pictures drawn by American children to share with Iraqi children who, in turn, gave the group messages to take back to children in the United States.

"We visited schools and hospitals and saw for ourselves the devastating impact of 12 years of sanctions on the people of Iraq," Edgar said. "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."

The group also met with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and asked "pointed questions" about 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," the group said.

Edgar had stated in a press conference in Baghdad on Thursday that what is called the "Preventive war" Washington wants to launch on Iraq is illegal and immoral and deeply violates all divine books.

The National Council of Churches received the support of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in its mission to Iraq. They said according to the NCC: "No nation shall lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

WCC added: Please accept these words of Isaiah as the World Council of Churches' strong and wholehearted support for the NCCCUSA's courageous inititative to send a high level US church delegation to Iraq during the Christmas break.

WCC added: The World Council of Churches (WCC) remains extremely concerned with the continued calls for military action against Iraq. The World Council of Churches' Central Committee, meeting in September this year, urged the international community to uphold the international rule of law, to resist pressures to join in preemptive military strikes against a sovereign state under the pretext of the "war on terrorism," and to strengthen their commitment to obtain respect for United Nations Security Council resolutions on Iraq by non-military means.

WCC added: The WCC deplores the fact that the most powerful nations of this world continue to regard war as an acceptable instrument of foreign policy, in violation of both the United Nations Charter and Christian teachings.

A list of participants follows.

Bob Edgar, General Secretary, National Council of Churches (U.S.A.) and a United Methodist minister; New York City; Huw Anwyl, Minister, United Church of Christ, Laguna Niguel, Calif.; Rev. Ray Buchanan, President, Stop Hunger Now and United Methodist Minister, Raleigh, N.C.; Rev. John Buehrens, minister former president, the Unitarian Universalist Association, Needham, Mass. Rev. Buehrens also is a special assistant to the secretary general of the World Conference on Religion and Peace.

Also, the Rev. Robert Evans, Executive Director, Plowshares Institute, Presbyterian Pastor, Simsbury, Conn.; Robin Hoecker, Legislative Assistant, Unitarian Universalist Association, Washington, D.C.; Victor Makari, General Assembly staff, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Louisville, Ky. Don Mosley, co-founder of Jubilee Partners, Comer, Ga.; Ms. Virginia (Ginger) Paul, Episcopal Church, Executive Committee, Shreveport, La.; Dr. Samer Shehata, Assistant Professor of Arab Politics, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Also, Bishop Melvin Talbert, Ecumenical Officer, The United Methodist Church, Brentwood, Tenn.; JamesWinkler, General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church, Washington, D.C.

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