wfn.org | WCC on Iraq: Pre-emptive war against Iraq illegal, immoral and unwise

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches
Update 02-32
For Immediate Use
15 October 2002

WCC on Iraq: "Pre-emptive war against Iraq illegal, immoral and unwise"

Cf WCC Press Update, Up-02-29 of 20 September 2002

Many Christians around the world "strongly believe that pre-emptive war
against Iraq is illegal, immoral and unwise" says a letter sent today by
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser to
the fifteen members of the UN Security Council, the UN secretary-general and
under-secretary-general.

The letter is in reaction to approval by the United States House of
Representatives and Senate on 10 October of a congressional joint resolution
to authorize the use of force against Iraq. It recalls that "the WCC has
always advocated for every member state to comply with binding UN resolutions
and to resolve conflicts by peaceful means" and that "Iraq can be no
exception". Raiser points out that the Council has repeatedly called on Iraq
to destroy its weapons of mass destruction, cooperate with UN inspectors, and
guarantee full respect of its citizens' human rights,

But, the letter argues, "The people of Iraq have suffered enough under a
sanctions regime since 1991. Inflicting further punishment on innocent
civilians is not morally acceptable to anyone." 

"Churches around the world also caution against the potential social,
cultural and religious as well as diplomatic long-term consequences of a
[new] war, especially a unilateral one. Further fuelling the fires of
violence that are already consuming the region will only sow more seeds of
intense hatred, strengthening extremist ideologies and breeding further
global instability and insecurity," the letter warns.

An earlier (19 September) WCC message addressed to the diplomatic missions of
the US, UK, France, Russia and China also cautioned them against threatened
military action against Iraq.

The full text of the letter follows:

"The World Council of Churches (WCC) remains extremely concerned with the
continued calls for military action against Iraq both by the US and UK
governments despite Iraq's compliance with United Nations Resolution for UN
weapons inspection, agreeing for the " immediate, unconditional and
unrestricted access to sites in Iraq".

We were greatly alarmed and saddened by the US Congressional Joint Resolution
to authorize use of force against Iraq passed by the US House of
Representatives and Senate on 10th October, 2002, authorizing, inter alia,
the President of the USA to use its armed forces in order to enforce all
relevant UN Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.   

As you prepare for further deliberations of the United Nations Security
Council this week, I would like to draw your attention to the numerous voices
of Christians around the world, who, committed to the teachings of Jesus
Christ and the prophetic vision of peace, strongly believe that pre-emptive
war against Iraq is illegal, immoral and unwise.  

The World Council of Churches' governing body meeting in September this year,
urged the international community to uphold the international rule of law, to
resist pressures to join in pre-emptive 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. 

They deplored 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.  

The WCC has always advocated for every member state to comply with binding UN
resolutions and to resolve conflicts by peaceful means. Iraq can be no
exception. Since the end of the Gulf War we have repeatedly called the
Government of Iraq to destroy its weapons of mass destruction and related
research and production facilities, to cooperate fully with UN inspectors
deployed to oversee compliance, and to guarantee full respect of the civil
and political, economic, social and cultural human rights for all its
citizens. 

We are deeply concerned by the potential human costs of a new war and the
prospects of large-scale deplacement of people.  The people of Iraq have
suffered enough under a sanctions regime since 1991.  Inflicting further
punishment on innocent civilians is not morally acceptable to anyone.
Churches around the world also caution against the potential social,
cultural, and religious as well as diplomatic long-term consequences of such
a war, especially a unilateral one.  Further fueling the fires of violence
that are already consuming the region will only sow more seeds of intense
hatred strengthening extremist ideologies and breeding further global
instability and insecurity. 

The WCC joins its voices with church leaders and Christian communities around
the world, especially from the USA and UK, praying that you focus your
attention on addressing the root causes of this conflict and to put an end to
the dire humanitarian crisis in Iraq and the Middle East region as a whole. I
call upon you as members of the United Nations Security Council to act
wisely, responsibly and courageously. 

We pray that God will guide you to take decisions based on moral principles
and legal standards.  

"No nation shall lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war
any more' Isaiah 2:4"

For further information, please contact Media Relations Office, tel: +41
(0)22 791 64 21

**********

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in
more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which
meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in
1948 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general secretary
Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in Germany.

World Council of Churches
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