A PAX ON BOTH OUR HOUSES

In a moment when religious differences are often turned into violence and war, it is especially important to show that religiously, spiritually, and ethically rooted folk -- especially but not only Jews, Christians, and Muslims –- can reach out across the boundaries of our communities to affirm the Unity at our roots.

The statement below does that. Leaders of our traditions and communities have signed it. We invite you to join with them to sign it and to support its publication to a wide audience, by making a tax-deductible gift for presenting it broadly.

To do this we need your help. Your signature and your financial support. Your tax-deductible contributions.

Please click on the Donate button ON THE RIGHT-HAND EDGE OF THIS PAGE and in the "behalf of" box write "Iran peace." If you possibly can, please aim at a gift of $360. Less will make it VERY hard to publish this as we hope to do. To appear in the printed version, a minimum gift of $70 is necessary. ALL signers will appear on the Website.

Please share this message with your friends and coworkers!

Shalom, Arthur (Rabbi Arthur Waskow)

PLEASE FILL OUT & RETURN THE "COUPON" AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS MESSAGE, OR CLICK TO THE BLUE "DONATE NOW" BUTTON, TO SIGN & SUPPORT THE CALL.
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A PAX ON BOTH OUR HOUSES

A PAX ON BOTH OUR HOUSES

Now that we know that Iran is not making nuclear weapons, the God of peace and justice calls on Americans and Iranians to make a full peace with each other -- not dither any longer between peace and war. For as the Prophet Elijah cried out, "How long will you keep hopping between two opinions? Choose!"

God calls us to choose Peace – Because, as the Bible teaches, every human being is made in the Image of God, and as the Quran teaches, to kill one human being is to destroy the world; to save one human being is to save the world.

To choose Peace – because both the Bible and the Quran teach we must always act to protect the poor; yet as President Eisenhower said, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." In America, millions are suffering from this theft; in the world, billions. And the cost of the war to the US alone is now estimated at two TRILLION dollars.

To choose Peace – because it is shameful in the eyes of God for Christians, Jews, and Muslims to incite hatred against each other. This hatred leads to war, and then war becomes a justification for more hatred. In each of our communities, there are some who peddle hatred and incite violence. We must all turn away from such idolatry.

To choose Peace –- Because hatred, violence, and threats of war undermine the very liberties and human rights that most Americans and Iranians prize, and benefit only those who thirst for power, not for justice.

We call upon the Government of the United States to end all actions, threats, plans, or support for war against Iran.

We call upon the Supreme Religious Authorities of Iran to end all threats against the existence of Israel and all denials of the historical truth of the Nazi Holocaust, to make clear that Iran will not support violence against civilians by its own or other forces, and to reaffirm for the future their prohibition of any effort to seek nuclear weapons for Iran.

We call upon the governments of both nations at once to open direct talks on all issues of mutual concern, looking toward a mutual peace.

And we call upon the American government to move forward in the spirit of humility and generosity, rather than arrogance and domination, toward a broad peace settlement in the entire Middle East, including an end to the occupation of Iraq, peace between Israel and Palestine and all other states in the region, and a major international effort to protect human rights and promote grass-roots economic development in the region.

We call upon the peoples of the world to support this call, for the sake of conscience and survival.

Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak, HaMifgash Foundation
Imam Mahdi Bray, Exec Dir, on behalf of *Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation.
Larry Bush, editor, Jewish Currents
Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell
Rev. Tony Campolo, Ph.D., Eastern University
Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, director, on behalf of * Benetvision
Rabbi Hillel Cohn .,Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Emanu El
Jeffrey Dekro
Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Rector, American Jewish University
Rev. Bob Edgar, President & CEO, Common Cause
Rabbi Ted Falcon, Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue
Rabbi Michael Feinberg
Rabbi Roberto Graetz
Gary Ferdman
Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater, Pasadena Temple & Center
Jerome Grossman, Chairman Emeritus, Council for a Liveable World
Rabbi Geoff Huntting, Temple Sinai, Sarasota, Florida
Mark C. Johnson, Exec Dir, on behalf of *Fellowship of Reconciliation
Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk ,Presbyterian Church (USA)
Deb Kolodny, Exec Dir, on behalf of *ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal
Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor of Tikkun, on behalf of the *Network of Spiritual Progressives
Elizabeth Letzler
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling
Rabbi Rebecca Lillian
Rabbi Ellen Lippmann
Ingrid Mattson, President, on behalf of *Islamic Society of North America
Sheila Musaji, Editor, The American Muslim
Jim Rice, Editor, Sojourners magazine
Rabbi Or N. Rose, Associate Dean, Rabbinical School of Hebrew College
Rabbi Brant Rosen, Jewish Reconstructionist Congr, Evanston IL; past president, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Assn.
Rabbi Jeffrey Roth
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
Max Samson
Rabbi Gerald Serotta, chair, Rabbis for Human Rights /North America
Rabbi David Shneyer, President, Ohalah (Assn of Rabbis for Jewish Renewal); director, Am Kolel
Rev. William G. Sinkford, President, on behalf of *Unitarian Universalist Association
John H. Thomas, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ
Rick Ufford-Chase, Executive Director, on behalf of the *Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director, on behalf of *The Shalom Center
Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg_-- Institute for Jewish Spirituality
Rev. Jamie P. Washam
Jim Winkler, General Secretary, Genl Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church
Bishop Gabino Zavala, Pres. Pax Christi USA, & Aux. Bishop, Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Phyllis Albritton, Elder, Presbyterian Church USA
Abdul Cader Asmal, Islamic Council of New England
Rabbi Chava Bahle
Rabbi Philip Jay Bentley, Jewish Peace Fellowship
Leonard Bjorkman, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
Daniel Bort, The First Church of Christ, Scientist
Rev. Rich Broderick, Presbyter Diocese of Albany, NY
Addison Bross, Lehigh University
Rev. John Buehrens, First Parish in Needham, UU
Sylvia Campbell, Ravensworth Baptist Church
Steve Clemons, Community of St. Martin
Neil Comess-Daniels, Beth Shir-Sholom
Marilyn Condon
Marie Conn, Chestnut Hill College
Mirabel Deming, United Methodist
Barbara Ditommaso, Commission on Peace and Justice, Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany NY
Renata Dobryn
Ruth Dombrow
Anita Farber-Robinson, Unitarian Universalist, American Baptist
Mike Ghouse, President, Foundation for Pluralism
Sallie & Alan Gratch, Women's Founders Collective
Rev. Nina Grey, First Unitarian Church of Chicago
Bill & Tess Hageman, Pax Christi, Sonoma County
Jamie Hamilton, Exeter Academy
John Hart, Ph D, Boston University
David & Linda Head, Vanderbilt University
Jeanette Hyde
Rev. Harold A. Jackson, Jr
Rev. Kathryn Johnson, Methodist Federation for Social Action
Rabbi Paul Joseph
Mitchell Kamen
Howard Kaplan
Debby Kern, Unitarian Fellowship of West Chester
Rivko Knox, Ruach Hamidbar
William Koenig, Presbyterian Church USA
Wendy Kohli, Fairfield University and P'nai Shore
Allan Lindrup, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
Linda Maloney, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Enosburg Falls, VT
Jean Maryborn, Sandpoint Friends Meeting
Bernie Meyer
Anne Mulderry, Sept 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
Sister Joan Murnaw, Leadership Council of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Cantor Steven Puzarne, Pilgrimage of Peace
Douglas Renick, Haydenville Congregational Church, UCC
Sister Megan Rice, Nevada Desert Experience
Charlie Roemer
Ruth Rosenblum
Mei Mei Miriam Sanford, Kohenet
William Savedoff, Social Insight
Social Action Committee, Tikkun v'Or/Ithaca NY Reform Temple,
Joel & Elaine Schipper
Rabbi Chaim Leib Schneider, Chadeish Yameinu Jewish Renewal Community
Cantor Eric Schulmiller, Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore
Gordon Shull, Presbyterian
Lillian Sigal, Mishkan Shalom, Philadelphia
William Slavick, Coordinator, Pax Christi Maine
Rev. Kate Stevens, United Church of Christ
Dolores Taller
Barbara Troxell, Retired clergy, United Methodist Church
Michael Weinberg
The Rev. Dr. Wilson Yates, Prof Emeritus United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
H. Berrien Zettler
Cathy Zheutlin, P'nai Or
Rabbi Michael Zimmerman, Congregation Kehillat Israel, Lansing, Michigan

Iowa Supporters (partial list):

American Friends Service Committee/Iowa;
Catholic Peace Ministry;
Rev. Chester Guinn, United Methodist;
Rev. Carlos Jayne, United Methodist;
Bob Brammer;
Diane Krell, United Church of Christ;
Jean Basinger;
Betty Christensen;
Rev. Larry Sonner, United Methodist;
Bud Kilman;
Rev. Carmen Lampe Zeitler., American Baptist;
Vernon H. Naffier, Board President, Progressive Coalition of Central Iowa;
Rev. Kathleen Clark, United Methodist;
Gayle V. Strickler, Jr., United Church of Christ Clergyperson;
Rev. Robert S. Crandall, Director, Bidwell Riverside Center; Board of Church & Society, Iowa Annual Conference, United Methodist Church;
Jack Hatch, Iowa State Senator;
Rev. Gene Matthews;
Rev. Hugh Stone, United Methodist;
Rev. Wayne Shoemaker, United Methodist;
Elaine Hagedorn, CHM;
Jeanie Hagedorn, CHM

Please add your name as a signer to this statement. In order to help publish it, we need to ask that you contribute a minimum of $70, for your name to appear in the published version. (All names will appear on Website.) PLEASE AIM AT $360 OR MORE, IF YOU CAN. Your contribution is tax-deductible. You can sign & contribute by mailing this coupon or clicking to the Donate button in the right-hand margin of this page and noting "Iran peace" in the "on behalf" box.
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TO: The Shalom Center, 6711 Lincoln Drive Philadelphia PA 19119 (Make check to " Shalom Center.". Note "Iran peace" on check.) I enclose:

___ $1,000; ___ $500; ___ $360; ___ $250; ___ $100; ___ $72.

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