Progressive coalition invokes Dr. King for “Beyond Iraq” initiative
On April 4, 1967 in New York City’s Riverside Church, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave an historic sermon against the Vietnam War: “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence!” This year in the same church on the same date, the national progressive interfaith coalition formed last fall, with CTA as a partner, launched a “Beyond Iraq” initiative for social justice and a responsible society, using the well-known King phrase, “Building the Beloved Community.”
The church service and subsequent outdoor rally were convened by Clergy and Laity Network United for Justice (www.clnnlc.org), the name for a coalition of co-sponsors that include scores of Jewish and Christian groups and denominations.Among the speakers were Sr. Joan Chittister, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Cindy Sheehan of Gold Star Families For Peace, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Dr. Tarunjit Singh of the World Sikh Council, and Imam Feisel Rauf.
“Breaking the Silence” Bus Tour
As King challenged the faith communities to break the silence against war and for justice, the rally was also a send-off for a multi-state bus tour to “Break the Silence, Building the Beloved Community.” The tour headed for April 5-6 events in Philadelphia and Washington. After further organizing, the rolling campaign will motor west to Indianapolis, Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City, with many stops and rallies in between. Then it will head south to Memphis, Nashville and Atlanta. To learn details and how you can help, visit drivedemocracy.org
A statement of purpose for the whole initiative states that the ‘ownership society’ touted by the Bush administration is “based upon greed, indifference, and separateness. We would oppose that selfish vision with a Beloved Community that promotes economic opportunity, cooperation, and a renewed commitment to those among us who suffer from poverty, hunger, lack of adequate health care, poor educational opportunity, and an unjust justice system.”
The Riverside Church event and the Bus Tour are just one way progressive religious
communities are organizing. They are doing so because, as The Clergy and Laity
Network states, “For too long, attacks on freedom and justice by religious
voices from the right have gone effectively unanswered.” Meanwhile, intense
public advocacy on peace and justice issues is ongoing, both by the coalition
and by individual groups in Washington. A roundup of peace and justice initiatives
and lobbying efforts by Pax Christi, NETWORK, SOA Watch, the U.S. Catholic Bishops'
Conference and others is on page 2.