PACIFICA COMMENTARY FOR AUGUST 12, 2004

Hello, this is Blase Bonpane with a comment.

As the fighting and crisis intensifies in Najaf, and together with

Voices in the Wilderness, we call for nonviolent acts demanding an end

to the fighting.

Call your Congressional Representative, US Senator and John Kerry’s

campaign headquarters to demand that they publicly call for an end to

US military actions in Najaf, both against its citizens as well as at

the Imam Ali Mosque. If your representatives don’t respond positively,

direct actions at their offices. Such nonviolent actions can include: a

daily vigil outside of their office, a phone and fax campaign demanding

they issue a statement on Najaf, or other creative acts like sitting in

at their offices. You can also write letters to the editor of your local

newspapers and hold vigils in your local community. The time to act is

now.

Our military now declares preparations to attack the Shrine of Ali in

the city of Najaf in Iraq. Our country stands on the precipice of

declaring war on Islam. An attack on the Shrine of Ali is an attack on

the heart of Islam and must be resisted in our country.

The US military is urging civilians to leave Najaf. We take this as a

signal that our country is preparing to turn Najaf into a free fire

zone, in which all who move, civilian or not, are targeted for attack. A

free fire zone and an attack on the Shrine would significantly escalate

the violence throughout Iraq, increasing the danger for all Iraqis.

Together with Voices in the Wilderness, we call upon all US government

officials, elected or appointed,to publicly declare their opposition.

The Shrine of Ali is the holiest of shrines in Shia Islam. It is the

burial place for Imam Ali, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet

Mohammed. The shrine is sacred to both Shia and Sunni Muslims. Attacking

the Imam Ali Mosque is akin to bombing the burial site of Jesus for

people of the Christian faith or the Western Wall for people of the

Jewish faith.

An attack on the Mosque will simply manufacture more resistance. Such

an attack also amounts to reckless endangerment of the people of the

United States.

As US citizens we must say "no" to this threatened attack on the heart

of Islam and use all nonviolent means available to resist it.

For a free copy of this commentary, please call,

323/852-9808....323/852-9808.

This is Blase Bonpane