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CATHOLIC JUSTICE AND PEACE COMMISSION
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CHRISTIANS AGAINST TERRORISM
4th January 2002
Dear friends, You may have seen a "Campaign Against Terrorism" statement distributed last year. 400 people signed the statement condemning all forms of terrorism whether it be by Bin Laden, Palestinian suicide bombers, or by Israel or the US and its allies including Australia. Soon after that statement was made the US, with Australian support began its terrorist attack on Afghanistan and quickly killed more civilians than the number who died in the US on 9/11/2000. Perhaps 30,000 Afghanis (including combatants) have been killed by US led troops so far.In October the terrorist attack in Bali killed over two hundred people. After the Bali bombing Australian Muslims issued a statement condemning all terrorism by Muslims, and especially any attempt to link such actions with Islam. Tragically there has been no equivalent disavowal of State terrorism by the Christian churches in Australia. This is despite the fact that many Muslims throughout the world fear that the so-called War on Terrorism could become a war of Christians against Islam. It is well known that leading terrorists George Bush and Tony Blair both sleep with Bibles under their pillows, and John Howard is a professing Christian. As the US (and its very few allies including Australia) prepare a bloody takeover of Iraq, it is essential that Christians condemn and resist this evil. No objective observer can doubt that 12 years of bombing and sanctions against Iraq have been a brutal act of international terrorism. The 1991 bombing of every water and sewerage treatment plant in Iraq and the resultant deaths from disease can only be described as biological warfare. As far back as 1999, a UNICEF report estimated 500,000 children under 5 had died because of the bombings and sanctions. Total deaths of Iraqis to this point could easily be around one and a half million. Australia's role in this has not been insignificant. We are now in charge of the naval blockade of Iraq. But also Pine Gap has played a major role in the bombing campaigns there, providing satellite targeting information. The Australian head of Pine Gap during the first Gulf War was John McCarthy, (also a practicing Christian). Recently he has returned to that job, undoubtedly because he did such a good job in helping the US "bomb Iraq back to the stone-age" in 1991. Now, despite Iraq's compliance with the UN weapons inspections, the US has made it clear it intends to attack Iraq soon and take over. As in 1991 they will use every weapon of mass destruction in their arsenal except (perhaps) large nuclear weapons. They may well use the newly developed so-called "tactical" nuclear weapons, however, and certainly depleted uranium shells. Australia will once again supply essential targeting information through Pine Gap. Our SAS troops will also supply more exact targeting on the ground with laser guns. Apart from the evil nature of the whole exercise, Australians (SAS and Pine Gap workers), will be committing offences under Australian law, punishable by jail, if they help the US place mines, including cluster bombs. This will almost certainly be the case. We believe this is perhaps the most significant moment in modern history for Christians. Christians have often been confronted by the choice of aligning themselves with violent empires or violent resistance movements, or embracing the nonviolence of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately we have not always chosen the latter. Never has the choice been more important than today. It is clear our government is NOT INVOLVED IN WAR ON TERRORISM . It is involved in a WAR BETWEEN TERRORISTS. For us, as Christians, the real and undeclared battle is between violence and nonviolence, between the love of power and the power of love. Whether we win or lose is secondary for Christians. But WE MUST BE SURE WHICH SIDE WE ARE ON.
Please contact us if you would like to be involved but cannot make it. May the Peace of Christ prevail. Jim Dowling , Anne Rampa, John Pettit 2705 Mt Mee Rd Ocean View, 4521, Q PH. (07)34253003 |