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Interfaith Direct Action
Prominent Religious Leaders Join to Protest Invasion of Iraq, Vow to Blockade SF Federal Building Friday Morning 3/28 and Risk Arrest
Interfaith Witness for Peace in the Middle East
NEWS
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bob Lyons, Buddhist Peace Fellowship (510) 655-6169 ext 311
Allan Solomonow, American Friends Service Committee (415) 565-0201 x 26
Buddhist monks, Jewish rabbis, Roman Catholic priests, and Protestant ministers will convene at the San Francisco Federal Building Friday for an interfaith service to mourn the dead and protest the US invasion of Iraq. Some will engage in civil disobedience and risk arrest to express their sorrow and deep disagreement with the war policy of the Bush administration.
WHERE: San Francisco Federal Building, Golden Gate and Larkin
WHEN: Friday morning, March 28, 9:00 AM: Interfaith service including Memorial and Well-being services for victims and participants on both sides of the conflict, plus Reading of an Open Letter to President Bush, administration officials, and California Congressional delegation (attached). 10:00 AM: Civil Disobedience by spiritual leaders and others.
WHO: Buddhists Jack Kornfield, Paul Haller, Sylvia Boorstein and Alan Senauke; Rabbis Pam Frydman Baugh, Michael Lerner and David Cooper; Roman Catholics Louis Vitale and Sister Bernie Galvin; and Protestant ministers Roger Ridgeway and Schuyler Rhoades will speak (some will risk arrest). Sponsored by the Interfaith Witness for Peace in the Middle East, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, American Friends Service Committee, Tikkun Community, Religious Witness with Homeless People, and the Franciscan Affinity Group.
“People of faith cannot sit idly by, while religious language is used to justify an invasion that is opposed by the Pope, the Dalai Lama, and the religions of the world,” said Sister Bernie Galvin.
“Two thousand five hundred years ago the Buddha said: ‘To harm live beings who, like us, seek contentment, is to bring harm to ourselves.’ This is true today just as it was then,” said Sylvia Boorstein.
“God blesses all countries and all people, not just America and Americans,” said Allan Solomonow.
“War is hell, and hell is as far away as you can get from the world of the spirit. To bring our troops home now would be redemption for all of us,” said Alan Senauke
“This war violates international law and all sense of human decency, and is unnecessary. We wish safety to American soldiers and Iraqis alike. May all beings be free from suffering,” said Reverend Taigen Leighton.
March 28, 2003
Dear President Bush, Secretaries Powell & Rumsfeld, Senators Feinstein & Boxer, and members of California’s Congressional delegation:
Today we stand before San Francisco’s Phillip Burton Federal Building in sorrow and in hope. Our sorrow is for the dead, the wounded, the missing on all sides in this U.S.-led war with Iraq. Our hope and prayer is for peace and security. Peace and true security are built on actions of generosity, patience, mutual respect, and non-harming. The deepest teachings of all our religions carry these truths.
Though we may have different practices and beliefs, we share the vision that all beings comprise one spirit, one humanity, that all seek peace and happiness. Leaders from many faith traditions, including your own, have spoken clearly and publicly that this war is wrong. We understand that the earth itself is wounded, and that war will leave its mark on countless lives for years to come. Violence can never lead to peace. We pray that even in the midst of war you may realize these truths and turn back from further death and destruction.
As clergy and people of faith from Northern California, we are aware of the great responsibilities you bear for the wellbeing of Americans, and your concern for the people of Iraq. In our own churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples we are responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of our congregations and communities. Together, we can create a world free from fear, poverty, disease, and war. This will never arise from self-centeredness, greed, national pride, empire, and intolerance. We believe that the consequences of this pre-emptive war in Iraq will spin the whole world into a downward spiral of fear and untruth.
Barely a week into this war, we can see the terrible results. It is not a video game. It is not a walk in the park. Real people—men, women, and children—are being killed. Boastful predictions of easy victory and welcoming Iraqis turn out to be a pipedream. What did you really expect? So now the battle will be in earnest. Death and destruction will bury the sweet dream of peace and freedom.
Yet, it is never too late to awaken to the common spirit flowing in the blood of each of us. We know that this spirit is strong and unstoppable. It grows like grass coming up through cracks in the sidewalk. When we listen to this spirit, we oppose war and encourage diplomacy. We wholeheartedly welcome the return of our troops now and offer our enemies a generous peace and reconciliation. Such a course may seem naïve, but we know this to be ancient and universal wisdom.
The late Oscar Romero, activist Archbishop of El Salvador—assassinated in March 1980 as he celebrated mass in San Salvador—offered these words of truth. "Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all. Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity. It is right and it is duty."
Some of us here today are committed to an action of civil disobedience, blocking entrance to the Federal Building to express our opposition to the U.S. government’s policy of war. We do not undertake civil disobedience lightly. Because we feel that a pre-emptive war unsupported by a great majority of nations is in violation of the spirit of international law, we knowingly violate the law of our own country. It may be a symbolic gesture, but this is how we choose to speak with our conscience and bodies. We do so with respect, in peace, and with reverence for life.
In peace,
Pam Frydman Baugh, Congregation Or Shalom
Sylvia Boorstein, Insight Meditation Society
David Cooper, Kehilla Community Synagogue
Sister Bernie Galvin, Religious Witness with Homeless People
Paul Haller, San Francisco Zen Center
Jack Kornfield, Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Michael Lerner, Tikkun Community
Allan Solomonow, American Friends Service Committee
Schuyler Rhoades, Temple United Methodist Church
Roger Ridgeway, St. John’s United Church of Christ
Alan Senauke, Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Father Louis Vitale, St. Boniface Church
NEWS
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bob Lyons, Buddhist Peace Fellowship (510) 655-6169 ext 311
Allan Solomonow, American Friends Service Committee (415) 565-0201 x 26
Buddhist monks, Jewish rabbis, Roman Catholic priests, and Protestant ministers will convene at the San Francisco Federal Building Friday for an interfaith service to mourn the dead and protest the US invasion of Iraq. Some will engage in civil disobedience and risk arrest to express their sorrow and deep disagreement with the war policy of the Bush administration.
WHERE: San Francisco Federal Building, Golden Gate and Larkin
WHEN: Friday morning, March 28, 9:00 AM: Interfaith service including Memorial and Well-being services for victims and participants on both sides of the conflict, plus Reading of an Open Letter to President Bush, administration officials, and California Congressional delegation (attached). 10:00 AM: Civil Disobedience by spiritual leaders and others.
WHO: Buddhists Jack Kornfield, Paul Haller, Sylvia Boorstein and Alan Senauke; Rabbis Pam Frydman Baugh, Michael Lerner and David Cooper; Roman Catholics Louis Vitale and Sister Bernie Galvin; and Protestant ministers Roger Ridgeway and Schuyler Rhoades will speak (some will risk arrest). Sponsored by the Interfaith Witness for Peace in the Middle East, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, American Friends Service Committee, Tikkun Community, Religious Witness with Homeless People, and the Franciscan Affinity Group.
“People of faith cannot sit idly by, while religious language is used to justify an invasion that is opposed by the Pope, the Dalai Lama, and the religions of the world,” said Sister Bernie Galvin.
“Two thousand five hundred years ago the Buddha said: ‘To harm live beings who, like us, seek contentment, is to bring harm to ourselves.’ This is true today just as it was then,” said Sylvia Boorstein.
“God blesses all countries and all people, not just America and Americans,” said Allan Solomonow.
“War is hell, and hell is as far away as you can get from the world of the spirit. To bring our troops home now would be redemption for all of us,” said Alan Senauke
“This war violates international law and all sense of human decency, and is unnecessary. We wish safety to American soldiers and Iraqis alike. May all beings be free from suffering,” said Reverend Taigen Leighton.
March 28, 2003
Dear President Bush, Secretaries Powell & Rumsfeld, Senators Feinstein & Boxer, and members of California’s Congressional delegation:
Today we stand before San Francisco’s Phillip Burton Federal Building in sorrow and in hope. Our sorrow is for the dead, the wounded, the missing on all sides in this U.S.-led war with Iraq. Our hope and prayer is for peace and security. Peace and true security are built on actions of generosity, patience, mutual respect, and non-harming. The deepest teachings of all our religions carry these truths.
Though we may have different practices and beliefs, we share the vision that all beings comprise one spirit, one humanity, that all seek peace and happiness. Leaders from many faith traditions, including your own, have spoken clearly and publicly that this war is wrong. We understand that the earth itself is wounded, and that war will leave its mark on countless lives for years to come. Violence can never lead to peace. We pray that even in the midst of war you may realize these truths and turn back from further death and destruction.
As clergy and people of faith from Northern California, we are aware of the great responsibilities you bear for the wellbeing of Americans, and your concern for the people of Iraq. In our own churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples we are responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of our congregations and communities. Together, we can create a world free from fear, poverty, disease, and war. This will never arise from self-centeredness, greed, national pride, empire, and intolerance. We believe that the consequences of this pre-emptive war in Iraq will spin the whole world into a downward spiral of fear and untruth.
Barely a week into this war, we can see the terrible results. It is not a video game. It is not a walk in the park. Real people—men, women, and children—are being killed. Boastful predictions of easy victory and welcoming Iraqis turn out to be a pipedream. What did you really expect? So now the battle will be in earnest. Death and destruction will bury the sweet dream of peace and freedom.
Yet, it is never too late to awaken to the common spirit flowing in the blood of each of us. We know that this spirit is strong and unstoppable. It grows like grass coming up through cracks in the sidewalk. When we listen to this spirit, we oppose war and encourage diplomacy. We wholeheartedly welcome the return of our troops now and offer our enemies a generous peace and reconciliation. Such a course may seem naïve, but we know this to be ancient and universal wisdom.
The late Oscar Romero, activist Archbishop of El Salvador—assassinated in March 1980 as he celebrated mass in San Salvador—offered these words of truth. "Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all. Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity. It is right and it is duty."
Some of us here today are committed to an action of civil disobedience, blocking entrance to the Federal Building to express our opposition to the U.S. government’s policy of war. We do not undertake civil disobedience lightly. Because we feel that a pre-emptive war unsupported by a great majority of nations is in violation of the spirit of international law, we knowingly violate the law of our own country. It may be a symbolic gesture, but this is how we choose to speak with our conscience and bodies. We do so with respect, in peace, and with reverence for life.
In peace,
Pam Frydman Baugh, Congregation Or Shalom
Sylvia Boorstein, Insight Meditation Society
David Cooper, Kehilla Community Synagogue
Sister Bernie Galvin, Religious Witness with Homeless People
Paul Haller, San Francisco Zen Center
Jack Kornfield, Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Michael Lerner, Tikkun Community
Allan Solomonow, American Friends Service Committee
Schuyler Rhoades, Temple United Methodist Church
Roger Ridgeway, St. John’s United Church of Christ
Alan Senauke, Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Father Louis Vitale, St. Boniface Church
For more information:
http://www.bpf.org
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