Christian Iraq War Protest Draws Fire for 'Radical' Simplification of Situation
WASHINGTON – A conservative Christian group criticized the massive ecumenical Iraq war protest for over-simplifying the situation and laying all the blame on the United States.
"America's involvement in Iraq is considered the main source of Iraq's problems," said Mark Tooley, director of the United Methodist committee at the Institute on Religion and Democracy, in a statement. "This is a radical over-simplification of the situation that lays all problems at the U.S. doorstep."
More than 3,000 Christians from across the nation attended an anti-Iraq war protest at the White House on Friday night where 222 people were arrested for demonstrating on the White House sidewalk.
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The event – the largest anti-war civil disobedience to take place at the White House and the largest Christian demonstration against the war – called for an immediate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and for the U.S. to "stop threatening other nations and Iran."
The protest marked the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war which started on Mar. 20, 2003.
Tooley highlighted that the organizers are not only opposed to U.S. involvement in Iraq but are against any U.S. military action with no exceptions.
"These 'Christian Peace Witness' organizers employ language about 'reconciliation' and 'understanding,' but they do not explain what to do about genocidal and autocratic regimes that care little for negotiation, save as a ploy to deflect international pressure," remarked the IRD UM director.
He gave as example the ecumenical delegation that recently visited Iran and brought back positive reports on President Ahmadinejad, describing him as a religious and witty man who has no intention on building nuclear weapons.
"The organizers of 'Christian Peace Witness for Iraq' see the U.S. as the exclusive culprit in all international crisis," said Tooley. "At best, Iran and the United States are seen as equally belligerent in the eyes of the organizers."
Supporters of anti-Iraq war protests, including the World Council of Churches, have cited reports that there are over 600,000 Iraqi casualties as a direct or indirect result of violence and more than 1.6 million refugees displaced by the war since 2003.
The Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, WCC's general secretary, praised the "upsurge of anti-war sentiments all over the world [and] particularly in the United States," whose churches "are called to witness to Jesus Christ, the life of the world."
Kobia recalled that in 2003 "political brinkmanship and the arrogance of power triumphed over reason and good sense." He described Iraq now as in "turmoil and disarray" with "strong indications that the country may fragment."
As for a solution, he called for a federal system of governance that addresses the needs of Sunni, Shias and the Kurds communities.
The formation of an agreed upon federal system will require "adjustments, concessions and, most of all, understanding and patience" from all sides, according to Kobia.
Besides Friday's Christian protests, tens of thousands of people participated in anti-Iraq war protest throughout the United States on Saturday including in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Ann Arbor, Mich., Hartford, Conn., and Washington D.C.
