|
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today U.S. Representative Jan
Schakowsky (D-IL), a Chief Deputy Democratic Whip, was joined by a bipartisan
group of 88 of her colleagues on a letter to Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir
calling on him to apologize for and retract his dangerous and fictitious
accusations directed towards the American Jewish community.
Speaking to the UN General
Assembly on Tuesday, September 19th, the president of Sudan claimed
that Jewish groups are lying about violence in Darfur in order to raise money
for Israel.
President al-Bashir said reports
of deaths and refugees in Darfur are “fictions,” and that those “who made the
publicity, who mobilized the people, invariably, are Jewish organizations.”
President al-Bashir’s comments came on the same day that President Bush
denounced government-sponsored violence in Darfur and named Andrew Natsios as
his special envoy to the region.
The letter also demands that the
Sudanese President work to uphold the Darfur Peace Agreement, and actively and
immediately strive to end the genocide within his borders. Finally, the letter
encourages President al-Bashir to work closely with Special Presidential Envoy
Andrew Natsios who is ready to aid the Sudanese to achieve a final peace.
The full text of the letter:
September 25, 2006
President Omar Hassan al-Bashir
President of Sudan
The Embassy of Sudan
2210 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
Dear President al-Bashir:
We were shocked to
hear your comments on Tuesday, September 19th, at the UN General Assembly where
you stated that reports of deaths and refugees in Darfur are “fictions,” and
that those “who made the publicity, who mobilized the people, invariably, are
Jewish organizations.”
Many of us have
traveled to Darfur and seen the death, destruction, and misery of the innocent
civilians in Darfur with our own eyes. The last three years of violence in
Darfur have resulted in the death of an estimated 400,000 people and millions
have been forced from their homes. This atrocity has been encouraged and
facilitated by your government.
We are grateful that
the American Jewish community as well as other faith communities have made a
priority of raising the issue of genocide in Darfur. Instead of using the
ancient technique of making the Jewish community the scapegoat for your
failures, we hope that you will take a close look at your own actions. In
direct violation of the Darfur Peace Agreement and the will of the UN Security
Council, your government has recently deployed approximately 26,000 troops and
attack helicopters to the Darfur region. Your actions have directly resulted in
an increase of attacks on civilians and humanitarian aid workers.
Mr. President, we
call on you to apologize for and retract your dangerous and fictitious
accusations directed towards the Jewish community. We also demand that you work
to uphold the Darfur Peace Agreement, and actively and immediately strive to end
the genocide within your borders. Finally, we encourage you to work closely with
Special Presidential Envoy Andrew Natsios who is ready to aid your nation to
achieve a final peace. Rather than fanning the flames of conflict, we hope you
will act to save lives.
Sincerely,
Signed by Representatives:
Schakowsky, Pelosi, Lantos, Berman, Engel, Wexler, Crowley, Delahunt, George
Miller, McDermott, Alcee Hastings, Kucinich, Maloney, Barney Frank, Nadler,
Lowey, Rothman, Baldwin, Weiner, Steve Israel, Al Green, Jackson Lee, Pallone,
McNulty, Markey, McCarthy, Michaud, Holt, Owens, Wasserman-Schultz, Costa,
Waxman, Mark Udall, Doyle, Doggett, Ackerman, Jefferson, Kendrick Meek, John
Lewis, Higgins, Cardin, Robert Brady, Tauscher, Jackson Jr., Sherrod Brown,
Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Towns, Emanuel, Matsui, Kilpatrick, Stark, Van Hollen, Wm
Lacy Clay, John Larson, Schiff, McGovern, Gene Green, Allyson Schwartz, Sherman,
Meehan, Capuano, Lofgren, Miller, Waters, Dingell, Shimkus,
DeLauro, Blumenauer, Lee, Fitzpatrick, Harman, Olver, Weldon, Akin, Filner,
Fattah, Capps, Costello, Honda, Conyers, Moran, Solis, Kirk, Gutierrez, Grijalva,
Berkley, Millender-McDonald, Pascrell |
