CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM DEMAND: LET OUR PEOPLES LIVE!

[Ian David]

From: Arthur Waskow <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: Arthur Waskow <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 18:38:17 -0400

Subject: CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM DEMAND: LET OUR PEOPLES LIVE!


THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM DEMAND:
LET OUR PEOPLES LIVE!


Dear Friends,

Like you, I woke up this morning to horrifying news from the Middle East. Still more broken boundaries and borders, more shattered lives, the potential for the burning of yet more of what our different peoples hold as Holy.

What to do, what to do? --- We have some suggestions. If you click down, you will see them. Please act on them! But first ---

First, how to feel: The news stories echo like a vinyl record stuck on a scratch in history, repeating, repeating, rep----

Soldiers killed and captured. Invasions ­ in both directions ­ across borders. In each place, one invasion small; the other, huge. Airports bombed. Harbors closed. Children killed. Whole civilian populations endangered. In one place, a key power plant destroyed. In another , a whole coast blockaded.

All between the children of Abraham, our intertwined though distinctive families.

And not just recent history. In the Jewish sacred calendar, today ­ the 17th day of the month of Tammuz ­- commemorates the day 2592 years ago when the Babylonian imperial army broke through the walls of Jerusalem. Three weeks later, that army burned the Temple. So today, traditionally, is a day for fasting from sunrise to sunset.

Three weeks. I feel as if we have three weeks to change the story, to prevent these fires from lighting others even worse -- Syria, Iran, the whole region, worsening even the deadly fires of Iraq. Three weeks to get these armies to catch their breath and go back home.

And not just back to how it was. With the walls between us gone, can we see God in each others¹ faces? Can we take this terrifying moment to move forward to a real peace? The letter below proposes exactly that.

THIS IS WHAT WE SUGGEST:

You will find below a letter, and two phone/ email addresses ­ for the US Secretary of State, and the UN Secretary-General. . You can snip and paste the letter into your own Email, modify it as you like, and send it to them. Or you could call and say your piece. You could also add or substitute other addressees ­ the Israeli, Palestinian, and Lebanese Ambassadors (see below the letter), your local or communal newspaper, your Senator, etc.

The two we are especially suggesting follow. Please be sure to include the person's name in the text so that it will actually be sent on.

Hon. Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State, Call [phone]; E-mail to: http://contact-us.state.gov

Hon. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, through Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, 212-963-7160 or Fax [phone], or Email at [e-mail]

IN ADDITION, WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING YOUR SUPPORT TOGETHER INTO A PETITION THAT WE CAN MAKE PUBLIC.

Together we will have additional influence besides what we can have separately.

So we ask you also to click to our "donate now" button at --

http://www.shalomctr.org

and fill it out, marking "Emergency" in the space called "On behalf of"

Please aim for at least $50 if you can, or more if possible. We will need your donation to publicize the petition, and will use it solely for that.




*******************************************
UNDER THE GAZE OF GOD & HISTORY



Dear Madame Secretary of State:
Dear Mr. Secretary-General:

My heart is broken for the dead and the maimed, and for their families, of all our Abrahamic peoples who have suffered anew in the past few weeks.

I fear that the terrible events of last week, last night, this week, may set even worse fires -- possibly war that extends into Syria, Iran, possibly a regional conflagration even beyond the terrible toll of death in Iraq.

I think it is morally unacceptable, religiously forbidden, and historically self-destructive for any government or political group to resort to acts of revenge or to such collective punishments as endangering food, fuel, and electricity supplies.

All troops and irregular forces must be brought safely home into their own territories, and must halt all attacks upon their neighbors.

Captives ­ new and old -- who have not been convicted of serious crimes should as an act of compassion be returned safely home.

I think the parties now consumed by violence are too caught in their own fear and anger to take these steps on their own. So I urge the US government to act vigorously to support these steps.


And I urge the United Nations to convene an Emergency Conference for Middle East Peace with the aim both of peacefully resolving the present crisis and moving swiftly toward the conclusion of peace among a secure Israel, an independent and viable State of Palestine, and all the other states of the region. .

I especially ask you to be conscious that you are acting under the gaze of God and history. I pray that the One Who makes peace in the ultimate reaches of the universe will teach us NOW to make peace among all the children of Abraham, and all who dwell upon our planet.
Shalom, salaam, peace!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Remember, you can revise the letter if you wish.
Three other addressees:
Ambassador of Israel, Daniel Ayalon, % Public Affairs Office, [e-mail]
Ambassador of Lebanon, Dr. Farid Abboud, [e-mail]
Permanent Observer, Mission of Palestine to the UN, Ambassador Dr. Riyad Mansour: [e-mail]

The letter or phone call will be faster. The petition will add strength. PLEASE DO BOTH.

[everythingsxen]

1. Unfortunately my friend..

War is the goal of the US and war they shall have.

The UN is, sadly, little more than a group of squabbling children. There is nothing they can do. This is the beginning I predict, of what will someday be known as WW3. (Although the start date could truly be listed as 9-11-01)

[jody]

2. Descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's eldest son, are included but some might

forget that point.

[Ian David]

3. I have to remember that things could be worse....

I could be a Moderator.

[catnhatnh]

4. Children of Abraham....My Aching Ass....

It confers a validity to 2000 years of strife....Under the same aegis, as an Irishman I could with equal validity kill the wives and children of anyone with an English surname.....Or any Englishman my own....I do NOT buy ancient bloodlust as a "cause" or "reason"...The last generations feuds would easily fuel this generations vendettas enough.Instead we must condemn each-and most particularly the political leaders that see ANY civilian death as merely regrettable rather than a crime. I now hate my own government and hold it to the same level of disdain I used to reserve for petty despots and theocracy....show me a hand of power in the entire middle east not tainted with blood and I will revise my thoughts-till then a pox on all the houses of power.Suppose just once, an Arab with a dead child and an Israeli with a dead child were to reach an agreement-that those who utilized such power must be removed-then each decided to turn his wrath to his own politicians???I'll stop before agent Mike stops by.....


Disclaimer:No real conspiracies or harm to power seeking souless functionaries is suggested here.

[Ian David]

5. I think it's meant to be a UNIFYING message n/t

[Violet_Crumble]

6. I definatley read it that way...

Thanks for posting it, Ian...