2005 North Pacific Yearly Meeting
The North Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), standing in the 350 year tradition of Friends’ opposition to war, calls for the immediate, orderly termination of the military occupation of Iraq by the United States. We believe we are called to live in that love and power that takes away the occasion of all war. We are anguished by the deaths of over 100,000 Iraqis and by the deaths and lasting scars inflicted on another generation of soldiers and their families. We accept the moral and legal obligations of our country to help reconstruct Iraq, in concert with the international community and the people of Iraq. We acknowledge our own obligations to remove the seeds of war that are embedded in the ways we live our daily lives. We call for renewed efforts to prevent our nation from engaging in similar conflicts in the future. We hold in our prayers the people of Iraq, the troops of the United States as well as those from other nations, the humanitarian workers in Iraq, the families of all in harm’s way, the leaders of Iraq and of the United States, and all others affected by this war. Implementing Actions (1) As a practical step toward ending this war and recognizing Iraqi self-determination, we join the Friends Committee on National Legislation in calling for the adoption of a Congressional resolution stating: “It is the policy of the United States to withdraw all U.S. military troops and bases from Iraq.” (2) We encourage Friends of the North Pacific Yearly Meeting in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington to consider the adoption of similar minutes in their meetings, and we urge them to convey these statements to our fellow citizens through the news media, and to our Senators and Representatives in the Congress. (3) We encourage Friends and our fellow citizens of other faith communities and of diverse persuasions to utilize the educational resources of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), and the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO); to add their voices to this call for terminating the U.S. occupation of Iraq; and to endorse the FCNL resolution and similar Congressional legislation as steps toward ending the present conflict. Approved by Friends of North Pacific Yearly Meeting on this 17th day of the 7th month, 2005, in annual session gathered, at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. |