wfn.org | Asian Lutheran Churches Urge Pre-empt US-Led War in Iraq

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

Asian Lutheran Churches Urge LWF to Use 'All Avenues' to Pre-empt
US-Led War in Iraq
Participants in Asia Pre-Assembly Say Region's Stability is at
Stake

MEDAN, Indonesia/GENEVA, 11 March 2003 (LWI) - The Lutheran World
Federation (LWF) member churches in Asia have urged the LWF and
its member churches to use all avenues and methods to avert a war
in Iraq "for the sake of justice and global peace."

In a statement issued at the end of the March 2-6 Asia Church
Leadership Conference (ACLC) jointly held with the Asian
Pre-assembly Consultation (PAC), representatives of the LWF member
churches in the region said they were "deeply concerned about the
possible war against Iraq." They condemned any military strike or
aggression against the country, stressing that its future and the
region's stability was at stake in the event of a United
States-led war.

"We reject the use of war and violence as a political tool and
affirm the essential role of the United Nations in the process of
solving problems and restoring peace. Any military action [against
Iraq] outside the established UN framework will further weaken
global peace and encourage the law of the jungle," said the
delegates drawn from 15 countries.

War can never be seen as an instrument of peace, the LWF delegates
from Asia stressed, and affirmed their stance "against violence
and against countries who seek to use their power over the small,
powerless and vulnerable countries." Pleading for dialogue instead
of a military option, the church representatives from Asia
condemned all forms of terrorism including extremists who seek to
provoke "a clash of civilizations," and noted that violence only
"begets more violence."

They pointed out that the humanitarian consequences of war - the
killing and maiming of innocent people, food shortages and the
related consequences, will only lead to more deaths in Iraq and
other parts of the world. "The manufacturing of millions of
refugees," the Asia church leaders said, stands in direct
contradiction of the image of God in all people.

The Asian PAC/ACLC participants criticized some world leaders who
have repeatedly set up frameworks whereby the rest of the world is
either for or against them, "thereby appropriating for themselves
a certain world order, legitimized only by themselves and their
allies." They condemned a "just war theory" as a means to destroy
weapons of mass destruction and wipe out international terrorism,
saying such an approach will sap the world, particularly the poor
countries, of much needed resources.

The representatives of LWF member churches in Asia said the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a serious case of concern for the
Lutheran communion in the region. They cited the killing of
innocent people and atrocities committed by the Israeli military
against the Palestinian community, and called for the
implementation of a just peace as prescribed in the UN resolutions
242, 342 and 1397. They called for an end to Israel's occupation
of Palestinian territories; a two-state solution respecting that
Palestinians and Israelis live side by side peacefully, "with
justice, equality and reconciliation"; the sharing of Jerusalem
between both peoples with respect accorded to the three
monotheistic religions - Christianity, Islam and Judaism; just
resolution of the plight of refugees and a solution to the illegal
settlements on Arab land.

They encouraged the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (ELCJ) -
serving in Israel, Jordan and Palestine - to work with other
churches in the search for justice and reconciliation. The
3,000-member ELCJ, was represented at the regional meeting by
Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan. It joined the LWF in 1974.

The Asian PAC and Church Leadership Conference brought together
some 120 representatives of the 46 LWF member churches in the
region. Gathered around the LWF Tenth Assembly theme, "For the
Healing of the World," they shared in Bible study presentations,
group discussions, sub-regional meetings, worship and the
fellowship of the host Indonesian churches. It was the third such
consultation in preparation for the July 2003 LWF Tenth Assembly
that will take place in Winnipeg, Canada. A pre-Assembly
Consultation for North America took place January 23-26 in Denver,
Colorado in the USA, while Europe's was held February 23-26 in
Vienna, Austria. Representatives from the Africa region will meet
March 23-26 in Nairobi, Kenya, while the Latin America and
Caribbean consultation will be held April 7-10 in San Salvador, El
Salvador. An international Women's Pre-Assembly Gathering took
place 14-17 November 2002 in Montreux, Switzerland, and a global
youth conference will be held prior to the Assembly.

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is LWF's information service.
Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent
positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where
the dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the
material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

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