Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 15/02) - As war-mongers eat up headlines across the world, a group of Yellowknife churches are signing their name to a letter of peace.

Their message: war in Iraq hurts civilians without solving problems. Iraq's internal problems should be solved from within, and the rest of the world should lift its non-military sanctions - including an economically-crippling oil embargo - against the Middle Eastern country.

"If our country wanders off into war, we just can't blindly follow the flag," said Holy Trinity Lutheran pastor Connie Landstrom. "We need to stand together and speak together."

At a press conference called Wednesday afternoon, Landstrom, United Church pastor Elizabeth Richards, Holy Trinity Anglican pastor Donald Flumerfelt, and Islamic Centre president Yusuf Hashi signed the letter.

It was addressed to Western Arctic Liberal MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Senator Nick Sibbeston and Premier Stephen Kakfwi. A petition attached to the letter will be circulated throughout Yellowknife and its various congregations.

"When you create a war, you can't have peace," said Hashi. "And mostly who dies in war is the civilian people, the innocent people, not the politicians. That's why we support this petition, to stop that war."

The letter calls for a non-military approach to Iraq, using diplomatic means to effect change.

It opposes unilateral action on Iraq, saying the world needs definite evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq "before any international intervention led by the United Nations."

Signatories were aware that the political situation regarding Iraq is unfolding rapidly -- and that a few signatures from Yellowknife can't hope to change the international course of action.

But the letter emanates from a feeling of global brotherhood, that people living in freedom -- no matter where -- have an obligation to speak up for those without liberty.

"It is important that we address this as Christian people," said Flumerfelt.

"I do not agree that we should be just obliterating a country for the apparent conclusion of terrorist activities."

"The principles of a peace-building approach stand as very important to how we deal with this intensely complex and serious international issue," said Suzette Montreuil, social justice co-ordinator for the diocese of Mackenzie in the Catholic church.

So what exactly do a group of church leaders know about an intricately complex political morass in the Middle East?

It doesn't really matter, said Alternatives North and city council member Ben McDonald, who moderated the press conference.

"The level of specific expertise changes when you talk about a moral issue," he said.

"The position church leaders have taken here is very responsible from the perspective of saying, 'It's a complicated situation. We need a solution to the situation that's going to result in peace.'"