Petition for Peace in the Middle East

From the Convocation of UU Ministers, Birmingham, AL, March 10, 2002

We, the undersigned, members of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association meeting in convocation at Birmingham, Alabama, are deeply shocked, saddened, and concerned by the worsening cycle of violence among Israeli and Palestinian people.

From our reverence for life and with compassion for the suffering of those caught in the conflict, we call for an immediate cessation of attack and reprisal and for non-violent resolution of the crisis. We consider the current proposal by Saudi Arabia to be a significant development and urge world leaders to engage it seriously and in good faith as an important opportunity to establish peace.

Recognizing the complexity of the underlying issues, we pledge to educate and inform ourselves, and our congregation and to bear public witness within our local ministries.

Recognizing that there are strong emotions and personal allegiances regarding the conflict, as religious leaders we hold a profound respect for the worth and dignity of each person and oppose any effort to confuse responsible advocacy for justice and peace with religious or ethnic prejudice.

We urge the President of the Unitarian Universalist Association to employ the resources of his office to bear public witness on this issue and to carry our statement to the President of the United States of America and to the Secretary General of the United Nations.

(signed by 240 ministers)