Saturday, December 03, 2005
Jeremy Scahill sends along the following:
Four members of Christian Peacemaker Teams were taken this past
Saturday, November 26, in Baghdad, Iraq. They are not spies, nor do
they work in the service of any government. They are people who have
dedicated their lives to fighting against war and have clearly and
publicly opposed the invasion and occupation of Iraq. They are people
of faith, but they are not missionaries. They have deep respect for
the Islamic faith and for the right of Iraqis to self-determination.
C.P.T. first came to Iraq in October 2002 to oppose the US invasion,
and it has remained in the country throughout the occupation in
solidarity with the Iraqi people. The group has been invaluable in
alerting the world to many of the horrors facing Iraqis detained in
US-run prisons and detention centers. C.P.T. was among the first to
document the torture occurring at the Abu Ghraib prison, long before
the story broke in the mainstream press. Its members have spent
countless hours interviewing Iraqis about abuse and torture suffered
at the hands of US forces and have disseminated this information
internationally.
Each of the four C.P.T. members being held in Iraq has dedicated his
life to resisting the darkness and misery of war and occupation.
Convinced that it is not enough to oppose the war from the safety of
their homes, they made the difficult decision to go to Iraq, knowing
that the climate of mistrust created by foreign occupation meant that
they could be mistaken for spies or missionaries. They went there with
a simple purpose: to bear witness to injustice and to embody a
different kind of relationship between cultures and faiths. Members of
C.P.T. willingly undertook the risks of living among Iraqis, in a
common neighborhood outside of the infamous Green Zone. They sought no
protection from weapons or armed guards, trusting in, and benefiting
from, the goodwill of the Iraqi people. Acts of kindness and
hospitality from Iraqis were innumerable and ensured the C.P.T.
members' safety and wellbeing. We believe that spirit will prevail in
the current situation.
We appeal to those holding these activists to release them unharmed so
that they may continue their vital work as witnesses and peacemakers.
Signed,**
Arundhati Roy, author, The God of Small Things
Tariq Ali, author, Bush in Babylon
Denis Halliday, former U.N. Assistant Secretary General and Head of
the U.N. Humanitarian Program in Iraq (1997-1998)
Cindy Sheehan, mother of Casey Sheehan
Noam Chomsky, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Haifa Zangana, Iraqi novelist
Kamil Mahdi, Iraqi economist and anti-occupation activist. Lecturer,
University of Exeter
Mahmood Mamdani, "Herbert Lehman Professor of Government," Columbia University
Rashid Khalidi, "Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies," Middle East
Institute, Columbia University
Cindy and Craig Corrie, parents of Rachel Corrie, killed by Israeli military
Hasan Abu Nimah, Permanent Representative of Jordan at the United
Nations (1995-2000)
Ralph Nader, former independent presidential candidate
James Abourezk, former US Senator
Howard Zinn, historian
Naseer Aruri, Professor (Emeritus) University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Kathy Kelly, Voices for Creative Nonviolence/Nobel Peace Prize Nominee
Naomi Klein, author/journalist
Michael Ratner, President, Center for Constitutional Rights
Rev. Daniel Berrigan, poet
Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou, National Coordinator, Clergy and Laity
Concerned about Iraq
Jeremy Scahill, independent journalist
Mazin Qumsiyeh, author, Sharing the Land Of Canaan, board member US
Campaign to End the Occupation
Milan Rai, author, War Plan Iraq: Ten Reasons Against War on Iraq
Sam Husseini, writer
Dahr Jamail, independent journalist
Ali Abunimah, Co-founder, Electronic Iraq
Leslie Cagan, National Coordinator, United for Peace and Justice
Eve Ensler, author
Jennifer Harbury, Director, Stop Torture Permanently Campaign
Omar Diop, Président de la Coalition Sénégalaise des Défenseurs des
Droits humains
Anthony Arnove, author, Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal
Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange
G. Simon Harak, War Resisters League
Michael Albert, ZNet
Dave McReynolds, former Chair, War Resisters International
Bishop Gabino Zavala, President, Pax Christi USA
To add your name to this statement and to see the full list of initial
signers: http://www.freethecpt.org
http://www.antiwar.com/blog/more.php?id=2536_0_1_0_M
posted by Somebody @ 1:04 PM Permanent Link
 
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