Peace and Justice
The Peace and Justice pages of this site are dedicated to links to local, national and international organizations, documents and governmental access. This section will contain links of local interest. From here you may launch to more specified pages to explore the deeper issues which intertwine and encompass the subject matter. It is evident to those of us who seek a more peaceful world, that the issues of social justice, poverty, racism and the law are each powerful strands which viewed together form an inseparable web.
If you find you wish to discuss these issues with others please feel free to write a public essay or just a comment on this site.
Also you may wish to visit my Politics/News page to stay apprised of local, national and world events.
If we want Justice we must have Compassion.
If we want Peace we must have both
* "The way to war is a well-paved highway and the way to peace is still a wilderness." - Paul P. Harris *
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International and Palestinian human rights groups have collected evidence of possible violations of the laws of war in Gaza, including a Human Rights Watch . Also the U.N. condemns Israel for Gaza operation.
Just War Theory specifies war conduct should be governed by the principle of proportionality, which Israel clearly violated in this recent attack. This on the heals of the Israeli troops who have admitted they killed innocent civilians in Gaza war.
From the Jewish Voices for Peace:
…More U.S. aid goes to Israel than any other country, even though Israel?s per capita income is as high as many European countries. In fiscal year 2003 Israel received a foreign military financing grant of $3.1 billion and a $600 million grant for economic security in addition to $11 billion in commercial loan guarantees. This total aid package of nearly $15 billion makes Israel by far the largest single recipient of U.S. aid. U.S. aid is a function of politics... And it is is even higher than ever now. In 2008 they recieved 20.27 billion - a more than 12 percent increase in foreign aid from 2007. Isn’t it about time we rethink U.S military aid to Israel? I think so.
Click link for full text pdf and think about how little things have changed
War Is a Racket is the title of two works, a speech and a booklet, by retired U.S. Marine Major General Smedley Darlington Butler, one of only 19 people to be twice awarded the Medal of Honor, in which Butler frankly discusses from his experience as a career military officer how business interests have commercially benefited from warfare.
After he retired from the Marine Corps, Gen. Butler made a nationwide tour in the early 1930's giving his speech "War is a Racket". The speech was so well received that he wrote a longer version as a small book with the same title that was published in 1935 by Round Table Press, Inc., New York. The booklet was also condensed in Reader's Digest as a book supplement which helped popularize his message. In an introduction to the Reader's Digest version, Lowell Thomas, the "as told to" author of Butler's oral autobiographical adventures[2], praised Butler's "...moral as well as physical courage... "
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . faith
Where there is despair . . . hope
Where there is darkness . . . light
where there is sadness . . . joy
O Divine Master,
grant that i may not so much seek
To be consoled . . .as to console
To be understood . . .as to understand,
To be loved . . . as to love
For it is in giving . . .that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying . . .that we are born to eternal life
Baha'i Prayer for Peace
Be generous in prosperity,
and thankful in adversity.
Be fair in judgement,
and guarded in thy speech,
Be a lamp unto those who walk
in darkness, and a home to the stranger.
Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light
unto the feet of the erring
Be a breath of life to the body of
humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart,
and a fruit upon the tree of humility.
Buddhist Prayer for Peace
May all beings everywhere plagued
with sufferings of body and mind
quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May those frightened cease to be afraid,
and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power,
and may people think of befriending one another.
May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wilderness -
the children, the age, the unprotected -
be guarded by beneficial celestials,
and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.
Jewish Prayer for Peace
Come, let us go up to the mountain of
the Lord, that we may walk the
paths of the Most High.
And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares,
and our spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation -
neither shall they learn war any more.
And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the
Lord of Hosts has spoken.
Hindu Prayer for Peace
Oh God, lead us from the
unreal to the Real.
Oh God, lead us from darkness to light.
Oh God, lead us from death to immortality.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all.
Oh Lord God almighty, may there be peace in
celestial regions.
May there be peace on Earth.
May the waters be appeasing.
May herbs be wholesome, and may trees
plants bring peace to all. May all beneficent
beings bring peace to us.
May thy Vedic Law propogate peace all
through the world.
May all things be a source of peace to us.
And may thy peace itself, bestow peace on all
and may that peace come to me also.
Jainist Prayer for Peace
Peace and Universal Love is the essence
of the Gospel preached by all
Enlightened Ones.
The Lord has preached that equanimity
is the Dharma
Forgive do I creatures all,
and let all creatures forgive me.
Unto all have I amity, and unto none enmity.
Know that violence is the root cause of
all miseries in the world.
Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage.
"Do not injure any living being."
This is the eternal, perrinial, and unalterable
way of spiritual life.
A weapon, howsoever powerful it may be,
can always be superseded by a superior one;
but no weapon can, however,
be superior to non-violence and love
Muslim Prayer for Peace
In the name of Allah,
the beneficent, the merciful.
Praise be to the Lord of the
Universe who has created us and
made us into tribes and nations
That we may know each other, not that
we may despise each other.
If the enemy incline towards peace, do
thou also incline towards peace, and
trust God, for the Lord is the one that
heareth and knoweth all things.
And the servants of God,
Most gracious are those who walk on
the Earth in humility, and when we
address them, we say "PEACE."
Native African Prayer for Peace
Almighty God, the Great
Thumb we cannot evade to
tie any knot;
the Roaring Thunder that splits mighty trees:
the all-seeing Lord up on high who sees
even the footprints of an antelope on
a rock mass here on Earth.
You are the one who does
not hesitate to respond to our call.
You are the cornerstone of peace.
Native American Prayer for Peace
Oh Great Spirit of our
Ancestors, I raise
my pipe to you.
To your messengers the four winds, and
to Mother Earth who provides
for your children.
Give us the wisdom to teach our children
to love, to respect, and to be kind
to each other so that they may grow
with peace of mind
Let us learn to share all good things that
you provide for us on this Earth.
Shinto Prayer for Peace
Although the people living
across the ocean
surrounding us, I believe
are all over brother and sister
why are there constant troubles in
this world?
Why do winds and waves rise in the
oceans surrounding us?
I only earnestly wish that the wind will
soon puff away all the clouds which are
hanging over the tops of mountains.
Zoroastrian Prayer for Peace
We pray to God to eradicate all the
misery in the world:
that understanding triumph
over ignorance,
that generosity triumph over indifference,
that trust triumph over contempt, and
that truth triumph over falsehood.
Sikh Prayer for Peace
God adjudges us according
to our deeds,
not the coat that we wear:
that Truth is above everything,
but higher still is truthful living.
Know that we attaineth God when we loveth,
Know that we attaineth God when we loveth,
and only victory
endures in consequences of which no
one is defeated.
Christian Prayer for Peace
Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS,
for they shall be known as
the Children of God.
But I say to you that hear, love your enemies.
do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you
pray for those who abuse you
To those that strike you on the cheek,
offer the other one also,
and from those who take away your cloak,
do not withhold your coat as well.
Give to everyone who begs from you,
and of those who take away your goods,
do not ask for them again.
And as you wish that others would do to you,
do so to them.
Instead of hating people you think are warmongers, hate the appetites and disorders in your own soul, which are the causes of war. Thomas Merton Close Tab
To Idaho Peace Coalition supporters:
What follows is a report of injustice here in Boise with the victim being a long-time friend and supporter of the Idaho Peace Coalition, Furqan Mehmood. Furqan worked with the Coalition in the months and years following 9-11 to promote diplomatic and legal responses to the attacks and help us befriend the local Muslim community. He and others in the Muslim community opened the doors of the Islamic Center to us many times for our events and programs. He acted courageously when most Americans were simply waving flags and keeping quiet. Keep him in your thoughts in these difficult times.
First is Furqan's story and an appeal for help from the Interfaith Alliance president Jon Brown. 2nd is an April 20 note from Furqan to Pam Baldwin of the Interfaith Alliance.
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FROM THE DESK OF
REV. JON K. BROWN
208 E. CRESTLINE DR.
BOISE, ID 83702
URGENT IMMIGRANT REPORT
MARCH 31, 2009
RE. FURQAN MEHMOOD
DEAR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES:
Furqan Mehmood immigrated to the U.S. over twenty years ago. He came on a student visa from Pakistan to attend BSU, where he graduated in 1992. As a student, he was very briefly married and quickly divorced. He has since remarried and he and his wife, who was raised in Bosnia, and is a citizen, have two children, a daughter who is 13, and a son who is 8. He is licensed as a real estate broker, was president of the Boise Islamic Center, which also serves as the local mosque, and in 2005 received the Human Rights Leader of Idaho Award from United Vision for Idaho.
After 9/11 he immediately volunteered to be a trainer for law enforcement agencies, both local and federal. He provided training about Islamic cultural sensitivities, the treatment of women, religious observances, Halal (kosher) foods, holidays, and so forth. He was given awards by the agencies for his fine service to the community.
On the day he was to be given the awards, in 2002, he was informed that he was being surveiled by the FBI and other federal agencies. His phone was tapped, and his neighbors interviewed by law enforcement personnel. They inquired about his known associates, and any unusual activities and beliefs.
There was a rally held in 2004, at the Anne Frank Memorial which focused on the treatment of Muslims here, as well as around the country. Furqan was the main speaker. With great class, he did not speak of himself, but kept the focus on the security and safety of the Muslim community, and the negative impact of being asked to provide names and addresses of members and associates of the Mosque, their activities and their attitudes.
The local police, whom the Muslim community had seen as protecting them, now were seen as intruders and spies. Another former president of the Islamic Center, a citizen of the US, and a professor, was informally approached by an FBI agent at a Ramadan dinner at the Mosque. The agent asked him why his overseas calls to his family had decreased recently, and why he was traveling overseas less. He found it odd that the agent knew so much about him and used a friendly context to pump him for more information.
In 2008, a grand jury was empanelled, and found Furqan in violation of an immigration charge (that his first, short marriage was a sham one, done to obtain citizenship), so this helped INS/ICE to deny his green card application. The second charge was that he had not paid his income taxes. Furqan had been advised NOT to pay his taxes by his tax attorney, after they learned that the grand jury was going in that direction. He was advised to wait until the IRS documented what, if anything, he owed. After meticulous work by his CPA, they figure the IRS owes Furqan about $20,000.
On an August day, in 2008, Furqan was pulled over on Chinden by seven (7) cars, carrying nine (9) officers from five (5) agencies: FBI, BATF, IRS, INS, and ICE. The nine officers emerged with guns drawn. He was spread-eagled across one of the cars, where they handcuffed him, and then shackled his feet with leg irons, and put him in one of the cars. He was taken to Ada County jail. In court the next day, he was ordered to pay a $100,000 CASH bail. Not having that much on his person or in the bank, he was held in jail until he could meet the bail, which was twenty-one (21) days later.
Most people did not know where Furqan was; what had happened to him? When they called the jail, they were told he was not on the roster. Little did they, nor most of us, know that it is Federal policy that local jails do not provide a census for Federal prisoners! Finally, word leaked out through a non-federal released prisoner.
The community began immediately to help raise the bail. Several put their homes up as collateral, only to find out that (a) you have to have lived in the house for at least eight years; (b) you had to have twice the bail amount, or in his case, at least $200,000 asset value; and (c) only one home could be used to create the asset value! So it took many days to raise the money, cash money, contributed in $10s and $100s and $10,000, and more. He is much respected and loved as this generous outpouring of support testifies.
The feast of Ramadan occurred during his twenty-one days of incarceration. You may know that during this holy time, one is required to fast during the entire day, and eat only after the sun sets. And of course, Muslims do not eat pork. So, he cannot eat breakfast or lunch, and the evening meals are served around 5:00 pm. He could not eat until after sunset, or about 8:00 pm. The guards, following standard procedure, removed his food tray about 6:00 pm. He explained to them his Ramadan obligations; but they have rules they must follow, too. One more senior guard finally understood his predicament, and began bringing his food and leaving it until sundown. It was food; but cold, dried out food.
To top it off, on those nights when there was pork on the menu, no dietary allowance or substitute was made for Furqan. So he had no food on those days at all. On the day he left jail, Furqan had lost forty (40) pounds! And he had to wear a monitor on his ankle, so that he would not flee!
When we first talked about his situation, the last week of November, his trial was set for February 2, 2009. He needed a criminal lawyer and likely an immigration lawyer. But that costs lots of money. And he is in real estate. Not a good mix!
Attorney Chuck Peterson has agreed to represent him. Several other lawyers have shown interest in Furqan’s case. Representative Walt Minnick had his local staffer meet with Furqan the first week of February. This was very encouraging to him.
But freedom ain’t free! Furqan has already obtained pledges and donations of $25,000 for a down payment on what his lawyer estimates will cost at least $50,000. His attorney has obtained a delay, postponing trial until May 27.
His attorney also filed a motion to have his ankle monitoring device removed. His probation officer agreed that he is not a flight risk. His ankle monitor was removed in March.
Freedom is expensive! And Furqan needs your support now!
It is quite obvious now that Furqan, and his family, need financial support. When he goes to trial the $100,000 will be freed up and he can return it to those who were so generous to him. But the legal costs are and will continue to be substantial. And we, you and I, have a dog in this fight: our Constitution, our honor, and our sense of justice and fair play.
Hope is on the horizon. We are working our way back as a nation to that sense of decency and fair play, to justice and compassion. Even in this depressed economy, we see signs of a better tomorrow in the new legislative initiatives that show clear concern for the jobless, homeless, ill and frail as well as for the prisoners and sojourners in our land. From middle class tax breaks to the construction of new public schools, from better access to childhood immunizations, to improved health care, we see hope. From Fort Meyers to Elkhart to Detroit we see people needing hope and hope’s work, its deeds, its helping hands.
So, in that spirit, I write this to ask for your helping hands for Furqan. So put your one helping hand into your checkbook, pen in the other hand, and make out a check today to:
THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE
And mail to
P.O. Box 15893
Boise, ID 15893-5893
IN THE “MEMO” line add:
THE IMMIGRANT DEFENSE FUND
Gifts of $1,000, $500, $100, $10 and any other amount will be totally applied to Furqan’s situation.
If you have any questions, call me at 208 336-5341 or 208 860-2824; or contact Pam Baldwin of TIA at 208 283-6560.
Thanks for taking your time to read this. I look forward to your response. And I’ll keep you in touch with new developments.
Yours in Hope and Justice,
Rev. Jon K. Brown,
The Interfaith Alliance
The Interfaith Religious Leaders’ Network
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>From Furqan: 4/20/09
Thanks Pam,
Like I said when I spoke to you on the phone, I have already signed the plea agreement. I feel like my hands and feet are bound, I am just waiting to be taken to the slaughter house. My family is planning to migrate to Pakistan sometimes this summer. As you are aware that my wife and kids are American citizens who have never been to Pakistan or speak the local language. My wife is devastated. She is becoming a refugee again. Last time, she lost her father, brothers and home to Serb extremists of Bosnia. Now she will be losing her mother, another brother and his family to GOP extremists of USA.
My story is one of the thousands from among the immigrants, in particular Muslims, who became victims of this political, racial and religious genocide. I believed that the hope had come to the United States on January 20th. But I was wrong.
Muslims like myself, who risked everything to build bridges, and believed that we had a share in the American dream, got a rude awakening. I am making myself mentally ready now for incarceration and then deportation, hoping that I would join my family in Pakistan sooner rather than later. I have paid big price for standing up for my beliefs. I am not sure if my family can withstand any more scrutiny, negative publicity and pressure.
I am in no need of the money now. Please help some other immigrant family who could be assisted in time. I don’t know what else could be done for me, I have never been in such a situation before. Please keep me and my family in prayers. I hope and pray that someone will get real upset by the way I was treated and stand up to protect weak and helpless immigrants who are facing the wrath of mighty American government.
Take care
Furqan
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