Urgent Appeal to Release Peace Activists in Iraq

ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545 | Click to subscribe

United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) calls for the immediate release of the four members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) being held in Iraq.

Tom Fox, Harmeet Sooden, James Loney, and Norman Kember were taken captive in Baghdad, Iraq on November 26, 2005. The Christian Peacemaker Teams are well-known for their work seeking an end to war and occupation in Iraq, Palestine, and other countries through nonviolent means. They have clearly and publicly opposed the invasion and occupation of Iraq. They helped alert the world to the torture of Iraqis in U.S.-run prisons and detention centers, such as Abu Ghraib, by interviewing Iraqi detainees and widely disseminating their stories.

The members of the CPT are neither spies nor military contractors, nor do they work in the service of any government. They are people of faith, but they are not missionaries. They have deep respect for the Islamic faith and for the right of Iraqis to self-determination. For more information on the Christian Peacemaker Teams and the four members being held, visit http://www.cpt.org/

Holding or harming innocent people out of anger against the US occupation--be they Iraqi or American--will achieve nothing. We appeal to those holding these activists to release them unharmed so that they may continue their vital work as witnesses and peaceworkers.

TAKE ACTION
We encourage all supporters of an end to the occupation of Iraq to sign a petition calling for the release of the four captive CPT members. To do so, visit

http://electroniciraq.net/news/index.shtml
http://www.freethecaptivesnow.org/

People of faith are encouraged to sign the Clergy and Laity Concerned About Iraq appeal at http://www.unitedforpeace.org/faith.
http://www.freethecaptivesnow.org/ has other good action ideas, from holding vigils to writing letters to Arabic language newspapers.

ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email