wfn.org | Muslim, Christian, & Jewish Leaders Release Joint Declaration

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Dear news colleague: We are (re)transmitting this story from Wednesday, with
signatures added late Thursday.  Reason: My computer crashed and we missed
many of you Wednesday/Thursday when we sent the story to an older version of
our news lists.  We hope this will be helpful.	Thanks!  Carol
Fouke/National Council of Churches Media Liaison, 212-870-2252;
news@ncccusa.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE			CONTACT:  Trevor FitzGibbon,
Wednesday, April 30,  2003				    (202) 246.5303
cell
							Leslie Tune, (240)
426.0533

As President Prepares to Announce Wars End
Muslim, Christian, & Jewish Leaders Release Joint Declaration Issuing
Guidelines to Peace

Call On President to Draw Back From First Strike War

April 30, 2003, CHICAGO - As President Bush prepared his Thursday evening
address to announce the end of the Iraq war, more than 75 Muslim,
Christian, Jewish and other faith leaders from across the United States
converged on Chicago to issue a set of principles to lead toward a peaceful
future.  The summit addressed the humanitarian, spiritual and civil costs of
war and its ramifications here at home.

The summit was co-convened by the National Council of Churches USA, Islamic
Society of North America and Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
Participants Urgent Call for Reflection, Hope and Action calls on the
President to:

*	draw back from the use and threat of first strike war;
*	draw back from unilateral US control over the reconstruction of Iraq;
*	bring the US occupation to a prompt end by transferring to the United
Nations and multilateral, non-governmental organizations the authority to
work with the Iraqi people toward Iraqs own reconstruction;
*	make available US resources as part of a world effort to serve the
needs
and decisions of the Iraqi people.

The religious leaders also called on all people of faith to make this a time
of deliberate reflection and to gather in town meetings, teach-ins and other
community forums to explore what kind of society we seek to become.  In a
second document, titled Words of Reflection, they called for a national
day of prayer and reflection, with a special emphasis on interfaith
gatherings.  We further call on the President to distance himself from
religious leaders who demonize the faith of others, they said, and urged
Americans not to forget the continuing suffering of the Iraqi people, which
demands large-scale international humanitarian relief.

Full texts of the Urgent Call and Words of Reflection follow, as does a
list of summit participants.

AN URGENT CALL FOR REFLECTION, HOPE AND ACTION
Interfaith Summit
Chicago, Illinois
April 30, 2003

As people of faith and leaders of diverse religious communities, we
recognize that we are at a moment of choice even more urgent than before the
war in Iraq began. We are faced with choices between hope and courage or
fear and violence; between a future characterized by global solidarity,
international cooperation and multilateral action or one characterized by
unilateralism and wars by choice rather than necessity; continuing
terrorism; unfettered efforts to extend U.S. power, and the exploitation of
fear.

Let us not forget who we are as people of faith. We need to go deeper into
our religious traditions. Fear is part of the human condition and is only
addressed through faith. We are challenged now to trust in God and recognize
the source of true security. Our traditions teach us to envision a world of
peace with justice. They promise Gods capacity to transform a broken world
and Gods expectation that we are partners in the process.

As many Americans celebrate a moment of military victory, we, as people of
faith, ask all people to make this a time of deliberate reflection.

As we have since 9/11 and the beginning of the war on terrorism: we call for
greater understanding; we seek to dispel ignorance; we ask that this be a
time of humility not arrogance; and, we hope that all can be mindful of what
we have lost. We are mindful that while a repressive regime has been
destroyed, a country has been left in a power vacuum. We know as well that
those people experience their daily life as one of enormous needs and
insecurity.

War is a blunt instrument, which provides no lasting solution but too often
leads to further violence. We ask the American people to reflect now on the
price of unilateralism:

*	The cost of war and militarism
*	The human toll of the war in Iraq
*	The erosion of civil liberties in the United States
*	The shift of resources away from human need to military purposes

In order to reflect most effectively on the choices that we face we call on
interfaith leaders in every American community to gather in town meetings,
teach-ins and other forms of community reflection to explore what kind of
society we seek to become.

Drawing on all of our traditions that are rooted in justice, compassion and
peace, we say to the present leadership of the United States:

1.	draw back from the use and threat of first strike war
2.	draw back from unilateral U.S. control over the reconstruction of
Iraq
3.	bring the U.S. occupation of Iraq to a prompt end by transferring to
the
United Nations and multilateral, non-governmental organizations the
authority to work with the Iraqi people toward its own reconstruction
4.	make available U.S. resources as part of a world effort to serve the
needs and decisions of the Iraqi people.

  Finally, we call on our fellow religious leaders throughout the world to
join in convening an INTERNATIONAL INTERFAITH SUMMIT that will provide a
worldwide forum for religious leaders to meet and discuss in depth ways to
eliminate the rhetoric of hate and to end violence perpetrated in the name
of religion. Together we must work to find ways to embody the power of love,
compassion and justice in this fragile and interdependent world. We live in
HOPE!

Words of Reflection
April 30, 2003
 From Domestic Interfaith Summit
Chicago, IL

We are thankful for the end of large-scale hostilities, the end of an
oppressive regime, and the safe return of our troops.

We acknowledge the many sacrifices, and mourn all the loss of life.

We call for a national day of prayer and reflection, with a special emphasis
on interfaith gatherings.

We further call on the President to distance himself from religious leaders
who demonize the faiths of others.

We are compelled to call peoples attention to the continuing suffering of
the Iraqi people, which demands large-scale international humanitarian
relief.

Our religious traditions require that when we exercise power we reflect
deeply on the consequences of our actions and the true source of peace and
security.  In this spirit, we encourage local religious communities to
organize interfaith days of fasting, prayer, and dialogue, which will raise,
among other vital concerns, those addressed in the accompanying, Urgent
Call For Reflection, Hope and Action, and to commit themselves to donations
for humanitarian relief for the people of Iraq.

-end-

Interfaith Summit Participants

1.	Mr. Muhammad Nur Abdullah, Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis,
2.	Rev. Patty Ackerman, Fellowship of Reconciliation,
3.	Dr. Scott Alexander, Catholic Theological Union,
4.	Dr. Mujahid Al-Fayadh, Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center,
5.	Mrs. Najla Al-Kaisi, Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center,
6.	Very Rev. Mourice Amsih, Syrian Orthodox Church,
7.	Commissioner Ken Baillie, The Salvation Army,
8.	Dr. John Borelli, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
9.	Rev. John Buehrens, First Parish in Needham,
10.	Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, Chautauqua Institution,
11.	Mr. Eli Chamoun, Syrian Orthodox Church,
12.	Sr. Joan Chatfield, MM, Maryknoll Sisters International,
13.	Rev. Rothangliani Chhangte, American Baptist Churches in the USA,
14.	Rev. Seung K. Choi, Lorean Presbyterian Church in America,
15.	Ms. Pat Clark, Fellowship of Reconciliation,
16.	Rev. Dr. Keith Clements, Conference of European Churches,
17.	Very Rev. Nicholas Dahdal, St. George Orthodox Church of Cicero,
Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of North America
18.	Fr. Stan De Boe, Conference of Major Superiors of Men,
19.	Rev. Dr. Robert Edgar, National Council of Churches of Christ in the
USA,
20.	Rev. Dr. Charles Emery, Northern Illinois Conference - UMC,
21.	Bishop Jon Enslin, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
22.	Bp. C. Christopher Epting, The Episcopal Church,
23.	Mr. Dennis Frado, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
24.	Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, The Interfaith Alliance,
25.	Rev. S. George, Chicago Mar Thoma Church,
26.	Dr. Inam Haq, Benedictine University
27.	Mr. Amer Haque, Wiseman Systems, Inc.
28.	Mr. Ammar Haque, Wiseman Systems, Inc.,
29.	Mr. Syed Haque, Wiseman Systems, Inc.,
30.	Ms. Layne Hawley, Presbyterian Church USA,
31.	Ms. Judith Hertz, Union of American Hebrew Congregations,
32.	Rev. Dr. Edgar L. Hiestand, Jr., Northern Illinois Conference - UMC,
33.	Mr. Syed Shamshad Husain
34.	Ms. Elenie Huszagh, Esq., National Council of Churches of Christ in
the
USA,
35.	Mr. Chuck Hutchcraft, American Friends Service Committee,
36.	Mr. Kareem M. Irfan, Esq., Council of Islamic Organizations of
Greater
Chicago Area Muslim Americans,
37.	Rabbi Steven Jacobs, Temple Kol Tikvah,
38.	Thomas H. Jeavons, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious
Society
of Friends,
39.	Mr. Kudama Kawan, Life for Relief and Development,
40.	Dr. Nazir Khaja, Islamic Information Services,
41.	Mr. Antonios Kireopoulos, United States Conference of Religions for
Peace,
42.	Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky, Orthodox Church in America,
43.	Mr. Tarek Kudaimi, Illiana Islamic Association,
44.	Rabbi Michael Lerner, Tikkun Magazine,
45.	Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, The Shefa Fund,
46.	Rev. Michael Livingston, International Council of Community Churches,
47.	Dr. Janice Love, University of South Carolina,
48.	Ms. Jackie Lynn, Episcopal Peace Fellowship,
49.	Rev. Dr. Victor Makari, Presbyterian Church USA,
50.	Rev. John McCullough, Church World Service,
51.	Ms. Retha McCutchen, Friends United Meeting,
52.	Dr. Shakir Moiduddin, Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater
Chicago Area Muslim Americans,
53.	Mr. A. Malik Mujahid, Sound Vision,
54.	Rev. John Paarlberg, Reformed Church in America,
55.	Rev. John Pawlikowski, Catholic Theological Union,
56.	Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, Ellis Avenue Church,
57.	Rev. David Radcliffe, Church of the Brethren,
58.	Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center of Reformed Judaism,
59.	Rev Dave Schwinghamer, MM, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns,
60.	Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, The Islamic Society of Orange County,
61.	Mr. Fawad Siddiqui, Islamic Horizons,
62.	Mr. P. J. Simmons, Rockefeller Brothers Fund,
63.	Ms. Arunima Sinha, Hindu Community of South Carolina,
64.	Rev. William Sinkford, Unitarian Universalist Association,
65.	Ms. Jean Stokan, Pax Christi, USA,
66.	Dr. Sayyid Muhammad Syeed, Islamic Society of North America,
67.	Ms. Oscar Tatosian, Diocese of the Armenian Church of America,
68.	Rev. John H. Thomas, United Church of Christ,
69.	Mr. Md. Imtiaz Uddin
70.	Dr. William Vendley, WCRP-International,
71.	Sr. Christine Vladimiroff, OSB, Mount Saint Benedict Monastery,
72.	Rabbi Arthur Waskow, The Shalom Center,
73.	Rabbi Zari Weiss
74.	Rev. Robina Winbush, Presbyterian Church USA,

-end-