iraq war

What is common between the images of American soldiers laughing at naked and humiliated Iraqi prisoners, the video of a terrorist group in Iraq slaughtering an American civilian, and the photos of an Iraqi mob desecrating and hanging the bodies of four American private commandos in Fallujah? It is the hatred and inhumanity of the people doing it.

The photos of American soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners have stunned and disgusted the world. But it is their sexual humiliation that is garnering much of the attention. Most Americans may not be able to comprehend what type of cultural threshold has been crossed in terms of dealing with Islam and Muslims. 

A discussion of what factors lead to the acceptance for a culture of violence. Why are so many of us so insensitive to life? With the Quran and the Bible being from the same source, God clearly states that saving one life is like saving all of humanity.

In these dark days, we are anxious for a new beginning in Iraq. It was new beginnings that Andrew Mandell - who traveled to Iraq with VitW two years ago - had in mind recently when he penned an open letter to a friend in Baghdad.

Quran asks believers to "repel evil with something better." That is what Muhammad Ali did, the heavyweight boxing champion, also an African-American Muslim. He refused to serve in Vietnam, becoming a conscientious objector. 

A letter of plea to the president of the United States of America  from an American in Baghdad by Kathy Kelly

A page from a diary from Iraq by veteran peace activist Kathy Kelly describing the horror and havoc caused by the American-led war on Iraqi civilians.