Mairead Maguire, Nobel peace Laureate Calls for Americans and world citizens to respond to Pope Francis call to fast and pray to stop United States war against Syria

Pope Francis has set Saturday 9th September, 2013 as a world day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria, and the Vatican has said it is against ‘armed intervention’ pointing to the havoc caused by the United States led war to topple Saddam Hussein, in Iraq in 2003. I would like to add my support to Pope Francis’ appeal and that of the Eastern Patriarchs, and pledge to pray and fast on 9th Sept., and I encourage people of all faiths and none, to join on that day to fast and pray and act for peace and no military intervention by USA Government.

100 years ago a small incident took place in Bosnia, and it escalated into the first world war causing the death of millions. Every act has its consequences and every violent act, like military intervention, has its violent consequences which will cause destruction the death of further Syrian civilians and result in many more refugees.

In the last decade, the world has watched in horror such military intervention by USA/UK/NATO and western forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and other countries. Now we have been promised by President Obama a military intervention on Syria ‘with teeth’,(in Iraq it was shock and awe). We have been promised that he will continue to support the armed opposition in Syrian (a majority of which are Jabhat al-Nusrah-Victory Front, and other such al Qaeda groups) and we have likewise been promised regime change in Syria. Such US military action, which will probably involve trying to destroy the Syrian army, will leave the civilian population unprotected from the onslaught of armed opposition forces, and will embolden and strengthen the thousands of Islamic extremists from all over the world who have poured into Syria, supported financially and trained by some western governments, and whose intent is to remove the Syrian Government and kill all those who oppose them.

Their mission and aim coincides with that of the USA, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, all of whom have refused to support Geneva II and a peaceful solution to the proxy war being perpetrated for oil, resources and control.

There is still time to stop this rush of madness to war by the USA, and the people of America can do it. As the British people put pressure on their Members of Parliament and insisted ‘enough is enough’ and "no to military intervention", so too the American people can continue to mobilize and act to stop the proposed illegal war. (American gov., action is illegal without a UN Security Council resolution). Let us all support the American peace movement Marching on Washington, strikes, sit ins, and all kinds of nonviolent civil disobedience to lobby their political representatives to vote ‘No’ to war. A large majority of American people are against this war so let us as global citizens support our American peace friends in sending a message to President Obama, senate and congress ‘no military attack, no support for armed opposition, al-Qaeda - give peace a chance’.

Mairead Maguire, Nobel peace laureate. 3rd September, 2013.

Source: Mairead Maguire

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