A letter to Congresspersons King and McCarthy:

We, and the 333 constituents who signed this letter today, wish to urge you to support a letter concerning the people of Iraq by Representatives Tom Campbell (R-CA), and John Conyers (D-MI). This leter was also signed by a bipartisan group of about 70 other members of Congress, calling upon the President to life the economi sanctions against the people of Iraq.

This Congressional letter points out that "reports from UNICEF (UN's Children's Fund) and other UN agencies operating in Iraq estimate that over ONE MILLION civilians, mostly children, have died from malnutrition and disease as a result of the embargo. UNICEF also reports that, despite the UN's Oil-for-Food Program, several thousand children under the age of five die every month!!! According to John Mueller and Karl Mueller in their article: "Sanctions of Mass Destruction," published in the May/June 1999 issue of Foriegn Affairs, "Economic sanctions may well have been a necessary cause of the death of more people in Iraq than have been slain by all so-called weapons of mass destruction throughout history."!!!

The congressional letter reflects the increased opposition to the sanctions which have imposed seige-like conditions on the civilians of Iraq for almost a decade. In recent months, a growing and increasingly visible and vocal constituency of conscience has been pressing the case against sanctions as the human tragedy in Iraq has grown out of all proportions.

Dear Representatives, in the fall, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops called for the lifting of the santions. Twenty four leaders of 23 major denominations and religious organizations joined a similar statement. Several city councils and labor unions have also called for the end of the sanctions.

In September 1999, a group of congressional aides traveled to Iraq to study the humanitarian crisis and dozens of delegations of educators, public health professionals, human rights activists and religious leaders have made the same trip. Sanctions against Iraq's population have been criticized by UN Seretary General Kofi Annan, the Vatican, UN Humanitarian Officials Denis Halliday and Hans Von Sponeck, the Red Cross, and even som UN Weapon Inspectors, among many others. n October 1998, a similar letter to the President iniiated by Rep. Conyers gained 43 Congressional signatures.

On February 16, 2000, House Democratic Whip David Bonoir (D-MI), Rep. Tom Campbell (R-CA), and Rep John Conyers (D-MI) will join with more than 12 national Muslim and Arab-American organization leaders in a joint press onference at the House Triangle, U.S. Capitol, calling on the President to end the economic sanctions. Also, member organizations of the Long Island Interfaith Alliance for Peaceul Alternatives will holda similar press conference in Mineola's Court House Press Room for the same purpose on February 15, 2000 at 10:30 a.m.

We urge you to suppor these efforts, which could be the least for a future understanding between the American and Iraqi peoples.

One million civilian Iraqis dead, so far, due to the sanctions is indeed a human tragedy, which has grown way out of proportion.

Sincerely,
Al-Haaj Ghazi Y. Khankan
Director of Interfaith and Communication
of the Islamic Center of Long Island, NY