The Feast of the Innocents + Remembering the Dead of Iraq

by redjade Tue Dec 28, 2004 19:27

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Ten people, each reading ten names

Merry Christmas Bertie

by redjade Tue Dec 28, 2004 19:29

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Presents left behind

by DCW Tue Dec 28, 2004 19:51 dublincatholicworker at yahoo dot co dot uk 087 918 4552

The Feast of Innocents Multi Faith/ No Faith crew gathered at the Nativity scene under the Christmas tree in O'Connel St. We reflected on the season, the images, Irish complicity in the ongoing war in Iraq, the times we're in and the following readings.....


Matthew 2:10
When Herod realised he had been outwitted by the Maji, he was furious, and he gave orders to
to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accoradnce with the time he had learned from the Maji. Then what was said by the prophet Jerimiah was fulfilled:

"A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they were no more"

*2nd Reading
Robert Fisk The Independent Dec 26th.

"And American troops are sending home increasingly terrible stories of the wanton killing of civilians by US forces in the towns and cities of Iraq. Here, for example, is the evidence of ex-marine staff sergeant Jimmy Massey, testifying at a refugee hearing in
Canada earlier this month. Massey told the Canadian board - which had to decide whether to give refugee status to an American deserter from the 82nd Airborne - that he and his fellow marines shot and killed more than 30 unarmed men, women and children, including a
young Iraqi who got out of his car with his arms up.

"We killed the man," Massey said. "We fired at a cyclic rate of 500 bullets per vehicle." Massey assumed that the dead Iraqis didn't understand the hand signals to stop. On another occasion, according to Massey, marines - in reaction to a stray bullet - opened fire and
killed a group of unarmed protesters and bystanders.

"I was deeply concerned about the civilian casualties," Massey said. "What they the marines were doing was committing murder." The defector from the 82nd Airborne, Jeremy Hinzman, told the court that
"we were told to consider all Arabs as potential terrorists... to foster an attitude of hatred that gets your blood boiling".

We went around the circle,

*Ciaron reflected on what a dramatic story the nativity scene is - an imperial census called for reasons of counter-insurgency, Herod playing the role of client king for the Roman empire like those governing Iraq are presently playing for the U.S., the civil disobedience of the Maji breaking Herod's injnunction to return to him with information, the search and destroy missions of Herod & the U.S. military. How the story has been reduced to a season of sentimentality and consumerism and the Feast of Innocents erased from the dramatic tension it plays with Christmas. The dehabilitating nature of 2 years on bail, of suspended animation, as the war rages on and looking forward to the Ploughshares trial in Dublin on March 7th.

*Caoimhe reflected on the young Iraqi girl she has been living with & accompanying these past 6 months in London - who has recently returned to Basra. The girl had lost a leg and 17 family members in a U.S. bombing of Basra, she wakes in the night screaming from post-traumatic stress. The war has not ended for her and probably never will.

*Damien shared how his friend, an Iraqi orthodox monk, will be returning to Mosul in a few months. His fears for those at home and of what he will find when he returns. How 40,000 christians have fled Iraq as refugees. The lukewarm, if any, denunciations by the western churches of the war contributing to the perception that the war on Iraq is a Christian crusade against Islam.

*J shared that a retired U.S, General recently stated that this war will go for decades and that the peace movement has to begin thinking in those terms. He spoke of the censorship of 300,000 refugees who fled from Fullajah and asked where are the images of these people to go with the print reports.

*Jason reflected on being an American travelling in Ireland exploring other communities and their repsonse to the war. He said as bad as the media coverage of the war is in Ireland, it is much more than what they get in the U.S. Jason recently spent 6 months in U.S. jails and prisons for a nonviolent trespass at the School of the Americas www.soaw.org

*Robin reflected that near her U.S. hometown there is large military base. She shared how high schools are co-opoerating with the military for recruitment purposes, givng home phone numbers of students to the recruiters. These students are being recruited to commit crimes in Iraq. The 5,500 members of the U.S. military who have refused to go are branded as criminals by the state.

*Francis reflected on the co-option of Christianity and Christmas to service the war.

*Elaine reflected on Colin Powell's promise to provide $15million to disaster relief in Asia and compared this to the billions spent on the war machine. Elaine goes to to trial in Ennis on Feb 10th. for the Halloween Banshee action at Shannon.

*Dominic relflected on the responsibility that Trade Unions have in resisting this war.

*Patricia reflected on how nourinshing it was to gather with such a group during the in backdrop of the post-Christmas sales. She shared her increasing discomfort with silence in the face of this war.

*Justin articulated support for the Pit Stop Ploughshares awaiting trial in Dublin, Mary Kelly's action & all those still maintaining public opposition to Irish complicity in the war.

*Jacinta form Pax Christi empathised with the victims of the war and said we should be investing in alms for poor rather than arms for the war machine.

*Colim, a constant vigller for peace in the streets of Dublin despaired at Bertie not seeing his responsibilities as the leader of an independent country and continuing to offer Shannon to the U.S war machine.

After acknowledging friends taking nonviolent action today against the war at the Ministry of Defence in London, the Pentagon in Washington DC & Stratcom in Nebraska we headed single file to the Aviation authority. We carried "presents" that the Irish government continue to deliver to the children of Iraq - "360,000 U.S.troops", "Depleted Uranium Poisoning", "Civil Chaos", "U.S. Theft of Iraq's Natural Resources and Infrastructure".

On arriving at the Aviation Authority we delivered the "presents" and read out the names of U.S. & Iraqi dead.

Weekly anti-war vigils continue at the Aviation Authority, Burgh Quay, Dublin every Monday 4pm-6pm
__________________________

by Feast of Innocents Crew London Tue Dec 28, 2004 19:54

Six Christian anti-war protestors were arrested this morning (28th
December) at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Whitehall protesting at the
continuing war in Iraq. The six - arrested for Criminal Damage were digging graves in the lawn of the MoD. In addition anti war messages were sprayed on the wall and ground.

The six acted on the Christian Feast of The Holy Innocents, when Christians
around the world remember the mass slaughter by King Herod of innocent
children as he tried to murder the child Jesus. A spokesperson for the
group, Chris Cole (41) said, "2000 years ago innocent children were killed by the powerful in an attempt to keep a firm grip on their
authority. Today, children continue to be killed in Iraq in an illegal and unjustified war. We mourn the killing of innocent lives by protesting at the MoD here in Whitehall."

The six arrested, Fr. Martin Newell (37), Chris Cole (41), Angela Broome (62); Liz Yates (50); Sr Susan Clarkson (55) and Scott Albrecht (41) are being held at Charing Cross Police Station.

by Maria Albrecht - London Catholic Worker Tue Dec 28, 2004 21:18 londoncatholicworker at yahoo dot co dot uk 13 deal street, london. 01727 760953

Six Christian anti-war protestors were arrested this morning (28th December) at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Whitehall protesting at the continuing war in Iraq. The six - arrested for Criminal Damage – were digging graves in the lawn of the MoD. In addition 2 people attempted to spray, ‘Remember the Innocent’; ‘Slaughter of the Innocent’ and ‘Stop the War’ onto the MoD walls and "God Forgive Us" was sprayed on the ground. The entire event was witnessed by 15 supporters and a large number of appreciative tourists. Video footage of the action was siezed by the police as evidence, photos will be available later in the day

The six acted on the Christian Feast of The Holy Innocents, when Christians around the world remember the mass slaughter by King Herod of innocent children as he tried to murder the child Jesus. A spokesperson for the group, Chris Cole (41) said, “2000 years ago innocent children were killed by the powerful in an attempt to keep a firm grip on their authority. Today, children continue to be killed in Iraq in an illegal and unjustified war. We mourn the killing of innocent lives by protesting at the MoD here in Whitehall.”

The six arrested, Fr. Martin Newell, Chris Cole, Angela Broome ; Liz Yates ; Sr Susan Clarkson and Scott Albrecht are being held at Charing Cross Police Station.

Digging Graves in the lawn of the MOD

Chris Cole & Fr. Martin Newell arrested

Angela Broome kneels in Prayer by the Graves

by Nebraska Wed Dec 29, 2004 14:36

Clara Terrell, age 19, was arrested today for walking onto Offutt Air Force Base to deliver the Christmas message reprinted below.

She was arrested by base security and released with a "ban & bar" letter
stating that "Your misconduct....created a substantial threat to the
peace and order of the base community..."

This linecrossing was part of the 28th Annual Feast of Holy Innocents
Retreat and Witness which was held today at STRATCOM, Offutt Air Force
Base, Bellevue, Nebraska.

STRATCOM serves as the home of our
nation's nuclear weapons targeting and command headquarters. They hold the
whole world under a threat of global nuclear annihilation every day, every hour, every minute of the year.

This annual witness is held on the Feast of Holy Innocents as an attempt to explore the links between King Herod, his killing of the innocent children in Bethlehem, to the
murderous deeds of modern day Herolds and the US empire that supports and controls them. We attempt to expose, confront and convert our country's God-awful nuclear weapon's operational headquarters through this prayerful retreat and witness at Offutt.

Linecrosser statement:

"I believe that the message brought to us by Jesus Christ is a message of peace. We cannot buy this peace with the blood of Iraqi children and we cannot pay for it with the lives of United States service people. Even all of the power held behind these gates cannot console the mothers and fathers, Iraqi or American, who are grieving for
their children this Christmas.

This is a place where the power of weapons of mass destruction
rests.

This is a place where the decisions are made, which children will live and which will die.

This is a place where we come to celebrate
Christmas and proclaim the Gospel: that the powerful will be thrown down and the lowly will be lifted up."

Clara Terrell
age 19, from Maloy, Iowa

by Nebraska Wed Dec 29, 2004 15:25

Clara Terrell
age 19, from Maloy, Iowa

Clara Terrell: 'We cannot buy this peace with the blood of Iraqi children and we cannot pay for it with the lives of United States service people'

by Kathy Kelly - Voices in the Wilderness Wed Dec 29, 2004 22:35 Chicago, IL USA

so from Ireland's Indymedia center I learn about Clara's fine
words
and brave action. Thanks a thousand fold, - and thanks also for the
fine
banner: Oil'll bleedin' kill us.

Take care, Kathy

Kathy Kelly
Voices in the Wilderness
1460 West Carmen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640
773-784-8065

Voices in the Wilderness | http://vitw.org
Electronic Iraq | http://electroniciraq.net
Wheels of Justice | http://justicewheels.org
VitW Multimedia | http://vitwmultimedia.org

by Reta Kaur - Women for Peace: No Weapons No Wars Thu Dec 30, 2004 12:38 info at womenforpeace dot org dot au

Thank you, Ploughshares, for your inspirational work in reminding us of the meaning of Christmas and the continuing slaughter by the Bush Tsunami in Iraq. USA is very generous with its bombs but stingy with aid. Many blessing to all of you the true Christians.

Reta Kaur
Women for Peace: No Weapons No Wars
Melbourne

by redjade Fri Dec 31, 2004 18:01

Voices in the Wilderness
http://vitw.org/archives/761

by Jonah Mon Jan 03, 2005 22:35 Washington D.C. "Feast of Innocents Retreat"

http://www.jonahhouse.org/F&RDec04_Summary.htm

by redjade Tue Jan 04, 2005 14:31

Resistance Retreat, December 2004
by Sue Frankel-Streit of the Little Flower Catholic Worke

Twice in as many days, members of a faith-based community of activists breached security at 2 of the most heavily guarded buildings in the country during nonviolent anti-war protests.

On December 28th, about 75 people gathered outside the metro entrance to the Pentagon at 7am, to protest the continuing slaughter of innocents in Iraq. While 17 activists blocked the entrance, a banner appeared over the side of the Pentagon roof: "BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW". As supporters who'd been pushed behind metal barricades encouraged employees to recognize that "there is blood on our hands," guards debated how the banner had arrived. Those blocking the doors were arrested and have court dates of April 1st and 14th.  Gary Ashbeck and Steve Kelly, S.J., who had taped the banner to the side of the Pentagon were able to climb down without being noticed.  They joined those reading a litany calling on Pentagon employees to not cooperate with the war.

@ the White House

by Brian - Peace Prisoner Wed Jan 05, 2005 00:33

December 23, 2004

Dear Friends,

In August of this year, 60 people gathered in front of the Enola Gay exhibit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) to expose and dramatize images of the destruction the Enola Gay caused to Hiroshima alongside the image of the plane as a celebration of technology. In an attempt to demonstrate the lethal purpose of the Enola Gay, I scattered ashes over the bodies of 9 friends who were lying down and over myself who joined them. For this act, I was promptly arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct.

On December 6, I defended myself before a jury in Fairfax County explaining that our intention was not to cause disorder but to raise awareness about what nuclear weapons can do and have done. With the understanding that peace and lasting security do not come from WMD, our action hopes to foster a common will to beat our swords into ploughshares and our spears into pruning hooks. Exceeding the prosecution's recommendation of “a few days and a $100 fine” the jury sentenced me to two months in jail effective immediately and fined me $2000.

I consider my stay in here to be a monastic retreat for Advent, the season of hope. In a private cell, with simple clothing and food, abiding by a regimented schedule I'm at peace and feel blessed to be without the many distractions attached to this holy season. My 47 blockmates have brought the meaning of Christmas to heart as they are the poor, the immigrant, the illegitimate members of our society for whom this holiday exists. In this place of darkness, the light from their lives is warm and bright.

Our civil disobedience comes after the closure of a 1995 exhibit that recalled the horrors of August 6, 1945, the firing of that exhibits curator, and petitions signed by thousands of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors, renowned historians, scientists, veterans, journalists, activists and clergy urging the Smithsonian to expand its exhibit to include a segment on nuclear war. At a time when our Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, has said that he has not ruled out the use of “mini-nukes” in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is of utmost importance that we use the site of the most famous historical evidence of nuclear bombs to inform the public and highlight the dangers of nuclear war.

Please write to General Dailey who is the head of NASM and to John F. Benton who is the head of Education at NASM. (Addresses included below) Ask them lovingly, creatively, encouragingly to give further consideration to expanding the exhibit to include an educational segment on the destruction caused by the Enola Gay and the dangerous precedent that has been unleashed into the world and threatens our peace in these days. As the sole perpetrators of using nuclear weapons, the United States is cursed and burdened with the responsibility to exhibit the Enola Gay not as a glorified national monument but as a teaching tool crying out “Hiroshima Never Again”

May you taste and see the peace of justice during this season and into the coming year.

much love,
Brian Buckley

Please write to:



General John R. Dailey
Smithsonian Institution
NASM – 3510 MRC 310
P.O. Box 37012
Washington D.C. 20013-07012



John F. Benton
Smithsonian Institution
NASM-UHC MRC 326
P.O. Box 37012
Washington D.C. 20013-07012

by Jonah Wed Jan 05, 2005 23:10

http://www.jonahhouse.org/galleryWhiteHouse04.htm

by jonah Sat Jan 08, 2005 12:23 white house, washington dc

http://www.jonahhouse.org/images/index7.htm