After the Shock has Passed:
Quaker Commitments to Work for Healing, Justice and Peace
A Statement from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting,
the American Friends Service Committee, Friends General Conference
and Friends World Committee for Consultation
Now that the initial shock of the terrorist attacks of last week
have passed, deep grief and profound anger has set in for many
of us. Now the critical questions that confront us all are several:
How can we best comfort those who mourn? How can we begin to heal
some of the wounds to all of our souls as well as our bodies?
How can see that justice is really done? How can we build bridges
of understanding and reconciliation among all people so that there
is no more harm done and no more hatred sown? How can we begin
anew the work of creating a world where there can really be peace,
addressing the injustice and despair which are so often the seeds
of violence, so there will be no more victims?
These are the tasks to which a God of love calls all members
of the human family. How will we respond?
As organizations of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
and people of faith we find ourselves challenged to continue to
respond to the tragic and horrific events of September 11. Indeed,
we feel called – and believe all people of good will are called
now – to respond to these events and the hurts they have caused
in ways that are deeper and more sustained than our initial shock
and grief may have allowed. In particular, we believe the work
of building a different and better world, one in which all persons
are seen as sacred because we are all children of God, one where
this kind of act would not happen again, is the calling of all
of us who worship a God of truth, grace and mercy.
To our dismay, we have heard people in the highest levels of
our government calling for retribution rather than justice. To
our astonishment we hear the talk of war and plans for war in
which our nation in turn would cause the death of innocents –
the sin which so appalled us – asserting this will somehow put
things right. To our sorrow, we have seen people from many walks
of life in our own communities striking out in their anger against
other people in our communities just because of the faith they
profess, the color of their skin or the country of their origin.
We say with certainty that these statements, plans and actions
will not lead us to healing, justice or peace; and we pray they
will cease.
In contrast, we commit ourselves, to reach out to all who have
been injured in any way by the events of the past week; and to
offering comfort, solace, and practical support in any way we
can. We commit ourselves to reach out to those whose backgrounds,
cultures and faith may be different than our own; and to listen
and learn, in hopes of building the foundations of understanding
and respect on which peace can be built. We support the prosecution
of those who perpetrated this horrendous crime; and commit ourselves
to the achievement of justice under law and due process, including
international law.
Finally we commit ourselves to praying and working for righteousness
and reconciliation, as the God of Abraham, Jesus, and Mohammed
has taught us, so that there may be no more victims of hate and
terror anywhere.
September 20, 2001
Signatures follow ...
Mary Ellen McNish, Executive Director, American Friends
Service Committee
Thomas H. Jeavons, General Secretary, Philadelphia Yearly
Meeting of Friends
Bruce Birchard, General Secretary, Friends General Conference
Cilde Grover, Friends World Committee for Consultation,
Section of the Americas
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