Dear Friends,

On behalf of the members of Religions for Peace (United Kingdom), I write these words of encouragement and support for your call to all people and to all authorities to respect the integrity and the dignity of human life in the violent conflict raging across the Middle East.

We fully support the statement of Dr William F. Vendley, the Secretary General of Religions for Peace:

“Acts of violence are pushing the peoples of Israel, Lebanon, Palestine and neighboring states toward an abyss of destruction. Innocent people are being killed, civilian infrastructure is being destroyed and the fires of hatreds are being fanned. Today’s acts of violence must stop. Violence kills the innocent, inflicts profound suffering and causes vast damage. It strengthens extremists and weakens moderates. Violence will neither provide real security nor lead to a sustainable peace.

Serious alternatives to violence need to be advanced on all sides to stop the slide into a widening war and to create conditions to return to a comprehensive peace process. Key immediate steps should include:

An end to the bombing of Lebanon and the rocket attacks on Israel
The return of the Israeli soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon unharmed
The release of the arrested Palestinian ministers and parliamentarians
An end to Israeli military operations and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and Lebanon.

The United Nations needs to take action to assist the conflicting parties to take these steps. So does the United States, a global superpower that has largely disengaged from the Middle East peace process. The United States needs to re-engage and work constructively with the United Nations, other states and all of the relevant parties in the region.

Religious leaders also need to take action. Religious leaders need to stand together to reject the grotesque misuse of religion whenever it is hijacked in support of violence. They need to work together to find new ways to stop the violence and suffering. They need to continue to encourage their faithful - millions of sincere Jews, Muslims and Christians - to not lose heart, but remain steadfast in prayer.”

Religious leaders must also work together to find ways of advancing shared sustainable security for every individual of every race, every nation and every religion throughout the Middle East. Let us all work together and help make this happen.

With Love and peace,

Brian Walker, Director Religions for Peace UK

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122 Days in Bagdad

I am embarrassed at having achieved a degree of fame (notoriety?) not for what have done but for what was done to me. Yes, I made the decision to go to Iraq as a member of a Christian Peacemaker Delegation but nine such CPT groups had been to Iraq without such an incident. I went to Baghdad partly to discover whether it was responsible for Fellowship of Reconciliation to send young people on such delegations and partly to prove that at 74 I was not past taking adventures in my faith as a pacifist.

Unfortunately I only had 3 days of meeting Iraqi people before the kidnap. Perhaps the best visits were the meetings with workers at the power station who were pleased to meet Westerners and to Fr Douglas and the young people at the St Man church. An encounter with staff at the Baghdad Radiotherapy Hospital gave evidence of the inadequate resources with which the people of Iraq have to cope each day. We did not have time to discover the work that the permanent CPT staff members were engaged on in Baghdad (see the CPT website www.cpt.org).

Once in captivity our contacts were limited to the 3 ‘minders’ and the one man with some authority in the insurgent group. Within the deprivations of captivity we were treated humanely and without physical violence apart from the handcuffs and chains. I recall the time when one mirider brought us a fragrant rose from the garden while another came in with a Christmas cake. They showed us a DVD of the life of Jesus (in Arabic) but in other DVDs made by their insurgent group they were proud to show us many acts of violence against British and American troops. They were members of the group responsible for the death of Tom Fox.

The act of release was Ironic — we came in peace and were freed by the SAS — perhaps the team within the British military most renowned for violence. I did thank them for my release and acknowledged their courage but there are many sorts of courage. The brayery of the CPT members who stayed in Baghdad until our release — at risk each day and without armed protection - was of another order of bravery.

When I arrived back in Britain I was overwhelmed by the discovery of the amount of support we had in prayer, in vigils and other activities. Chris Cole, Pat Gaffney, Bruce Kent and Anas Al Tikriti (of the British Muslim Association) worked hard behind the scenes to seek contacts with Moslem groups in Iraq and other countries to plead for our release.

How has my faith been affected? My faith in the supportive fellowship of the church has been enhanced but God remained largely veiled during those months of captivity. We four captives generally kept to a pattern of daily worship and study (we endeavoured to recall the biblical passages with sufficient accuracy) but the most faithful in devotion was Tom Fox. We knew that there were people praying for us but there is evidently no simple relationship between prayer and its answer. Why were only 3 out of the 4 captives released?

One general question is worth asking — Why did this particular misfortune evoke such a wide ranging response when Christians take risks for their faith in many situations at home and abroad?

The secular media certainly gave much coverage to the kidnap and the release (they are still chasing me for further interviews) ihe-pubUcity hashe1ped lo raise the issue of Christian Peacemaking as Chris and Bruce and others have used opportunities in the media to explain why I went to Baghdad. During the period of captivity my wife had letters and cards of support not only from the UK but from many other countries. Prayers and vigils arranged by Christians were attended by Muslims and people of other faiths. Our captivity has opened opportunities for contacts between the faiths and I hope that these links will be maintained.

In the weeks since I returned home I continue to learn of other occasions when discussions of nonviolence became possible, for example, a seminary in Prague held regular prayers for the captives but the principal was able to introduce Christians from Eastern Europe to the biblical basis of nonviolence, a topic which they had never encountered before. The ways of God are very mysterious!

I like the story of the little girl who had joined in prayers for us. Then it was explained to her that I was free.

‘I’m three too’ she exclaimed.

Norman Kember

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Special day Conference

Religions for Peace / Unitarian peace Fellowship / Multifaith Centre at Uni of Derby

Peaceful Conflict

9.30 to 4.00, Saturday 21st October 2006
The MultiFaith Centre, University of Derby

We invite you to a day of personal development in conflict transformation, with thought and action for a more secure and peaceful world.

We will explore a way of changing conflict from a source of violence into a resource for peace and harmony in your community; across the UK and throughout the world.

There will be time to understand, share, reflect, dis cuss and transform how, together, you can create a more just and peaceful community.

Dr Brian Walker, Director of Religions for Peace (UK), will lead the workshop and offer ongoing advice and support.

To book your place, email: chris.goacher@ntlworld.com

Organised by the Unitarian Peace Fellowship and the Multi-Faith Centre at the University of Derby, funded by the Home Office

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