The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
Views expressed in this archived message are those of the author, not of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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22 January 2003 Siobhan McDonagh, MP House of Commons London SW1A 0LW Dear Ms McDonagh Possible war with Iraq I am writing to you as my MP to express my opposition to, and deep concerns over, the likely war with Iraq. Here are my reasons: This war would be immoral and dangerous. If there is a war, Muslims around the world will believe that the US and the UK are against Islam - not only because a Muslim country is being attacked and innocent people killed, but also because Israel both has weapons of mass destruction and flouts UN resolutions, yet no action is taken. The humanitarian cost would be enormous. Save the Children, who have long worked in Iraq, predict that a war there will lead to a "humanitarian disaster". Many thousands of innocent Iraqis suffered and died in the last Gulf War, and in the years of bombing and economic sanctions since then. I would become personally involved. My husband is a Muslim from North Africa, so if we go to war with Iraq, I effectively become an enemy of my husband's people. Can you guarantee that this will not happen? He is also a British citizen - where do you expect his loyalties to lie? There is no justification for killing innocent civilians to protect our own self-interests. Since knowing my husband, I have come to realise how selfish our Western life-style and many of our values look from the perspective of ordinary Muslims around the world and I am ashamed of our arrogance and greed. It may be simplistic to believe that this war is about oil, strategic power and the control of resources, but this is how it looks and what is widely believed. For the sake of the Iraqi people, and of my husband and his family, I urge you to speak out against the war and to urge Tony Blair and Jack Straw to pursue peaceful means of promoting peace in the Middle East. I welcome your reply. Yours sincerely, Cathy Aitchison 85 Love Lane, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 3AW Tel: 020 8685 9928 Email: cathy.aitchison@twiza.demon.co.uk -- Cathy Aitchison _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk