Prayer and Action for Iraq

Litany of Confession and Repentance

2005-03-22T06:37:00.000-08:00

NOTE: This is the final Day of Prayer, Fasting, and Action for Iraq. We invite you to post a note about what the past several weeks have meant for you. Thank you for your commitment, both now and in the future. While our formal time of gathering is ended, our prayers and actions will surely continue.

To Post a Comment:
1) Goto http://prayerandactionforiraq.blogspot.com/
2) Scroll down to the bottom of the posting you wish to comment on.
3) Click on the place that shows the number of comments made on the posting.
4) Scroll to the bottom of that page and click where is says, “Post a comment.”

Tuesday, March 22, 2005
A Litany of Confession and Repentance
(based on Palm Sunday reading of Matt 21:1-11)

We sing Hosanna,
and shout “Crucify!”

We proclaim peace,
and pay for war.

We preach liberation,
and practice occupation.

We glorify freedom,
and imprison without trial.

We want to be disciples,
but weaken like Peter.

Jesus of Nazareth, humble king,
a donkey your throne,
palms and thorns your crown.

Your eyes see the people on the outskirts of the crowd:

Iraqi widows draped in black
Young men detained at Abu Ghraib
Fallujan refugees homeless now
children without parents
fathers without jobs
women searching for justice
And families whose soldiers
will never return.

May Your eyes be ours, our voices Your’s,
and our Hosannas work for justice
’til the end of our days.
___________________________________________________

It is Holy Week. We are about to recall in a special way the suffering and death of Jesus, who nonviolently gave his life for the healing of all. Jesus, our Teacher, was put to death because his words and actions challenged the powers of the day. The leaders decided it was “better for one man to die” than for the Roman occupiers to feel too threatened. (John 11:48-50).

For the past four months, we have been gathering together weekly to pray, fast, and take action on behalf of the people of Iraq. We have committed ourselves to challenging the powers of the day: the powers of greed, fear, and materialism that foster the wars and occupations of our time. Although this commitment might lead us into times of darkness, death, or seeming defeat, we know from Jesus’ Resurrection that life can spring from death. The truth will always rise again.

ACTION STEPS:

1. Review the last several Day of Prayer actions. Choose one that particularly spoke to you, and continue to build on it. Share your commitment with others, for support and encouragement.

2. Consider writing a letter for the Adopt-a-Detainee Campaign. A new profile about three Iraqi brothers who were detained on Dec 31, 2004 has been added (www.cpt.org/campaigns/adopt/adopt_a_detainee.php then follow links to “CPT in Iraq”).

Burden of Debt

2005-03-15T01:20:00.000-08:00

An Invitation to Prayer
The Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Baghdad, Iraq invites you to join with us every Tuesday for a day of prayer, fasting and action that will continue until Easter week. Participate either by fasting (the team will do a bread and water fast) and/or joining us for a time of prayer. At 9AM Eastern Standard Time (1400GMT) the team will gather for an hour of prayer. You are invited to join for as much time as you can. Please also note the Action Steps connected with each week’s sacred passage. The CPT Iraq team asks that you take the suggested action between Tuesday and Thursday so that we can be working together.

Website for posting now available: http://prayerandactionforiraq.blogspot.com/.
To post a comment on our web log, follow these steps:
1) Scroll down to the bottom of the posting you wish to comment on.
2) Click on the place that shows the number of comments made on the posting.
3) Scroll to the bottom of that page and click where is says, “Post a comment.”

Tuesday, March 8, 2005 Day of Prayer, Fasting and Action: Burden of Debt

Leviticus 25:10

“This year of jubilee you shall make sacred by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants.”

Jubilee years, which the ancient Israelites proclaimed as part of God’s law, granted freedom to slaves, forgiveness of debts, and return of land to its original owners. This practice helped to preserve the society’s social and economic equilibrium by preventing the extremes of wealth and poverty from polarizing the community.

Today, Iraq is one of many nations groaning beneath the burden of impossible debts. During the 1980’s, many Western nations including the U.S. and Great Britain made loans to support Saddam Hussein’s military spending in the war against Iran. In legal terms, such debts can be written off as “odious debts,” because 1) they were the personal debts of a particular regime, 2) they were contracted without the consent of the people and were not spent in the people’s interests (i.e. most of Saddam’s loans were spent on state and military oppression), and 3) the creditors were aware of what was happening with loans they provided.

Iraq’s total debt is within the range $95-153bn. In addition, Iraq has been paying and must still pay reparation claims from the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. A UN Compensation Commission has awarded almost $50bn to corporations, governments, and individuals. Iraq has paid almost $19bn of this, at a time when the country is desperately in need of funds for its own reconstruction. (The most recent payment was on January 13, 2005, and recipients included companies from America, Britain, France and Germany).

Even the Paris Club deal in Fall 2004, which promised up to 80% debt forgiveness for Iraq, comes with mandatory IMF conditions -- such as privatization, ending food rations & fuel subsidies and restricting salaries & pensions – which could further exacerbate the poverty and instability in Iraq. Plus, Iraq would still be burdened with $25bn in debt.
Since these debts were “odious debts” to begin with, the people of Iraq should not have to pay. Iraq’s debt should be written off completely, in the spirit of Jubilee that we find in the Mosaic Law.*

ACTION STEPS:
1. Budget one hour this week to visit the website of Jubilee Iraq, a nonprofit organization advocating debt forgiveness for Iraq. (http://www.jubileeiraq.org/)
2. Choose and follow one of their suggested action steps to respond to Iraq’s debt crisis.

*All statistical information from this post was taken from Jubilee Iraq at www.jubileeiraq.org.

Miseries of the Besieged City

2005-03-08T23:56:00.000-08:00

Casting Out Fear

2005-03-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

An Invitation to Prayer
The Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Baghdad, Iraq invites you to join with us every Tuesday for a day of prayer, fasting and action that will continue until Easter week. Participate as you are led either by fasting (the team will do a bread and water fast) and/or participating with us in a time of joint prayer. At 9AM Eastern Standard Time (1400GMT) the team will gather for an hour of focused prayer. You are invited to join for the entire hour or for as much time as you can. Please also note the Action Steps connected with each week's sacred passage. If you are so led, the CPT Iraq team asks that you take the suggested action between Tuesday and Thursday so that we can be working together.

Website for posting now available: http://prayerandactionforiraq.blogspot.com.
To post a comment on our web log, follow these steps:
1)Scroll down to the bottom of the posting you wish to comment on.
2)Click on the place that shows the number of comments made on the posting.
3)Scroll to the bottom of that page and click where is says, "Post a comment."

Tuesday, March 1, 2005: Casting Out Fear

1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear.”

Micah 4: 2-5
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that God may teach us God’s ways, and that we may walk in God’s paths”… God shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid.”

According to John, fear is the opposite of love. It is fear that isolates us, searches for enemies, and then demonizes and hates them. Micah calls us to a mountaintop where we can see the many peoples of the world through the eyes of God who heals disputes and enmities rather than exploiting them. So we learn the nonviolent message of Jesus: to reject not only war but also any preparation for it, finding our security in the power of love and compassion. In this vision the fruits of the earth will be shared by all; refugees will find a home, “and no one will make them afraid.” The challenge is to reject idolatry: the worship and obedience demanded by the national security state, and to walk in reverence in the presence of all creation: a creation that reflects and names the God of justice and mercy.

ACTION STEPS

1. Organize with parents and others to remove ROTC from U.S. schools.

2. Risk offering a kind word or action to someone who seems insecure and antagonistic.

3. Challenge a church leader to speak out against war & occupation as a means to “security”.

4. Risk “crossing the line” with others in an act of civil resistance to your government’s policy in Iraq.

Using the Whole Armor of God

2005-02-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

IF YOU ARE SO LED PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FAITH COMMUNITIES AND YOUR EMAIL LISTS

An Invitation to Prayer
The Christian Peacemaker Team in Baghdad, Iraq invites you to join with us every Tuesday for a day of prayer, fasting and action that will continue until Easter week. Participate as you are led either by fasting (the team will do a bread and water fast) and/or participating with us in a time of joint prayer. At 9AM Eastern Standard Time (1400GMT) on Tuesdays the team will gather for an hour of focused prayer. You are invited to join with us for the entire hour or for as much time as you can. Please also note the Action Steps connected with the week’s sacred passage that is the focus for the prayer time. If you are so led, the CPT Iraq team asks that you take the suggested action between Tuesday and Thursday so that we can be working together.

Website for posting now available: CPT in Iraq has begun a web log found at http://prayerandactionforiraq.blogspot.com. We encourage you to post any insights that may have come to your during your times of prayer and action, so that we may encourage each other’s spiritual growth.

To post a comment on our web log, follow these steps:
1) Scroll down to the bottom of the posting you wish to comment on.
2) Click on the place that shows the number of comments made on the posting.
3) Scroll to the bottom of that page and click where is says, “Post a comment.”

February 22, 2005, Day of Prayer and Fasting: Using the Whole Armor of God

Ephesians 6: 10-18a: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. NRSV

In the War on Terror, our world governments claim that they can root out evil with overpowering force. Even though this had been the way people and nations have attempted to deal with their enemy throughout history, it has never brought true peace. Violence has only continued the cycle of violence and desire for revenge, and caused great suffering in the world.

Inherent in the description of the armor of God is the understanding that the struggle against evil is not against flesh and blood (particular persons or regimes), but against whole systems of domination and against evil cosmic forces. If this is true, using the same weapons as these forces puts us in the same camp as them and only strengthens and spreads these systems. The only way of breaking the cycles of violence is by using spiritual weapons, such as the power of the truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, steadfastness, prayer, and proclaiming the gospel of peace.

This armor of God has never been more relevant and needed than in today’s struggles against evil. Followers of Jesus must not shrink back from proclaiming the way of Jesus boldly in our words and in our actions, and unleash the power of God.

Action Suggestions:

In prayer, seek these spiritual weapons for your work for justice and peace. Make them a part of your way of dealing with conflicts on all levels, and experience their power.
Start with other followers of Jesus, your family and friends, your home fellowship to study and affirm Jesus’ way, clarifying that this way does not rely on the weapons of violence, as some popular preaches suggest.
Visit other congregations and dialogue with leaders and members about the way of nonviolent suffering love.
Invite your congregation to join “Every Church a Peace Church.” Contact John Stoner at jstoner@ecapc
Proclaim this powerful way in public witness actions calling for different ways to deal with terrorism or world conflict. Find ways of using the weapons of the Spirit to confront the systems of domination.
Examples: a. Street dramatizations of the truth about a devastated
Fallujah.
b. Pray-ins inside or outside offices where decisions about
spending money for war are made or carried out,
weapons facilities.

A Force More Powerful

2005-02-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, Feb 15, 2005 Day of Prayer, Fasting, and Action for Iraq

A Force More Powerful

"Requite evil with good, and he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend. But none will attain this attribute except those who patiently endure." (Qur'an41:34)

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27-28)_______________________________________________________________________In In his State of the Union speech on February 2, 2005, George Bush said that "the only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom." And, according to his ideology and actions, it is acceptable to use violent force, even war, in order to promote this human freedom.

But what about Christianity's message? The president's own Christian faith, (as well as countless other faiths), contradicts his statement.

According to Jesus of Nazareth, the only force able to end tyranny and terror and replace hatred with hope is the force of agape, or self-sacrificing love. "Love your enemy, do good to those who hate you. Pray for those who persecute you."

How could a stance of radical nonviolent love form concrete international policies? How could it respond to both external and internal sources of tyranny and terror?_______________________________________________________________________ACTION:1) ACTION

1) Check out the book "A Force More Powerful," by Peter Ackerman and Jack Duvall, for a good history of successful 20th-century nonviolent movements.

2) Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, describing your thoughts and feelings about the U.S. administration's (or your government's participation in the U.S. administration's) approach to foreign policy. Suggest alternatives.

Prayer is Peacemaking

2005-02-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

An Invitation to Prayer
The Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Baghdad, Iraq invites you to join with us every Tuesday for a day of prayer, fasting and action that will continue until Easter week. Participate as you are led either by fasting (the team will do a bread and water fast) and/or participating with us in a time of joint prayer. At 9AM Eastern Standard Time (1400GMT) the team will gather for an hour of focused prayer. You are invited to join for the entire hour or for as much time as you can. Please also note the Action Steps connected with each week's sacred passage. If you are so led, the CPT Iraq team asks that you take the suggested action between Tuesday and Thursday so that we can be working together.

Website for posting now available:
CPT in Iraq has begun a web log found at http://prayerandactionforiraq.blogspot.com. To post a comment on our web log, follow these steps:
1)Scroll down to the bottom of the posting you wish to comment on.
2)Click on the place that shows the number of comments made on the posting.
3)Scroll to the bottom of that page and click where is says, "Post a comment."

Matthew 5:1-11 (Worldwide English version)

“When Jesus saw the many people, he went up on a hill. He sat down and his disciples came to him. He began to teach the people. He said,
`God makes happy those who know that they need him. The kingdom of heaven is for them.
`God makes happy those who are sad. They will have comfort.
`God makes happy those who quietly trust him and do not try to get their own way. The world will belong to them.
`God makes happy those who are hungry and thirsty for what is right and good. They will be filled.
`God makes happy those who are kind. He will be kind to them.
`God makes happy those who have clean hearts. They will see God.
`God makes happy those who make peace between people. They will be called God's children.
`God makes happy those who have trouble for doing what is right. The kingdom of heaven is for them.
`God makes you happy when people say wrong things about you, when they trouble you, and when they say all kinds of lies about you. God makes you happy when it is for my sake.”

“‘Praying at all times’ is the first aspect of peacemaking. What does this mean concretely for those of us who have barely enough time to not be overwhelmed by the cares of life? In order to answer this question we must be willing to explore critically the ways in which the cares of life strangle us. Only then can we see the converting power of prayer and its pervasive role in peacemaking. The invitation to a life of prayer is the invitation to live in the midst of this world without being caught up in its net. The word “prayer” stands for a radical interruption of the chain of interlocking dependencies that lead to violence and war. It points to a new way of speaking, of breathing, of being together, of knowing; truly to a whole new way of living. Most people think of prayer in contrast to action. But if we are willing to see prayer as the essence of peacemaking and to consider the possibility that prayer itself IS peacemaking, we won’t have to struggle against the ‘dogma’ of pragmatism. To the degree that we are not of the world, we can live creatively in it. To the degree that we have divested ourselves of false belongings, we can live in the midst of turmoil and chaos. And to the degree that we are free from fear, we can move into the heart of danger. Thus the act of prayer is the basis and source of all actions. When our actions are not based in prayer, they can easily become fearful, fanatical, bitter and more an expression of survival instincts than of our faith in God.”
---Condensed from chapter one of “The Road to Peace” by Henri Nouwen edited by John Dear

ACTION: The Beatitudes are composed of nine couplets. Each day for one week, choose a couplet or couplets and pray on that passage for ten minutes. Repeat as a mantra, read and re-read until a word or phrase leaps into your heart, memorize it- whatever form of prayer speaks to you. Try to use the prayer throughout the day, especially before, during, or after situations of stress or conflict.

A King Is Not Saved By His Great Army

2005-02-01T06:34:00.000-08:00

An Invitation to Prayer
The Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) in Baghdad, Iraq invites you to join with us every Tuesday for a day of prayer, fasting and action that will continue until Easter week. Participate as you are led either by fasting (the team will do a bread and water fast) and/or participating with us in a time of joint prayer. At 9AM Eastern Standard Time (1400GMT) the team will gather for an hour of focused prayer. You are invited to join for the entire hour or for as much time as you can. Please also note the Action Steps connected with each week's sacred passage. If you are so led, the CPT Iraq team asks that you take the suggested action between Tuesday and Thursday so that we can be working together.

Website for posting now available:
CPT in Iraq has begun a web log found at http://prayerandactionforiraq.blogspot.com. To post a comment on our web log, follow these steps:
1)Scroll down to the bottom of the posting you wish to comment on.
2)Click on the place that shows the number of comments made on the posting.
3)Scroll to the bottom of that page and click where is says, "Post a comment."

Tuesday, February 1, 2005: A King is Not Saved by His Great Army

--Isaiah 31:1

"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who depend upon horses:
who put their trust in chariots because of their number,
and in horsemen because of their combined power,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel nor seek the LORD!"

Iraq has accumulated vast quantities of armaments. Under the previous regime, large stockpiles of conventional weapons were stored across the country. When the Coalition Forces began their attack in March 2003, they brought more weaponry. Some of this new ammunition was made of depleted uranium. The health risks of Depleted Uranium are unknown and the Coalition forces using it have remained wilfully ignorant. In the period immediately after the Coalition’s invasion, Christian Peacemaker Teams urged the Coalition to collect the unexploded ordnance remaining in the country to reduce the risk of civilian accidents, and restrict its further use. A United Nations report at the time said that Iraq might have more unexploded ordnance than any other country in the world. The Coalition was slow to respond. One soldier told CPT, “Things like that tend to go away after awhile.”

An increasingly well-armed Iraqi resistance movement has been attacking Coalition forces, Iraqi military and police, and civilians every day. Heavily armed Coalition forces respond with ferocious attacks on anyone suspected of armed resistance, including whole cities like Falluja. No side is able to claim victory. Iraq is slipping further and further back from the high standards of living it once enjoyed. Billions of dollars in reconstruction funds are increasingly diverted to “security,” but security in Iraq remains elusive. The only ones to profit from this war are the arms manufacturers.

ACTION STEP:
Write to arms manufacturers urging them to convert their enterprises from death-dealing to life-affirming ones. The major suppliers of ammunition to the war in Iraq are:

SNC TEC, c/o SNC-Lavalin Inc., CEO Jacques Lamarre, 455 René-Lévesque Blvd. West, Montreal, QC, Canada H2Z 1Z3, Email: info@snclavalin.com, Web: www.snctec.com

ATK, Alliant Technologies, CEO: Daniel J. Murphy, Jr, Corporate HQ, 5050 Lincoln Dr., Edina, MN, USA 55436, Email: alliant.corporate@atk.com,Web: www.atk.com

Kids Don't Vote

2005-01-25T11:20:00.000-08:00

IF YOU ARE SO LED PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FAITH COMMUNITIES AND YOUR EMAIL LISTS

An Invitation to Prayer
The Christian Peacemaker Team in Baghdad, Iraq invites you to join with us every Tuesday for a day of prayer, fasting and action that will continue until Easter week. Participate as you are led either by fasting (the team will do a bread and water fast) and/or participating with us in a time of joint prayer. At 9AM Eastern Standard Time (1400GMT) on Tuesdays the team will gather for an hour of focused prayer. You are invited to join with us for the entire hour or for as much time as you can. Please also note the Action Steps connected with the week’s sacred passage that is the focus for the prayer time. If you are so led, the CPT Iraq team asks that you take the suggested action between Tuesday and Thursday so that we can be working together.

Website for posting now available: CPT in Iraq has begun a web log found at http://prayerandactionforiraq.blogspot.com. We encourage you to post any insights that may have come to your during your times of prayer and action, so that we may encourage each other’s spiritual growth.

To post a comment on our web log, follow these steps:
1) Scroll down to the bottom of the posting you wish to comment on.
2) Click on the place that shows the number of comments made on the posting.
3) Scroll to the bottom of that page and click where is says, “Post a comment.”

Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Day of Prayer and Fasting: Kids Don’t Vote

Deuteronomy 18:10
Don’t sacrifice your children in the fires on your altars…”

Moses gave these words of advice to the Israelites as they were coming into the land promised to them. He meant it as an admonition to the Israelites not to follow the practices of those already in the land. He was reminding them to keep their ways pure in the sight of God.

The old adage in politics, “kids don’t vote,” comes to mind both in this Iraqi election, and in the recent U.S. election. Children, in any country, are those without a voice in the political system. They aren’t able to fund candidates or political parties, can’t vote, and don’t have influence as a group. Yet they are the ones we live for, work for, and strive for in our lives, no matter what our nationality.

Do we sacrifice our children to the fires on our altars, be those altars the war on terror, the quest for power and control, or the desire for natural resources to feed our habits? Do we compromise our children’s futures by having them kill and be killed in wars for us, or as we spend large amounts on our military rather than our schools? Are we the “terrorists” in the way we speak to children about people of other faiths, other nationalities, or other cultures? Do we live in such a way as to promote a world free from war and the threat of war by our prudent use of imported natural resources?

Suggested Actions:

Do something for children this week. Some suggestions include:
1) Talk to a group of kids about Iraqis as human beings. Find out something about the culture, faith and lives of ordinary Iraqis and share it with kids at your church, a local school, or in your neighborhood. Your own home is a great place to start.

2) Look at your lifestyle and see if there are ways to reduce your reliance on foreign products that are often part of the causes of war. A good place to begin is by decreasing your need for fossil fuels by car pooling or walking when possible. Get out your bike, your sneakers or your snow boots!

3) Inform yourself about the effects on Iraqi children of the U.S. involvement in Iraq. Find a place to be involved with aiding and assisting those who are bringing relief to the children who are orphaned, displaced, or injured by the effects of war.

Rachel Weeping for her Children

2005-01-18T01:23:00.000-08:00

IF YOU ARE SO LED PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FAITH COMMUNITIES AND YOUR EMAIL LISTS

An Invitation to Prayer
The Christian Peacemaker Team in Baghdad, Iraq invites you to join with us every Tuesday for a day of prayer, fasting and action that will continue until Easter week. Participate as you are led either by fasting (the team will do a bread and water fast) and/or participating with us in a time of joint prayer. At 9AM Eastern Standard Time (1400GMT) on Tuesdays the team will gather for an hour of focused prayer. You are invited to join with us for the entire hour or for as much time as you can. Please also note the Action Steps connected with the week’s sacred passage that is the focus for the prayer time. If you are so led, the CPT Iraq team asks that you take the suggested action between Tuesday and Thursday so that we can be working together.

Website for posting now available: CPT in Iraq has begun a web log found at http://prayerandactionforiraq.blogspot.com. We encourage you to post any insights that may have come to your during your times of prayer and action, so that we may encourage each other’s spiritual growth.

To post a comment on our web log, follow these steps:
1) Scroll down to the bottom of the posting you wish to comment on.
2) Click on the place that shows the number of comments made on the posting.
3) Scroll to the bottom of that page and click where is says, “Post a comment.”

Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Day of Prayer and fasting: “Rachel weeping for her children”

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children of Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.”

Matthew 2: 16 – 18 carries the pain of this season. There is the joy and celebration of the birth of Emmanuel, but the season also encompasses exile and sorrow. Last week the day of prayer focused on exile. Today the scripture carries the reader into the sorrow.

This region of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers may hold the birth site of the human story in Eden at the juncture of the rivers, but today it tells a tale of sorrow. Iraq now is a country ravaged by war. In war, the women carry much of the pain.

The fighters from both sides hold women hostage. The U.S. forces have a women’s prison in Erbil. Some of the U.S. forces are women who carry the trauma of war. But more broadly, women are the mothers, wives, and children of those who go off to war. They are the ones left to weep when fighters die in the conflict. There is “wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refus[es] to be consoled.”
_____

Women’s Will is an Iraqi human rights organization. The group has tried to get permission from the U.S. and interim Iraqi authorities to hold a vigil to express the pain of women on all sides of this conflict. They have been refused. They ask you to do this vigil on their behalf.
_____

Suggested Actions:

Be a stand-in for Women’s Will.
1) Gather women in your community for a public vigil to demonstrate the pain that mothers, wives, and children of Iraqi civilians, Iraqi resistance fighters, and U.S. soldiers carry because of this ongoing conflict.

2) Preach a sermon or write a letter to the editor of your local paper sharing the pain of women as a plea for an end to this conflict that damages and destroys everyone, especially the women in this world.

"Liberty to Captives"

2005-01-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 11, 2004
Day of Prayer and Fasting: Liberty to Captives

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because God has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. God has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” (Luke 4:18, from Isaiah 61:1)

“When you have laid [your enemies] low, bind your captives firmly. Then grant them their freedom or take a ransom from them, until War shall lay down her burdens.” (Qur’an 47:3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

While these holy texts ask us to treat captives with mercy and justice, the reality of prisoner abuse extends far back into human history. Biblical stories include numerous accounts of mistreatment: Samson, during the period of his imprisonment was compelled to do hard and humiliating labor (Jdg 16:21). The authorities often marked dangerous persons with various kinds of physical mutilation. Samson’s captors gouged out his eyes. King Nebuchadnezzar did the same to Zedekiah (2 Kings 22:27). Abonibezek’s torturers cut off his thumbs and great toes to render him incapable of further resistance (Jdg 1:6). Prisoners suffered from an inadequate diet (1 Kings 22:27) and were required to wear special prison garb (2 Kings 25:29).

Post-invasion Iraq is no different. We have all read stories of Iraqi men and women who have been tortured by U.S. soldiers while in detention. People have suffered electrocution, sexual abuse, physical mutilation, and psychological threats. Ongoing investigations reveal that this mistreatment extends far beyond the actions of “a few bad apples,” and is endemic within the prisons and detention centers in Iraq.

The detention system in Iraq is presently overwhelmed by more than 10,000 detainees. Many are housed in temporary prisons at military bases, because the two main prisons of Abu Ghraib and Bucca cannot contain them all. Their incarceration in military bases, among soldiers untrained in proper treatment of prisoners, increases the likelihood of further abuse.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ACTION:

1. Visit CPT Iraq’s Adopt-a-Detainee Campaign website (http://www.cpt.org/campaigns/adopt/adopt_a_detainee.php)

2. Choose a detainee whose story compels you, and write a letter on his behalf (the website lists contact information for various authorities to whom you can send letters).

3. Send a copy of the letter to your congressperson and senators (www.house.gov and www.senate.gov for their email and snail-mail addresses).

Children in Exile

2005-01-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 4, 2004
Day of Prayer and Fasting: Children in Exile

(Matthew 2:13-15a)
“After the wise men left, an angel of God appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him. Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.”

Jesus spent some of his most formative years living in exile. Mary and Joseph had to raise their child far from his native culture and people. How difficult was it for him to return home?

Today, young soldiers are sent both willingly and unwillingly into the exile of war. The stress of fear and combat, and the interior damage soldiers sustain when they become killers, last far beyond the time of deployment. How difficult is it for them to return home? How many, in their hearts, remain in exile?

More than 1,200 soldiers have died, more than 21,000 have been wounded, and more than 5,000 of the wounded have been too badly injured to return to duty. According to a study conducted last year by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 16 percent of Marines and 17 percent of Army soldiers showed symptoms of depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from Iraq. Those figures are probably deceptively low, due to the shame connected with reporting a psychological illness. Other soldiers experience increased rates of marital discord, high-risk behavior and suicide attempts – all needing attention from a veterans' healthcare system that has received no new funding since the Iraq war began.

ACTION STEP:
Many soldiers and families of soldiers are organizing to say “no” to the Iraq war and occupation, and are seeking alternative ways to respond to international conflict. Choose one or more of the following groups to research and support in whatever way you can.

Bring Them Home Now (http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/)
“Our troops are embroiled in a regional quagmire largely of our own government's making. These military actions are not perceived as liberations, but as occupations, and our troops are now subject to daily attacks. Without just cause for war, we say bring the troops home now!”

Iraq Veterans Against the War (http://www.ivaw.net)
“Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) is a group of veterans who have served since September 11th, 2001 including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. We are committed to saving lives and ending the violence in Iraq by an immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces.”

Military Families Speak Out (http://www.mfso.org)
“MFSO is an organization of people who are opposed to war in Iraq and who have loved ones in the military. We were formed in November 2002 and have contacts with military families throughout the United States, and in other countries around the world.”

For the UK:
Military Families Against the War (http://www.mfaw.org.uk)
“MFAW is an organization of people directly affected by the war in Iraq. Our relatives and loved ones are members of the British Armed Services. We are opposed to the continuing involvement of UK soldiers in a war that is based on lies.”

For Canadians:
Conscience Canada (http://members.shaw.ca/consciencecanada/index.html)
“As conscientious objectors to military taxation (COMTs), we choose to follow the dictate of our conscience and refuse to pay for war. Our Peace Tax Trust Fund allows people to divert the military portion of their taxes, to be held in trust until there is a law respecting conscientious objection to military taxation.”

Others:
Contact any of the above organizations to offer a word of encouragement. Let them know that people from other countries appreciate their bold witness in very difficult circumstances.

“And those who make you tremble wake up”

2004-12-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

6 “Alas for you who heap up what is not your own!”
7 How long will you load yourselves with goods taken in pledge?
Will not your own creditors suddenly rise up?
And those who make you tremble wake up?
Then you will be booty for them.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
all that survive of the people shall plunder you;
because of the human bloodshed and violence to the earth.

9“Alas for you who get evil gain for your houses,
Setting your nest on high to be safe from the reach of harm!”
10You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many people.
You have forfeited your life.
11The very stones will cry out from the wall, and the beams will respond from the woodwork.

12“Alas for you who built a town by bloodshed, and founded a city on iniquity!”
13 It is not for the Lord of hosts that people labor to feed the flames,
and nations weary themselves for nothing.
14 But the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters cover the seas.

15“Alas for you who make your neighbors drink, pouring out your wrath until they are drunk,
in order to gaze on their nakedness!”
16 You will be sated with contempt instead of glory,
Drink, you yourself, and stagger!
17 The cup of the Lord’s right hand
will come round to you,
and shame will come to your glory!
18 For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
The destruction of the animals will terrify you-
because of human bloodshed and violence to the earth.

Habakkuk 2: 6-18 NRSV

Suggested Action: This passage speaks to several of the important concerns regarding Iraq. Please email, call or write your Congressional Representative about one of these concerns that are described below. If you don’t have contact information please go to http://www.house.gov/. For those readers who are not U.S. citizens consider writing or emailing your ambassador to the United States requesting that they speak out regarding these issues.

”Heap up what is not your own” (Verses 6-8) Consider writing about the reality that only twenty-six cents of every dollar allocated for Iraq reconstruction is actually flowing into the Iraqi economy (Iraq Ministry of Planning figures). Many U.S. corporations are reaping the gains of the post invasion “reconstruction”. See this article for information about the Halliburton Corp.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=7091742

“Safe from the reach of harm” (vs. 9-11) Much of the current administrations justification for the incursion into Iraq is to keep harm from coming to the homeland. This discounts the harm that is taking place in the Iraqi homeland and just as importantly the large number of American men and women who have been killed or seriously injured. Consider writing about the hidden impact of the over 15,000 U.S. non-combat casualties suffered so far.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/112304W.shtml

“Built a town by bloodshed” (vs. 12-14) An American general referred to the assault on the town of Fallujah as an action that “broke the back of the insurgency”. However the weeks following the action have seen a marked increase in death and destruction at the hands of these same insurgents. Consider writing about the tremendous cost, in human terms, such a brutal house-to-house urban battle creates.
http://www.dahrjamailiraq.com/hard_news/archives/

“In order to gaze on their nakedness” (vs. 15-18) Illegal and immoral actions are still being carried out by U.S. military intelligence and the CIA. While the Supreme Court has moved to bring the detainees in Cuba within the guidelines of the U.S. Constitution no such action is available for detainees in Iraq. Consider writing to demand that we adhere to the United Nations Minimum Standards of Treatment for Prisoners.
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=17216&c=206

You may also find out more about the detainee situation by visiting the CPT website at:
http://cpt.org/campaigns/adopt/adopt_a_detainee.php

"A Mother's Story"

2004-12-16T04:45:00.000-08:00

Luke 1:38
Then Mary said, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

The story of the birth of Jesus is also the story of Mary. This simple, faithful woman from Galilee accepted the task of being the mother of Jesus, knowing from the beginning that it was going to be difficult. Her own engagement at the time was enough reason to decline. She ran the very real risk of becoming an unwed mother and possibly being stoned as an adulteress when Joseph discovered she was with child. Yet her heart told her it was right.

The rest of the story had more trouble for Mary. Emperor Augustus called for a census, which meant that Mary and Joseph had to travel, in the late stages of her pregnancy, to Joseph’s hometown of Bethlehem to register. While they were there Jesus is born in a very humble manner, and sometime after the birth the family had to flee to Egypt to avoid the wrath of King Herod who was determined to kill Mary’s child. Of course, Mary didn’t know all of these things would happen to her, nor did she know that she would eventually witness the agonizing death of her son. She simply accepted motherhood with all its joys and perils.

Right now in Iraq and in the United States there are mothers (and fathers) who accepted this same labor of love and who are now concerned for the well being of their children, whether their children are babes in arms or soldiers in uniform. Families on all sides of the conflict are experiencing the absence, injury and sometimes even death of their beloved children.

Suggested Action:

*Make a special time of prayer this week for the mothers, fathers and children who are impacted by the conflict in Iraq. Pray that those who perpetrate the violence will recognize their own humanity and will be led to stop making war on families. Pray by name for those you know who are affected personally.

*Support a family who has a loved one in the conflict, be they from the United States, Iraq, the United Kingdom, etc. Be supportive as you feel led to their needs—share Christmas treats, visit, drop a card or an e-mail, or simply let them know you remember their loved one.

*Remember the Iraqi families who are suffering now, many who have experienced great personal struggle and loss. Post your message on our web log http://prayerandactionforiraq.com/ for us to relay to Iraqis. To post a comment there, follow these instructions:
o Go to http://prayerandactionforiraq.com/
o Scroll down to the bottom of the posting you wish to comment on.
o Click on the place that shows the number of comments made on the posting.
o Scroll to the bottom of that page and click where is says, “Post a comment.”

"This is your hour and the power of darkness"

2004-12-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Luke 22 is a chapter of love. The chapter depicts Love, but Love confronted with betrayal, denial, and arrest. The authorities are seeking a way to put Jesus to death. They finally rely on the cover of darkness. The disciples are afraid and respond in various ways. The threat of arrest or death tests their commitment with Jesus to the limit. Terror is fear of the unknown.

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you [disciples], that he might sift you [disciples] like wheat …” Luke 22: 31

“When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour and the power of darkness.” Luke 22: 53
______

How do you respond to terror or attack? Might you, in fear, compromise principles of love by fleeing, or turning on a friend? Would you do whatever it takes to avoid the assault? How does the unknown impact your reaction?

Here in Iraq, house raids by U.S. troops happen in the middle of the night. Emotions short-circuit morality as prisoners are tortured or killed. Even nonviolent peace and development organizations rely on armed guards or flee the terror. Those who want to think the best of occupation troops attack reporters who tell events as they happen. Most journalists hole up in barricaded enclaves or only report from “embedded” positions.

At home, how do you respond to terror and attack? Do you pay for bigger weapons systems? Do you avoid those who are different? Do you escape to television and work? Do you justify the violent response to terror with religious pablum? Remember Jesus in these times of testing. Jesus modeled service, prayed for God’s will, healed the injured slave, and spoke straightforwardly to his interrogators. Jesus crossed lines of enmity, purity, and religiosity.

_____

Suggested Actions:

Break the barriers of the unknown. Get to know another human being on the other side of an artificial barrier.

1) If you are Christian, go visit a mosque or Islamic Center in your area. If you are Muslim, visit a church or synagogue in your area.
2) If you are not a soldier, go visit a nearby military base. If you are a soldier, go visit a peace center in your area. Go with a friend.

Day of Prayer And Action- "Security: A False God"

2004-12-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

“My guardian is God . . . . . Those to whom you pray besides God cannot help you, nor can they help themselves.” (Qur’an 7:196)

“A ruler is not saved by an army,
nor a warrior preserved by strength.
A vain hope for safety is the horse;
despite its power it cannot save . . .

Our soul is waiting for God.
God is our help and our shield.
In God do our hearts find joy.
We trust in God’s holy name.
May your love be upon us, O God,
As we place all our hope in you.” (Psalm 33:16-17, 20-22)

__________________________
“Stay safe.” We hear it all the time in Iraq. “Our soldiers are keeping us safe.” One hears it all the time in the Western world. Citizens of the West agreed to go to war because we wanted to be safe from WMD’s, we remain at war because we want to be safe from terrorism, and we pour billions of dollars into war and defense instead of into schools, healthcare, and social services.

Security, security, security. It has become a false god. We are obsessed with “staying safe” and are willing to use violence in order to do so. But “a vain hope for safety is the horse” – or the mini-nukes, fighter jets, tanks, and arms buildup. Despite their power, they cannot save.

What will save us? What about a just distribution of the world’s resources, justice and human rights in all our affairs, an attitude of trust rather than suspicion, friendship rather than intimidation, and an openness to learn rather than to preach. The Qur’an parallels the Biblical tradition when it states “It was God who created you from a single soul.” (Qur’an 7:189). When we remember to place our hope only in God and God’s presence in each other, perhaps at last we will be truly safe.

Suggested Action Steps:

For U.S. citizens: Consider that nearly 50% of your tax dollars go toward military spending in search of a “security” that does not exist. Visit the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee website (http://www.nwtrcc.org/) and consider ways to reallocate your tax dollars.
All citizens: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Express your concerns about your country’s approach to security, and suggest alternatives.

"They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy"

2004-11-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

Day of Prayer and Fasting with a focus on:

The Visit of the Wise Men

1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethelehem, in the land of Judah, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 And you, O Bethelehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepard my people Israel. 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Matthew 2:1-12 English Standard Version (ESV)

Suggested Action Step:

You are invited to send Christmas greetings to the United States ambassador in Iraq, John Negroponte. You may mail a card or letter to the address noted below. We would like to encourage the ambassador to recognize the message of Christmas is one of peace, hope and joy not one of violence, fear and suffering. A message of how in times past influential people recognized their limitations when in the presence of the divine. We ask our Jewish readers to consider sending Hanukah greetings to him and our Muslim readers might want to consider the passage on the birth of the Prophet Jesus (3:45-49) or other passages in the Qu’ran that relate to his life.

Action: Send a card or letter of holiday greetings to the ambassador at the following APO with standard US postage. People from other countries should use the standard rate from their country to a US address.

Ambassador John D. Negroponte
Embassy of the United States
APO AE 09316
Baghdad, Iraq

"God is Near the Brokenhearted"

2004-11-23T01:38:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, Nov 23 Day of Prayer and Fasting and Action

Psalm 34:11-18 NRSV
“Come o children, listen to me; I will teach you the awe of God.
Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good?
Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil, and do good: seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of God are on the righteous, and God’s ears are open to their cry.
The face of God is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of the
from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, God hears, and rescues them from their troubles.
God is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.”

“God is near to the brokenhearthearted, and saves the crushed in spirit” The people of Iraq still live with having electricity available at sporadic intervals. In a country with 24% of the worlds know petroleum reserves there are lines that stretch for blocks and blocks to get gasoline. There have been outbreaks of hepatitis in the country due to water treatment plants not having enough chemicals to treat the water. Bridges and roads are unfit for travel in many areas of the county. CPT Iraq asks that you contact Senator Richard Lugar, the chairperson of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and remind him that the United States must take on the major responsibility of rebuilding the country since we took the responsibility of undermining the infrastructure during two invasions and a decade long embargo.

Action Step:
Email Senator Lugar at senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov or call his office at 202.224.4814. Tell him you would like to see funding returned to infrastructure development bills for Iraq that were diverted for security and military funding bill last Summer. In addition only a very small percentage of the funds actually approved for reconstruction have been utilized in the country at this time.