“The only hope for this nation is peace. Without it there can be no future. That is why we spend so much of our time working for this, trying to find solutions in this terrible situation. There is no instant solution. We know the work is long and hard. We know we are at great risk ourselves but we are not going to give up...We are not going to stop or give up and one day, I do not know when, but things will be different."
Canon Andrew White FRRMEA major gathering of religious, political and Tribal leaders has taken place in Baghdad in order to attempt to reduce violence. The meeting was sponsored by the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East and led by Canon Andrew White.
The meetings were attended by over 70 people representing all major Iraqi religious traditions. A major accord was agreed upon marking the first time religious leaders have come together in a reaction against all terrorism and in particular the work of Al Qaeda. The accord and therefore the delegates also express their support and willingness to engage with the Government of Iraq. This was the first time the religious leaders have responded this way and thus it was a significant achievement for the future of Iraq.
The Delegates also expressed their desire to meet regularly to look at ways of reducing violence. Four working groups will also be established to look at political, cultural and reconstruction issues to further reduce violence. The initial project is regarding the role of religious leaders in removing weapons from the masses.
The first post-congress meeting has already taken place, so there has already been a meeting to look at how the process to reduce violence can be taken forward. Canon Andrew White speaking in Baghdad on Thursday stated "for the first time we have a committed variety of religious leaders taking radical risks for the sake of peace. The journey forward is going to be long and hard but together we will not stop. We need international partners who will be willing to invest in this essential project for the long term."
10 tenets of The Iraqi Inter-Religious Congress Accords
We clerics, intellectuals and political leaders gathered at this congress pray and appeal for the peace of Iraq and declare our commitment to doing all in our power to ensure the end of all acts of violence and bloodshed which are in violation of the right to life, freedom and dignity... We as Iraqis from different traditions have decided to endeavor to live together as one family respecting the moral and religious integrity of every individual and we call upon all to condemn and renounce the culture of incitement, hatred and the demonization of the other. We also declare to the world at large that:
1. We seek to rebuild our country, the country of Iraq.
2. The acts of violence, terrorism, corruption, and all forms of oppression are contrary to the lofty principles of all our faiths.
3. The traditions of faith from antiquity have created and nurtured Iraq as the Land of Holy Places. The sanctity of all our places of worship and religious sites must be protected and preserved by all. The freedom of religious worship and expression must be guaranteed for all.
4. While we acknowledge and encourage the efforts of the government towards reconciliation, peace, and security we remind the government of its commitment to the mandate it has been given by the people. We call on the political leaders in Iraq to support the principles of the constitution as they work for a just, fair and peaceful democracy, according to the divinely inspired commandments of messengers and prophets.
5. We as religious clerics are against the criminal spread of arms in Iraqi society and ask for the removal of unauthorized weapons to create a safer civil society.
6. We call on and urge the international community to assist in the positive spiritual, political, and economic reconstruction of Iraq away from violence and chaos and in line with the International Compact for Iraq.
7. We denounce Al Qaeda and other extremist groups and we commit ourselves to a new model of truth, openness and reconciliation which will enable the spiritual, political and physical reconstruction of Iraq.
8. We shall devote ourselves to continue our joint efforts for the unity of the people of Iraq and for the creation of a climate of togetherness in which our present and future generations may live with mutual trust and respect. We shall also educate our present and future generations to maintain this commitment while denouncing all forms of terrorism and extremism, political, religious, or otherwise.
9. We the clerics and intellectuals seek these goals of success, prosperity, fair governance, and religious freedom while denouncing the corruption and misuse of authority. We recognize these goals require us to preserve these efforts with the integrity of our mutual commitments through a continuing process of vested actions, committees, and meetings that produce the results of our message. We seek God Almighty's help in this regard and pledge to recruit like-minded leaders and remain unwavering in our desires to live in a free and sovereign Iraq.
10. We implore the Iraqi Government and the Parliament to speed up and activate the recommendations of all national, tribal, and religious reconciliation meetings in order to achieve balance and fairness according to the capabilities and expectations of the Iraqi people.
If you would like to be a part of strengthening this essential work write to: United States Office
FRRME
PO Box 470902
Charlotte, NC 28247
United States of America
Europe Office
FRRME
100 New Kings Road
London SW6 4LX
United Kingdom
Robert McFarlane, former National Security Advisor to President Reagan wrote for the Wall Street Journal this week:
“One reason put forward for why we ought not continue the fight in Iraq is that the Iraqis themselves aren't doing their part to unite their country against the insurgency. It's wrong. Two weeks ago, I participated in a remarkable three-day gathering of more than 70 Iraqi clerics. It was held in Baghdad, was organized by Canon Andrew White, an Anglican priest in Iraq, and had one aim: Give Iraqi religious leaders a forum to listen to and engage one another. It was a phenomenal success.”
Robert McFarlane's commentary continued from front page...
The conference was encouraging from the outset because it attracted some of the top clerics in the country. They included close advisors to Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the senior Shia prelate in Iraq; Moqtada Al Sadr, the firebrand leader of the Mahdi militia; and equivalent Sunni and Kurdish figures. They arrived clearly interested in fostering reconciliation, and in the process reducing violence, disarming the militias and enacting into law a framework for a fair distribution of political and economic power. Many of the participants are members of the parliament.
Think about the meaning of what’s described in the preceding paragraph. How often have you asked yourself over the past four years as violence has unfolded in Iraq, “Is it possible that the hatred and bitterness on display each day will ever evolve into reconciliation?” After attending this conference, I believe the answer is yes. First, it is important to note that in Iraq the term “cleric” carries a different meaning than in the West. In Islam, one’s personal obligation to devote himself to improving the well-being of his political and economic setting—a concept known as jihad—acknowledges for some sects the legitimacy of violence. Indeed, many of the participants at the conference have a violent history. So much the better, because it is only through getting those at the center of the conflict to engage with their adversaries that we will find the basis for a modus vivendi. And so it turned out at this conference.
The opening salvos from each of the three sects involved rhetorical statements of grievance—each against the others. What was remarkable, however, was that the statements turned out to be pro forma and by the afternoon of the first day these very powerful figures began to listen to one another. What transpired was fascinating. Shia participants acknowledged that their followers had intermarried with Sunnis for generations—and vice versa—and while all deplored the brutality of Saddam’s regime no one counted it as legitimating a blood feud. The common theme was one of anger at the violence in Iraq and its’ primary driver, al Qaeda. But this rage came tempered by a commitment to put their country back together. Throughout the conference, they called it their “nation.” By the second day they began to focus on setting benchmarks to measure each other’s commitment to what was being said. Each of the participants, men and women of great influence—the elite of Iraq—pledged to return to their provinces and seek to reduce violence, attempt to disarm the militias and (for those members of the parliament) to forge a compromise and pass critical legislation including the pending oil law—a benchmark measure of the willingness of Shias and Kurds to acknowledge the centrality of a secure economic future for Sunnis.
It is important to note that this conference was strongly supported by American Ambassador Ryan Crocker as well as by Gen. David Petraeus, commander of coalition forces in Iraq. Neither sought to intervene nor to drive the conference toward any particular conclusion. Both clearly understood, however, that broad-based political reconciliation is the linchpin of any hope for lasting stability in Iraq.
In Washington, Mr. White’s effort to nurture the process of reconciliation has been quietly supported by the Defense Department. Some would dismiss such support as nothing but self-interest on the part of the Pentagon. But I believe there is more to it than that. After four very difficult and counterproductive years in Iraq, we now have leaders in place in Baghdad who understand the nature of this conflict. Ambassador Crocker and Gen. Petraeus intuitively know that a political accommodation acceptable to all is the only stable foundation for peace in Iraq. And they also understand that such a foundation can only be laid by Iraqis.
On the last day of the conference the delegates pledged to reconvene as soon as possible. A final settlement will likely take some time. But current plans call for a second meeting to be held in Cairo in August. The irony of this possibly historic work is that it is operating on a shoestring. Mr. White has organized a nonprofit in the U.S. and is now trying to raise the fairly modest sums needed to keep this trialogue going. If you’d like to know more about his efforts please send me a note.
