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Please join
march for peace
Peace activist Bruce Kent urges
everyone to make their voices heard to stop the occupation of
Iraq
ON Saturday, the Stop the War Coalition, the Campaign
for Nuclear Disarmament and the Muslim Association of Britain,
will rally once more. This time the march starts at noon on
College Green, Westminster, just opposite Parliament, and will
wind its way through the West End to Trafalgar Square. There,
at about 2pm, Ken Livingstone, Bianca Jagger, Baroness Jenny
Tonge, Billy Hayes of the Communication Workers Union, and many
others, will take to the platform.
Another Iraq demonstration? This one marks the third anniversary
of the beginning of an illegal, immoral and disastrous war,
the consequences of which are not over yet. Democratic public
opinion made the anti-war voice clearly heard on February 15
2003, when well over a million people marched through London.
But Tony Blair, as we now know, had already promised George
Bush full military co-operation in advance. Parliament was deceived
into believing that we could be under threat of weapons of mass
destruction within 45 minutes if Saddam Hussein so decided.
Three years later, with over 1,000 US soldiers, over 100 UK
soldiers, and uncounted thousands of Iraqis dead, the situation
grows worse.
Our coalition has no magic wand to wave which will produce justice
and human rights, and an end to kidnapping. What we do call
for is the withdrawal of troops, British and American, now seen
as foreign invaders, not liberators.
If the Iraqis want outside forces to help them to maintain order
it would be much better if they came by invitation from another
Muslim country. Malaysia? Indo-nesia? Bangladesh?
We have also to return to Iraqi ownership all the industries
and commercial ventures now held on contract by foreigners.
The march on Saturday is not only about Iraq. Already there
are those in the United States – the American Ambassador
to the UN, John Bolton, for one – who are making threats
to Iran. Iran’s President is making it easier for him by
his bellicose remarks about Israel. The clock will not go back
to 1948. Israel exists and will continue to do so within borders
to be agreed. That agreement must be on the basis of justice
for its neighbour, the Palestinian people, not on subjugation
and daily humiliation.
US threats to Iran are based on much more than its attitude
to Israel. Iran is said to be in violation of the Nuclear Non-proliferation
Treaty. This is a false claim. That treaty even calls nuclear
energy in all its aspects an “inalienable right of all
the parties to the treaty”.
Much as I oppose nuclear energy in anyone’s hands, that
is not what the treaty says.
In fact, the real violators are the existing five major nuclear
weapon powers (US, Russia, UK, France and China). Never have
they even started to fulfil their obligations under article
VI: “to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective
measures relating to the cessation of the nuclear arms race
at an early date and to nuclear disarmament…”
All are updating their nuclear arsenals. Britain is on the edge
of a decision to spend upwards of £25 billion to make
sure that we have nuclear weapons through to the middle of this
century. We could find much better ways of spending such enormous
amounts of money.
Sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. While we go
on telling the world that we think nuclear weapons are essential
for our security, other countries will think the same.
At least Tony Blair has said that this country will not co-operate
in a military attack on Iran. United States hawks will not take
much notice of him. But no to war is not enough. We have also
to press for steps towards a comprehensive United Nations settlement
of all the problems of the Middle East. The elimination of Israeli
nuclear weapons must be part of that agreement.
I appeal to my neighbours in Camden and Islington to come out
on Saturday. I spent many years at the University Chaplaincy
in Gower Street, at St Aloysius Church on Phoenix Road, Euston,
and at St John’s Church, Duncan Terrace, near the Angel.
I cut my radical teeth in Camden and Islington. Back in 1969
we toured London in a (hired) military armoured car during the
Nigerian civil war, with a great sign which read “Bread
not Bombs”. Some police, confused by our military appearance,
even saluted.
At St Aloysius a group of young Chileans held a three-week fast
in the church porch in support of those suffering under the
Pinochet regime. In the safe haven of St John’s I survived
during the great CND political battles of the Cold War. Now,
at my church of St Mellitus near Finsbury Park, we give active
support to Amnesty International, pressure Tesco’s on fair
trade, and even sent the parish banner out in support of the
Campaign Against the Arms Trade.
The Chinese say that those who have to be absolutely certain
of every step before they move will spend all their lives standing
on one foot. Please put both feet well on the ground and join
us on Saturday.
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