Posted on 09/16/2001 9:54:28 AM PDT by LarryLied
Heartfelt sympathies and condolences are with all those whose loved ones were lost or injured on September 11, 2001. At this moment, we would all like to take time to reflect, to grieve, to extend sympathy and condolences to all.
But we believe that we must do more. We must act.
Unless we stop President Bush from carrying out a new, wider war in the Middle East and beyond, the number of innocent victims will grow from the thousands to the tens of thousands and possibly more. A new, wider U.S. war in the Middle East can only lead to an escalating cycle of violence. War is not the answer.
After the horrific killings of thousands of innocent civilians on Sept. 11, the Bush administration is moving in a very ominous direction. In a chilling statement, Bush administration spokespersons have called for "ending states," an unprecedented threat.
At the same time, Arab American and Muslim people in the United States -- as well as other communities of color -- are facing racist attacks and harassment in their communities, on their jobs and at mosques. Anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism is a poison that should be repudiated.
The government is attempting to curb civil liberties and to create a climate in which it is impossible for progressive people to speak their mind. The Bush administration is attempting to take advantage of this crisis to militarize U.S. society with a vast expansion of police powers that is intended to severely restrict basic democratic rights.
On September 29 we had planned to demonstrate against the Bush administration's reactionary foreign and domestic policy and the IMF and World Bank. In light of the current crisis, with its tragic consequences for so many thousands of people, we have refocused the call for our demonstration to address the immediate danger posed by increased racism and the grave threat of a new war.
Now is the time for all people of conscience, all people who oppose racism and war to come together. If you believe in civil liberties and oppose racism and war, join us on September 29 in front of the White House. We urge all organizations to join together at this critical time.
SIGNERS:
Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Auxiliary Bishop, Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit Samia Halaby, Al-Awda Palestine Right of Return Coalition Barbara Lubin, Executive Director, Middle East Children's Alliance Nania Kaur Dhingra, Sikh Student Organization, George Washington University Chuck Kaufman, National Co-Coordinator, Nicaragua Network Njeri Shakur, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, National Lawyers Guild
For more information, contact an organizing center near you.
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