Bishops say casualties in Falluja ‘unacceptable’
-16/11/04
Two senior Anglican bishops
Bishops say casualties in Falluja ‘unacceptable’
-16/11/04
Two senior Anglican bishops have spoken out over the assault on Falluja by US and Iraqi troops calling the casualties “unacceptable”, warning that insurgents will arise elsewhere, and protesting the backlash against Christians in Iraq.
In a statement, the Bishops of Coventry and Bath and Wells, who visited Iraq in 1999 expressed “dismay at the outcome of events since the end of the second Gulf war and, in particular, the recent attack on Fallujah.”
“Whilst acknowledging that terrible atrocities have clearly taken place in and around that region we are deeply disturbed at the emerging tragedy” they said.
Speaking about the assault on Falluja, Colin Bennetts and Peter price continued; “Many, perhaps the majority of civilians, left before the battle started. Those remaining were either insurgents or the poor and the elderly who had literally nowhere to go. The figures for ëco-lateral damageí that are emerging are unacceptable in a society that prides itself on civilised values.”
They also said it was essential that aid be delivered immediately to the most vulnerable in Fallujah and that long-term assistance was guaranteed for the rebuilding of the homes and infrastructure that have been obliterated.
The statement emphasised that the religious dimension of the conflict needed to be recognised.
“We need to acknowledge that huge numbers of Iraqi Muslims (and in particular those from the Sunni Triangle) increasingly regard the current military action as a war between religions” they said.
“The battle for Fallujah began on one of the holiest days on the Muslim calendar, the day when the giving of the Koran is celebrated. In a culture where symbolic deeds generally carry more weight than in the West we cannot disentangle the actions of what is perceived to be a Christian government from the backlash against local Christians as seen in the bombing of Christian churches.”
The statement ended with a call that “those waging war on terror take seriously the systemic nature of evil.”
“There is a perception that bombing cities may at times be thought desirable or even necessary (we demur from that view), but that quasi-territorial approach fails utterly to take account of the deeply held sense of antipathy towards much of what we call western freedoms. Driving the insurgents from Fallujah may prove to be little different from swatting a fly which then goes to lay its eggs elsewhere” the bishops said.
Drawing attention to the Iraqi Institute for Peace, they suggested that there were more positive ways forward in Iraq which should “be welcomed by both our great faith traditions.”
Bishops say casualties in Falluja ‘unacceptable’
-16/11/04
Two senior Anglican bishops have spoken out over the assault on Falluja by US and Iraqi troops calling the casualties “unacceptable”, warning that insurgents will arise elsewhere, and protesting the backlash against Christians in Iraq.
In a statement, the Bishops of Coventry and Bath and Wells, who visited Iraq in 1999 expressed “dismay at the outcome of events since the end of the second Gulf war and, in particular, the recent attack on Fallujah.”
“Whilst acknowledging that terrible atrocities have clearly taken place in and around that region we are deeply disturbed at the emerging tragedy” they said.
Speaking about the assault on Falluja, Colin Bennetts and Peter price continued; “Many, perhaps the majority of civilians, left before the battle started. Those remaining were either insurgents or the poor and the elderly who had literally nowhere to go. The figures for ëco-lateral damageí that are emerging are unacceptable in a society that prides itself on civilised values.”
They also said it was essential that aid be delivered immediately to the most vulnerable in Fallujah and that long-term assistance was guaranteed for the rebuilding of the homes and infrastructure that have been obliterated.
The statement emphasised that the religious dimension of the conflict needed to be recognised.
“We need to acknowledge that huge numbers of Iraqi Muslims (and in particular those from the Sunni Triangle) increasingly regard the current military action as a war between religions” they said.
“The battle for Fallujah began on one of the holiest days on the Muslim calendar, the day when the giving of the Koran is celebrated. In a culture where symbolic deeds generally carry more weight than in the West we cannot disentangle the actions of what is perceived to be a Christian government from the backlash against local Christians as seen in the bombing of Christian churches.”
The statement ended with a call that “those waging war on terror take seriously the systemic nature of evil.”
“There is a perception that bombing cities may at times be thought desirable or even necessary (we demur from that view), but that quasi-territorial approach fails utterly to take account of the deeply held sense of antipathy towards much of what we call western freedoms. Driving the insurgents from Fallujah may prove to be little different from swatting a fly which then goes to lay its eggs elsewhere” the bishops said.
Drawing attention to the Iraqi Institute for Peace, they suggested that there were more positive ways forward in Iraq which should “be welcomed by both our great faith traditions.”