🚀 go-pugleaf

NO TO A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ!

The situation:

There has been a massive build up of military force in the Gulf of
Arabia. The combined forces of the United States of America (USA) and
United Kingdom (UK) amount to a total of over 60,000 troops in this
region. This week the number of fighter planes, bombers and missiles
has been greatly increased. The reason given for this escalation of
military force by the USA and the UK is Saddam Hussein's refusal to
allow United Nations (UN) weapons inspection teams free access to
Iraq. These actions have not been endorsed by the members of the UN
Security Council, and are causing many people to doubt the moral and
legal basis upon which this action is being taken.

Our Humanist point of view:

This action led by the USA and followed so meekly by the UK is
hypocritical and morally wrong. It is based upon the greed for money
and power by both the Iraqis and the USA/UK. It is supported by
political, multi-national and military interests, which regard the
loss of human life as an inconvenience in their endless task of
accumulating wealth and power. Hundreds and thousands of civilians
were killed or injured in the Gulf War, and yet the political and
military elite were left in place because the US Government thought it
politically convenient. It was not a war about human rights or wrongs,
but about oil and strategic interests. Have we not learned any lessons?
Do we still believe the lies about no civilian causalities and military 
targets only?

If the justification of this action is to neutralise the threat of
weapons of mass destruction possessed by Iraq, then what are the smart
bombs, warheads, missiles and huge military resources of the USA/UK?
This irresponsible and short-sighted advocation of destruction and
slaughter deny the possibility of a diplomatic solution based upon
dialogue and communication. Those who are suffering now and who will
suffer further, are the people of Iraq. Ordinary people who have the
same right to freedom and life as we do.

Our money and resources are being used to threaten, maim and kill
people in another parts of the world. The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights states that we all have the right to good healthcare,
education and quality of life, yet it is these very rights which are
shoved aside when political and military interests take over. We have
enough weapons to blow the world up 40 times over. The decision to
build and use these weapons is taken by a very small number of men,
who place their faith in weapons and fear, not in human progress,
dialogue and communication.

How can we stand aside whilst we are paying indirectly for this
violence through our taxes. How can we allow our elected
representatives to take decisions which will lead to many thousands,
perhaps millions of people being killed. An ethical foreign policy,
what was Robin Cook talking about ?

Is an Iraqi's life is worth less than ours ? We must do something
together, to show that we will not tolerate such arrogance on the part
of our leaders.  It has already gone too far.

Tens of thousands of members of the Humanist Movement are against 
the actions of Saddam Hussein, but we are alos against the violence
of the combined USA/UK action. We denounce both in the same breath and
with the same passion.

Our proposal: 

That we stand up and define ourselves on this matter of human
rights. This is a moral question, not a political one. The Humanist
Movement in Manchester proposed an act of combined demonstration 
with the people of Glasgow on Saturday February 21st and with Humanists 
from all over the UK, and on Saturday 28th February, a common 
world-wide action, uniting Humanists and all who agree in the 
denunciation of this threat of attack against Iraq.

These actions will include public demonstration, faxing and e-mailing
of USA and UK embassies, consulates and official residencies.

In Hong Kong the Humanist Association is taking part with this action 
by mobilising human energy in any way it can to denounce USA and UK 
government stances and to support China and Russia and any country that 
says no to such violence and to hold fast to their stand in the interests of 
Peace not War.

For more information about this proposal and to give your email address 
as signature and support please contact: 
Tristram Lake: tristramlake@compuserve.com (Humanist Movement, Manchester UK)
Tony Henderson: tonyhen@Humanist.ORG.HK (Humanist Association Hong Kong)
Mila Rodico:mila@hk.super.net (Lantau Humanist Filipinas - Hong Kong)

Relayed by Tony Henderson