Government offices were closed Monday (November 12, 2001) for the Veteran's Day observance, but the ecumenical "Living Letters" team had a whirlwind day that included morning worship in the Methodist Building, lunch with the nation's Roman Catholic bishops and afternoon talks with leaders of the American Muslim Council. The team, composed of representatives of World Council of Churches member churches in France, Indonesia, Pakistan, Palestine, Russia and South Africa, is in the US November 8-16 bringing a message of pastoral concern to US churches following the terror attacks of September 11. An Alternative Approach The day began with breakfast with Jim Wallis, editor of  Sojourners magazine, who presented a three-point approach to the crisis precipitated by terror attacks on the United States. "Something should be done about Osama bin Laden in the short term," Wallis said.  "I don't believe we should concentrate just on root causes (of terrorism).  I personally thought international search and capture operations should have been carried out.  The military campaign as it is will only create more problems and I don't think al Qaeda cells in the US have exhausted their capacity."

Delegation in Washington Living Letters:  Rev. Nicolai Balachov, Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, Bishop Mvume Dandala, Metropolitan Elias Audi, Septemmy Lakawa, Georges Lemopoulos, Ms.Jean Zaru, Rev. Kathryn Bannister, Bishop Samuel Azaria

The program advocated by Wallis calls for feeding the people of Afghanistan as the highest priority of US foreign policy.  It also favors a halt to the bombing and efforts to raise US understanding and respect for the Ramadan holy days.  But Wallis stopped short of condemning the US military campaign against the Taliban and al Qaeda terrorist camps.

Some members of the team questioned whether a military response was a moral or effective means of countering terrorism.  Metropolitan Elias Audi, Greek Orthodox patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, from Beirut, Lebanon, said war "is the method of a tyrant, I feel it doesn't help.  I'm afraid you'll have more terrorists as more Muslims have a grudge against America.  Every Muslim, deep down, is with the Taliban."

Ms. Jean Zaru, presiding clerk, Religious Society of Friends in Ramallah, Palestine, said the military campaign implies "the US doesn't worry about what people think.  It seems to be against their own interest, what they are doing, in the long run."

Yet on a day when the team awoke to media reports that the Taliban were retreating out of Kabul, Bishop Mvume Dandala of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa wondered if Americans would believe the military campaign was a bad idea.  "They see Muslim countries lining up in support, they see people in Afghanistan rejoicing at the Taliban retreat, men shaving their beards, women dropping the veil, people feeling free."

Wallis expressed the hope that whatever happens next, the events of September 11 should become a "teaching opportunity" to help US citizens understand their role and responsibility in the world.

In the time it takes him to make a speech, Wallis said, "more children around the world have died in easily preventable hunger than the number of people lost in New York and Washington, but this is almost unknown in the US"  Most US citizens don't understand that it is "the swamp of injustice that breeds the mosquitoes of terror, but this is a teachable moment in the US," he said.

Even so, Wallis said he opposed playing the 'blame game' in response to the terrorist attacks.  "Some people on the left have made the same mistake as Falwell by implying that Americans deserve this because of our foreign policy.  Most Americans, if they saw what is going on in Gaza, would believe that it's wrong.  But even if they read the New York Times, they're not going to find out about it."  The Rev. Jerry Falwell stirred an angry reaction when he said the attacks were God's judgment on the US because it allows abortion, homosexuality and the American Civil Liberties Union, an assertion he has since repudiated.

Wallis, along with Robert Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, and Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of the Reformed Church in America, is the drafter of the "Deny them their victory" statement signed by nearly 4,000 persons from Protestant, Roman Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox, Historic Black Church and Historic Peace Church traditions.  

The statement appeals for "sober restraint" in responding to the attacks.  It urges that "those responsible for these utterly evil acts be found and brought to justice," but cautions that "we must not, out of anger and vengeance, indiscriminately retaliate in ways that bring on even more loss of innocent life."
 
Peacemaking or revenge?

The team attended morning worship in the Simpson Memorial Chapel of the United Methodist Building and joined a discussion with denominational staff, pastors and church leaders in Washington.  The meeting was arranged by the National of Council of Churches Washington Office and hosted by Brenda Girton-Mitchell, director, and Lisa Wright, associate director.

One staff person asked the team what insights they had "to lead the US churches more toward peacemaking than to revenge."

Bishop Samuel Azariah of the Church of Pakistan noted that the "one voice of the Christian church is not coming out" in the US  He recalled how the blasphemy law of Pakistan, which made criticism of the Prophet Muhammad a capital crime, galvanized the Christians of his country.

"A small group of Muslims used the law against Christians," Azariah said.  "When a nine-year-old (Christian) boy was condemned, it transformed the attitude of the Church of Pakistan.  We called a day of prayer and fasting that was observed by all Christians in Pakistan.  We all got together and spoke with one voice.  Not only did our government listen to us, but so did the International Community.

Churches should speak with one voice on issues of peace in the US, Azariah said.  "A joint letter from the Roman Catholic Church and the National Council of Churches to the Christians of the US would have so much strength."

Muslims in the US

The team was invited to lunch with the Bishops Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops that was holding its annual meeting in Washington.  The luncheon was hosted by Bishop Tod D. Brown of the Diocese of Orange, Calif., and attended by His Eminence Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington, and Dr. John Borelli, interim director of the USCC Interreligious Affairs Staff. 

Arrangements for the luncheon were made by Dr Ann Riggs, assistant to the director.

After lunch, the team met with Aly R. Abuzaakouk, executive director of the American Muslim Council and other AMC officials in their downtown office.

The council supports President Bush's anti-terrorist policies but calls upon the administration to take "serious measures to prevent Israel from carrying out violent acts."  The AMC also using Muslim relief organizations to lead in the humanitarian relief of Afghanistan and the establishment of a Muslim Advisory Board to the White House.

Abuzaakouk said the council had been founded in 1990 "to bring a Muslim voice to the American public square." 

"Our dedication is to bring more of our community into the political process from the PTA to Pennsylvania Avenue," he said.   "That is a process, it takes a long time, and it has to start at the grass roots." 

Progress has been made, however, and in recent years Islamic leaders have delivered invocations in the US House and Senate, there are Muslim chaplains in the US armed forces and in 1999 the first Muslim ambassador was appointed.  There are 30 Muslim staff persons working on Capitol Hill, Abuzaakouk said.

The Council's most recent accomplishment was the design and implementation of a 34-cent EID stamp commemorating Islamic holidays and featuring Arabic calligraphy.

The "Living Letters" team was in Oakland, Calif., attending the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA November 13-15.
__________
For more information, please contact Philip E. Jenks, communications officer, US Office, World Council of Churches, 475 Riverside Drive, Room 915, New York, NY 10115, 212-870-3193.