(01-29) 05:29 PST BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) --
Iraqi officials claimed Monday that 300 militants were killed in a battle between U.S.-backed Iraqi troops and insurgents allegedly plotting to kill pilgrims at a major Shiite Muslim religious festival. Bombings and mortar attacks targeting Shiites elsewhere killed at least 15 people.
The Iraqi government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, said the raid on Sunday was targeting a group called the Jund al-Samaa, or Soldiers of Heaven, and the group's leader and foreign fighters were among those killed.
Al-Dabbagh declined to give more details, saying information was still being compiled.
Yesterday morning I awoke to news of greater bloodshed in Iraq. As I read that 300 had been killed, I found myself asking why and how. I was struck with disbelief. Coincidentally, the growing need for Catholics to take a strong stand for peace and justice was fresh on my mind, though I had decided after a busier than usual Sunday to take a day away from writing--otherwise there would have been a Monday post on the matter.
It hadn't been that long--really only a matter of a few hours--since I had just finished having a conversation with a priest friend of mine on the topic of peacemaking. "I had a difficult time after Mass last Sunday," he told me, "Several parishioners stopped to complain to me about my homily. Many told me that it was inappropriate, disrespectful, and insensitive."
"It couldn't have been that bad?", I asked. I knew that I had personally given more than one poorly received homily over the past few years, but rather than confront me face-to-face my detractors simply called the pastor to complain or said nothing at all. I inquired further of my friend.
"Well, you see I spoke on peace and justice," he said, "and I explained that we had entered a time when fighting for peace is no longer right," he continued. "We now must offer peace instead." He went on to explain how he had been told that making anti-war assertions was disrespectful to the families of those who are serving in the military in Iraq. He told me that he tried to explain his position. "We must understand that in a global community the concern for the lives of the innocent must reach beyond our particular interests." I couldn't help but believe that my friend had been challenged on the matter partly because he is not a US citizen, but is a missionary priest from Mexico.
I encouraged him to continue in his stance, "What you believe requires courage. Don't be moved to state something otherwise." "Your position on the matter," I said, "is the traditional Catholic stance of peacemaking."
It is true that many families in the parish have sons and daughters serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. I try to be mindful, as we all should, of their feelings, especially when those feelings are fear or anxiety for the lives of their loved ones. The same is true for my co-workers in the public school system whose children serve in the military. I feel for them and I empathize, but I cannot agree with them. I must remain true to my conscience. My long-held believe is that every human life is sacred, and thus war, especially modern warfare, is a great injustice. Therefore, I allow my belief, that is, my faith in the God of life, to inform my position. I pray that my children be kept from the horrors of war, just as I recall my mother praying that I would escape having to go to Vietnam, and yes, I am political about it. My faith informs my politics as well. We cannot sacrifice our children and others to the idol of world power. Offering peace means giving peace; it means handing our enemies an olive branch.
To truly "fight" for peace is to do so without violence. We must strive for peace even as we strive to be holy in our mortal bodies. We strive with our homilies, prayers, written words, demonstrations, attitudes, and in countless other ways that say "no, I will not make war, and neither will I tolerate it." We must pray and work diligently for the safety of every human being, male and female, born and unborn, soldier and peace worker. War must end...for the love of all that is sacred to us.
Here's a song I posted last summer. I think it makes for a fitting reflection again.
And another way to promote peace is to promote social justice. So long as there are people oppressed and abused by others, peace will have a hard time making its way into our hearts.
Posted by: forget me not | January 30, 2007 at 03:05 PM