Religious Leaders to President Obama: Send Unarmed Civilian Protectors to Iraq

(Published Oct. 2, 2014) 53 US religious leaders have urged President Obama to invest in and send unarmed civilian protectors to Iraq. In a letter to the President the leaders expressed their deep concern over the US military escalation. While recognizing the dire plight of civilians, the leaders clearly oppose US military action. Instead they list a variety of constructive actions that can be taken immediately including:

• Bring in and significantly invest in professionally trained unarmed civilian protection organizations to assist and offer some buffer for displaced persons and refugees, both for this conflict in collaboration with Iraqi’s and for future conflicts.

The leaders come from many different denominations and organizations including: the Presbyterian Church USA, the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, Women Religious, the Friends, the Conference of Major Superiors of Men and the Brethren.

They ask the President to “move beyond the ways of war and into the frontier of just peace responses to violent conflict.”