International UU Support for Darfur Protest
From South Africa
September 2, 2004
South African Unitarians support the promoters of the Coalition for Darfur
Movement and we express our sympathy for and agreement with this interfaith
effort. We therefore call on the ICUU to establish contact with the Coalition
in support of them. We are highly disturbed at the genocide in Sudan and we
also call on the Governments of all African countries to take a strong and
active stand in bringing a satisfactory end to this tragedy.
Rev Gordon Oliver
Minister
Cape Town Unitarian Church
and on behalf of South African Unitarians
From Spain
September 2, 2004
On behalf of the Spanish Unitarian Universalists, I wish to join the claim
of Unitarians and Universalists worldwide to support the goals of the Coalition
for Darfur Movement for a peaceful settlement and the end of massacres in
that troubled area of Africa. We endorse the International Council of Unitarians
and Universalists’s (ICUU) efforts to join in the international and
interfaith response to these situations, and demand that the United Nations
are given a more relevant role in the peaceful resolution of this and also
other conflicts now raging in the world. Our prayers and thoughts are for
those who have been killed, and for those who are suffering and mourning.
Saludos/Regards,
Jaume de Marcos
Sociedad Unitaria Universalista de España
http://www.suue.org 
From India
September 3, 2004
The Indian council of Unitarian Churches (ICUC) expresses its Solidarity
with the UUA under the leadership of the President Rev. William Sinkford in
protest against Genocide in Sudan.
As a faith which believes in the Dignity and Conscience of every Individual
in any part of the World, we cannot become more spectators to the inhumane
Acts inflicted on the people in DARFUR. We condemn such acts. We also express
our sympathy with the victims of the genocide.
May justice prevail.
In faith
C. Lyngdoh
Executive Secretary
Indian Council of Unitarian Churches (ICUC).
From Philippines
September 3, 2004
Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines
Statement of Conscience
On the Human Rights Violations in Darfur, Sudan
On behalf of the Unitarian Universalist churches in the Philippines, we desire
the Sudanese Government to hear the following:
- The Peace Agreement signed between the Government of Sudan with the Sudan
People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) is a futile agreement if
the current human tragedy in Darfur is not given an urgent resolution.
- There are thousands of African Muslims from three different ethnicities
(Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa) who are uselessly killed by Janjaweed army, supported
by Sudanese government.
- The women and girls have been raped and young children are dying from
disease and malnutrition. The homes were burned to the ground and water
sources poisoned.
- The Sudanese Government must disarm Janjaweed Army so that killing of
innocent people, women, children and men would come to an end.
- The Government must allow immediate and unconstrained access to international
humanitarian organizations to provide necessary food supplies and medicines.
- In order to create peace, the Sudanese Government must appreciate the
presence of other kinds of peoples in their country and celebrate because
we are all human beings- the very manifestation of the presence of a beautiful
life worthy of respect and dignity.
From Denmark
September 4, 2004
The Board of Directors of the Danish Unitarian Church has voted unanimously for International Council of Unitarians and Universalists to support the Unitarian Universalist Association in the protest against genocide in Sudan - and anywhere else, for that matter. Genocide should never be seen as acceptable.
Lene Lund Shoemaker
Vice President
Unitarisk Kirkesamfund
From European Unitarian Universalists (EUU)
4 September 2004
On behalf of the Coordinating Committee of the European Unitarian Universalists
(EUU), I wish to register our approval, voted on 4 Sep 2004 in Paris, France,
for the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) to move
forward in support of the Coalition of Darfur, and take a stand in favor of
whatever steps are necessary to provide succor and relief for the innocents
there.
John Keating
President, European Unitarian Universalists
From Pakistan
September 5, 2004
To,
The Principal Officer,
US Consulate,
50 Empress Road,
Lahore,
Pakistan.
SUBJECT: Our Anger and Protest.
Your Highness,
Greetings from Unitarians - Pakistan. According to the news from Unitarian
Universalists Association, USA, we have come to know that:
- Rev. Bill Sinkford, the president of Unitarian Universalist Association,
USA, with 3 or 4 others, was arrested at the Sudanese embassy yesterday
(25th August 2004).
- The arrest was made when the Protestants refused to leave, and carried
on making their cause and their concern visible against the Genocide in
Darfur in the region of Sudan.
- The arrest was planned in advance, not a surprise; still, it took him
6 hours to regain his freedom.
Please note that we the Unitarians in Pakistan:
- Second and support the protest agenda of this Genocide.
- Got highly shocked from this planned arrest.
- Strongly condemn this sort of HURTING event now and in future.
- On behalf of the Unitarians in Pakistan I want you to put our PROTEST
and ANGER into the notice of the responsible US Authorities for this planned
arrest.
With Protestive Voice, I am,
Rev. Inderias Dominic Bhatti,
National Director and Church Minister,
Unitarians – Pakistan.
From Hungary
September 6, 2004
On behalf of the Hungarian Unitarian Church we are ready to declare our strong
condemnation of the genocide in Sudan against innocent people in Darfur.
We join and support the protest initiated by Unitarian Universalist Association
and followed by International Council of Unitarians and Universalists and
express our sympathy for and agreement with this interfaith effort.
Furthermore we draw attention to the terrible killing of innocent children
in the Caucasus on the last week and warn the people: take every effort to
protect the future of the endangered mankind.
István Mikó
Lay President
on behalf of the Hungarian Unitarian Church
From Great Britain
7 September 2004
As President of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches,
I wish to express my support for the Call to Action announced by the Save
Darfur Coalition on August 2nd 2004 and, in particular, to endorse the five
points set out in that call which ask people of conscience and organisations
to take actions to: stop displacement and end crimes against humanity; demand
realistic governmental humanitarian support; help in the relief efforts; promote
the rebuilding of villages and return of the displaced; call for a UN Commission
of Inquiry to investigate crimes against humanity.
I know that Unitarians in Britain share these concerns.
Dawn Buckle,
President,
General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches,
1-6 Essex St, LONDON, WC2R 3HY,
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 20 7240 2384; Email: ga@unitarian.org.uk
Sinkford Arrested while Protesting at Sudanese Embassy
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