[CPT-UK] Celebration Wednesday evening and Sample Letter to the Editor

[Tim Nafziger]

Dear friends of CPT in the UK,

I'm overjoyed to be able to invite you all to a time of worship and
celebration at the release of Norman, Tom and Harmeet at 6 pm in Trafalgar
square in London at the same time and place as our weekly vigil has been
happening over the last few months.

After the celebration at 7 pm, all of you are welcome to join us as we go
from there to a nearby cafe for a CPT gathering over tea and coffee. We'll
have a chance to look back at a week of media coverage, hear any stories
people want to share and look at a finalised proposal for hosting our
gathering on the 4th and 5th of June in Bradford.

I also want to take this opportunity to pass on the text of an excellent
letter to the editor that was sent by Andy and Emma Trenier, who are members
of this list, to their local papers. See the text below. I'd encourage you
all to consider writing similiar letters to speak out on behalf of Norman
Kember and the work of Christian Peacemaker Teams. If you're responding to
specific allegations made in your local paper, you might want to check
out "Briefing
on media accusations against Christian Peacemaker Teams" that was released
this morning by Ekklesia:

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_060327cptmedia.shtml

Sincerely,
Tim Nafziger

The text of Andy and Emma's letter follows:

Dear Editor,

Following the welcome release of Norman Kember and his colleagues last week,
the organisation that they went outo to Iraq with has been called "naive"
and "ungrateful" towards the rescuers of our friends and "irresponsible" for
sending people in to conflict areas.

The organisation's workers in Iraq had explicitly stated that in the event
of capture they did not wish to be freed by military action, he said.  The
Christian Peacemakers took this stance because they did not want to expose
others to danger, to divert resources from humanitarian work, or to create
any escalation of violence.  Instead, they were willing to lay down their
lives if necessary – and Tom Fox had done so.

But this does not mean that CPT was ungrateful to those who helped them.
Both the organisation and Mr Kember's wife have made statements of
appreciation to the soldiers and others involved.

Christian Peacmaker Teams are well-established in Iraq and that they had
maintained an almost continuous presence in Iraq since October 2002, six
months before the US-led invasion.

In advocating for human rights CPT (an agency established through the
Mennonite, Quaker and Brethren in Christ churches) had played a key role in
exposing detainee abuses, four months before the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

On the apparent irony of pacifists being freed by soldiers, I agree with the
commentator who observed "In a world where toxic religion is fuelling both
heartless jihad and gung-ho militarism it would surely be a far greater
irony to deny the witness of those whose chief role is to demonstrate that
human beings do not have to live in the enmity of might-is-right."

Whereas US President George Bush's invocation of God in support of the
invasion had alienated Muslims and exposed Iraqi Christians to abuse, CPT
showed that followers of Jesus supported peace and justice for all, and in
particular Muslims.

Yours sincerely

Andy and Emma Trenier
Park Barn
Guildford
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