Skip to main content

Groups protest Hagee and his hateful group


Peace and Justice Groups Protest warmongering "Christians," Hateful Hagee


For Comment: Immediate Release

Malachy Kilbride, Wash. Peace Center, (202) 841-2230 July 18, 2008

Barbra Bearden, Peace Action, (301) 565-4050, ext. 330

WASHINGTON – Monday evening a coalition of peace and social justice groups wishing to foster greater understanding between faith traditions and stopping an illegal and immoral military strike on the nation of Iran will be protesting outside the Christians United for Israel Conference at the DC Convention Center.


When: 5:00-8:00 PM, Monday, July 21st

Where: 9th Street and Mass. Avenue NW, Across from DC Convention Center

What: Protest the right-wing Christians United for Israel Annual Conference, and raise awareness about preventing war with Iran and the importance of respecting world religions.


The Christians United for Israel's (CUFI) Third Annual "Washington-Israel Summit" is a staunchly right wing and militant Zionist gathering. This year it will feature a keynote speech by Sen. Joe Lieberman and appearances by its founder, the controversial Rev. John Hagee. In the news recently for being condemned by the John McCain presidential campaign for making anti-Catholic statements, Hagee continues to raise a lot of questions regarding the political influence of his multi-million dollar non-denominational church and his own bigoted views.

Participants in Monday's protest will be the Washington Peace Center, Jewish Voices for Peace, CODE PINK DC, and Peace Action. The groups, while engaging in dialogue with CUFI attendees, will hand out literature regarding the dire consequences of a naval blockade of Iran, as proposed in House Resolution 362, and why warfare is not Christian.

"Rev. Hagee's expression of his fundamentalist brand of Christianity is offensive, disturbing, and offensive to Catholics, Muslims, and Jews. His group is one of the forces calling for war with Iran," said Malachy Kilbride president of the Washington Peace Center's board of directors. "People of conscience and faith will be outside this gathering to bear witness to peace and a reasoned and rational foreign policy with regard to Iran."

Workshops offered at the conference include "Radical Islam: In Their Own Words," led by neo-conservative Daniel Pipes and former right-wing Senator Rick Santorum; and "The Basics of The Arab Israeli Conflict," led by far-right politician Gary Bauer, president of the anti-choice, and homophobic group American Values. Musician Randy Travis will also perform Monday evening.

"We want the world to know there are Americans who strongly disagree with the right-wing Christians and their love of war and oppression of Palestinians and other peoples in the Middle East," said Gael Murphy co-founder of CODE PINK: Women for Peace.

Sen. Lieberman has been one the most strident advocates for military action against Iran. A senior policy advisor for the American Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC) who has been working on H.R. 362 will address the conference.

Hagee has been criticized by notable journalist Bill Moyers as presumptuously trying to speak for all Christians, by Reform Rabbi Eric Yoffie for holding extremist views and for attacking other faiths such as Islam and Catholicism. The San Antonio minister has lambasted Catholicism as "The great whore," and in 2006 during a radio interview; he said the Islamic faith has "a scriptural mandate to kill Christians and Jews."

In his book "Jerusalem Countdown: A Prelude To War," Hagee also made anti-Semitic remarks, including a claim that Adolf Hitler was "carrying out a divine plan." On the CUFI Web site the group describes Iran's president as "a new Hitler of the Middle East."

###
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guantanamo put on trial -- May 27th

In eight days, Eve Tetaz, a 76-year old retired D.C. public schoolteacher, will enter a courthouse in Washington, D.C. and engage in the legal debate over the fate of America's detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The name of Noor Muhammad has never appeared in an American criminal court. On May 27th, Tetaz will change that. On that day, she will appear at the Washington, D.C. Superior Court as Noor Muhammad. Tetaz was arrested, along with 78 others, at the U.S. Supreme Court on January 11, 2008, protesting the denial of habeas rights to and the torture of inmates at Guantanamo. Like her fellow protestors, Tetaz took the name of an inmate during her arrest. ( See the January 13 Washington Post article "Activists Pose as Guantanamo Prisoners" ) Tetaz says she felt compelled to participate in the protest at the Supreme Court because detainees are being tortured at Guantanamo. "Torture is a terrible crime and sin against humanity," she said. Thirty-four
6 comments
Read more

Sheehan to challenge Pelosi

I was there the day about three weeks ago when Cindy announced she was running against Pelosi. It was outside of Rep. John Conyers'office. I think change is in the air, and all politics is local. The San Fran area is perhaps the most staunchly progressive in the whole country. Tomorrow morning I will be dropping a check for Cindy's campaign in the mail. Peace activist seeks SF-area House seat Associated Press report Citing her son as inspiration, a tearful Cindy Sheehan announced her candidacy Thursday for the U.S. House of Representatives. The anti-war activist, a former resident of Vacaville, said she will run as an independent against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco in Congress since 1987. "The country is ripe for a change," said Sheehan, who spoke at a news conference in San Francisco, with her slain son's photograph attached to the podium. "It's going to start right here and right now." Sheehan's 24-year-old son
4 comments
Read more

William Thomas Dies

William Thomas, dedicated peace and anti-nuke activist, passed away Friday morning at home. He was co-pilot of the 24-hour seven-day a week vigil at the White House for 27 years. He is survived by his wife Ellen and vigil co-pilot Concepcion. I remember Thomas from my high school years years early in on his vigil. Millions of people from hundred of countries visited Thomas as he kept vigiling, warning them of the dangers of nuclear holocaust and the ravages of war. He will be greatly missed by the peace and justice movement. An excerpt from an article in The Washington Post by David Montgomery, published a couple years ago: WASHINGTON — William Thomas first introduced fanny to brick on the White House sidewalk on June 3, 1981. His sign said, "Wanted: Wisdom and Honesty." He's been there ever since, still squatting, still wanting. A few months after he began, he was joined by Concepcion Picciotto, who has remained similarly steadfast. War is not over, but the peace protest
4 comments
Read more