Pax Christi USA statement on assassination of Iran's General Soleimani

Source: Pax Christi USA

Johnny Zokovitch, Pax Christi USA Executive Director has issued the following statement today.

The decision by the Trump Administration to assassinate Iran's General Soleimani on Iraqi soil, reportedly by drone strike, has only succeeded in escalating tensions in the Middle East and put in jeopardy the lives of innocent men, women and children who will bear the brunt of back-and-forth retaliation between the US and Iran. This is another in a long string of failures by this administration to pursue diplomacy and act with prudence in addressing the complicated problems of the region, many of which have been exacerbated by or are the direct result of decades of bad decisions undertaken by the US in the Middle East.

Earlier this summer, Sr Anne-Louise Nadeau, SNDdeN, in her capacity as interim director of Pax Christi USA, joined over 200 faith leaders in calling for the US to pursue the path of peacemaking - not war making - with Iran. See: https://sojo.net/articles/faith-leaders-issue-emphatic-no-war-iran#statement (The statement was also signed by Pax Christi USA Bishop-President Bishop John Stowe and Pax Christi USA National Chair Robert Shine.)

We continue to demand that our political leaders seek real diplomatic and humanitarian solutions to the current crisis and refrain from further military confrontation with Iran. Actions like the assassination of General Soleimani only serve to destabilize the region further, fuel anti-American sentiment, and stoke the fires of extremism. Such actions go against everything we stand for as people of faith and are incompatible with the message of Jesus.