To the editor:

As members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), we oppose war in all its forms. We are called to witness to God’s love for every human being and to respect the human dignity of each person. We call upon the president and Congress to halt this unjust and unnecessary war.

War is not the answer; there are other options. U.N. inspectors destroyed more Iraqi weapons than the bombs of 1991 did, all without a single loss of life. In no instance during the past 20 years has an autocratic regime been toppled by a foreign invasion. In fact, the majority of such changes occurred through massive nonviolent action. The acknowledged repressiveness of the Iraqi regime must not be used to justify the greater suffering caused by war.

We mourn the numerous deaths already caused by this war, the deaths of soldiers as well as the Iraqi civilian deaths. All of these deaths could have been prevented had the United States government not decided to wage this war.

True security comes not from military power but from respect for international law and raising human hopes and dignity. We join with all people who seek to create a society that respects each person’s dignity and advances justice, democracy, and freedom. We call upon President Bush, Congress and all people of conscience to help end this war now and heal the deep wounds of this conflict. In this way, we can build a world of true security and peace for all.

Douglas Crawford-Parker,

for the Oread Friends

Meeting, Lawrence