Islamic Congress's Letter to PM Supports Position on Syria and Lebanon, and Warns That Aggressive U.S. Policies in Middle East Will Lead to More Death, Destruction and Misery
In a letter today to Prime
Minister Paul Martin, the Canadian Islamic Congress said it endorses
yesterday Martin's characterization that Syrian troops are in Lebanon
as peacekeepers, not invaders. "The withdrawal of Syrian troops from
Lebanon should be left up to those two countries to negotiate," said
the CIC.
CIC also urged the Canadian government to moderate Washington's
aggressive and dangerous policies against Iran, Syria and Lebanon,
warning that failure to do so will lead only to more death, destruction
and human misery in the Middle East.
To date, the American-led invasion of Iraq has resulted in the deaths
of more than 100,000 Iraqis and thousands of Americans. Iraq has been
transformed from country with 100% employment and a stable public
service infrastructure, into an impoverished nation in disarray, with
more than half of its adult workforce jobless. From being one of the
leading Middle East states in administration, education and health
care, Iraq has fallen to one of the world's most disadvantaged
societies.
The CIC is charging that America's aggressive Middle East policies are
designed primarily to shore up Israel's military power and economic
advantages in the region, while attempting to divert world attention
from Israel's territorial expansion into the West Bank through illegal
Jews-only settlements.
According to CIC policy and research, Canada is positioned to moderate the American stance on 10 key issues:
1. The U.S. must stop interfering in the internal affairs of Lebanon.
The more it does so, the more likelihood that Lebanon will again drift
into civil war. This is especially true after the brutal assassination
of Lebanon's former prime minster Rafik Hariri last week. Both during
and after his term as prime minister, Hariri had been instrumental in
building bridges of understanding and consensus among Lebanon's
political parties.
2. The presence of Syrian military forces in Lebanon is an internal
matter which must be resolved between those two nations. Syria's
involvement adheres to the terms of the Altaif Peace Agreement signed
by both parties to end Lebanon's civil war, which lasted from 1975-1990.
3. The U.S. must stop Israel's almost daily intrusions into Lebanese
airspace, coastal waters and land territory -- especially the occupied
area of Shab'a.
4. The U.S. must stop targeting Syria, and stop Israel from attacking it, as it did a year ago.
5. Aggressive U.S. policy against Iran and its plan to attack it, with
or without Israel's help, will further erode hopes for world peace.
6. The U.S. must offer Iraqis a definite withdrawal timetable and bring
young Americans home before the best years of another generation (as
during the Vietnam conflict) are lost. The pretense of protecting
Iraqis from possible civil war (i.e. from themselves) is weak and
unsubstantiated; American forces have shown they are helpless in
protecting their own ground troops.
7. Aggressive American policies in the Middle East are fueling
radicalism and extremism, thereby sabotaging the cause of peace with
justice.
8. The U.S. must pursue Israel to fulfill its promised withdrawal from
Gaza, while ceasing the expansion of illegal Jewish settlements in the
West Bank.
9. Aggressive U.S. policies in the Middle East are responsible for
bringing chronic economic instability to the region, resulting in more
debt being loaded on the backs of the poor. The only benefactors are
big commercial banks who will happily lend money to war-ravaged
countries at exorbitant interest rates.
10. Political, social and economic reform movements in all Middle East
countries are grinding to a halt because of the disruption caused by
U.S. involvement in their national affairs.
CONTACTS:
Dr. Mohamed Elmasry
(519) 746-4107 (O)
(519) 577-2267 (Cell)
e-mail: np@canadianislamiccongress.com
Mrs. Wahida Valiante, CIC's National VP
(905) 771-1023,
e-mail: nvp@canadianislamiccongress.com
FOR FRENCH MEDIA:
Dr. Mohamed Nekili
(514) 745-1255
e-mail: mohamed.nekili@sympatico.ca
