Women's International League for Peace
and Freedom--Canada appeals for release of four Christian Peacemaker Teams
members in Iraq
TORONTO--December 4, 2005
The Canadian section of the Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom expresses its deep regret over the abduction
of four members of Christian Peacemaker Teams, on November 26, 2005 in
Iraq, and appeals for their immediate release.
Since its founding in the Hague, Netherlands in 1915,
the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has committed
itself to working toward world peace; total and universal disarmament;
the abolition of violence, and its replacement by negotiation and conciliation.
In March 2003, WILPF condemned the invasion of Iraq
and requested a special session of the UN Commission on Human Rights be
held on Iraq.
WILPF shares the commitment of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) to non-violent
alternatives to war, and recognizes the good work of CPT in conflict zones
around the world, including in Iraq, where members have documented the
abuse of detainees by Coalition forces, and assisted Iraqis in gaining
access to loved ones in detention.
The four CPT peace workers being held in Iraq -- Tom
Fox, Norman Kember, James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden -- were volunteering
there at considerable personal risk, and with the sole aim of helping
Iraqis living under occupation.
WILPF-Canada unequivocally supports Christian Peacemaker
Teams in their commitment to justice, their opposition to war and violence,
their advocacy on behalf of human rights, their support of people living
under occupation, and their documentation of their stories. We appeal
to those who are holding the peace workers in Iraq to release them unharmed
and quickly.
The Women's International League for Peace and
Freedom is an international non-governmental organization with national
sections in 37 countries and on all continents. The oldest women's peace
organization in the world, WILPF has an International Secretariat based
in Geneva and a New York UN office.
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