Latest from CAN

Dear Friends of CAN,

Women Led Prayer is this Saturday, August 28th, at 11 am. We will gather at 1077 S Newstead. All are welcome for inclusive, creative, woman led liturgy!

Next week please join Union Ave. Christian Church and Instead of War for an
Interfaith Breakfast.
Countdown to Withdrawal with Raed Jarrar
Join us for a talk by Raed followed by a discussion.

Friday, September 3rd from 8-9:00 am (Raed Jarrar will be available for more informal discussion between 9-9:30 for those who can stay)
Union Ave. Christian Church
733 Union Boulevard
St Louis, MO 63108-1037

RSVP by Tuesday, August 31st to staff@insteadofwar.org or call Megan at 314.721.2977. More information available at http://www.insteadofwar.org

What can we as people of faith do to respond to what is left behind in Iraq(military contractors,military bases, troops and destruction)?
How do we educate ourselves and our faith communities around this issue?
What other resources do we need to continue working for peace?

The U.S. occupation of Iraq continues and the reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq can at best be called only a rebranded occupation. While the number of U.S. troops in Iraq will be reduced from a high of 165,000, there will still be 50,000 troops left behind, some 75,000 contractors, five huge “enduring bases” and an Embassy the size of Vatican City. The U.S. military’s overthrow of the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein did not lead to a better life for Iraqis—just the opposite. It resulted in the further destruction of basic infrastructure—electricity, water, sewage—that continues to this day and the war has drained our treasury, leading to huge hardships as home. The War has not made us more secure.

Please join us to hear from Raed Jarrar, is an Iraq-born architect, blogger, and political advocate based in Washington, DC. He is currently the Iraq consultant for the American Friends Service Committee, and a Senior Fellow at Peace Action. Jarrar is half Iraqi and half Palestinian. He holds a degree in architecture from the University of Baghdad, and a Master's Degree in Architectural Engineering, specialized in post-war reconstruction, from the University of Jordan.

After the fall of Baghdad in 2003, Jarrar worked as the country director of CIVIC Worldwide, the only door-to-door civilian casualties survey in Iraq since 2003. He also founded Emaar, an NGO that carried out humanitarian and reconstruction work in Baghdad and southern Iraq. After immigrating to the U.S. in 2005, Raed Jarrar has been working on a number of projects aimed at ending the U.S. occupation.

Jarrar gained attention after an incident on August 12, 2006 at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Raed had attempted to board a JetBlue flight from New York City to Oakland, California while wearing a black T-shirt with the text "We will not be silent" in English and Arabic. After a lengthy exchange with airport staff, Jarrar was made to cover his t-shirt with another T-shirt bought for him by JetBlue staff from an airport gift shop. On August 13, 2007, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against JetBlue alleging illegal discrimination against Jarrar. In January 2009 JetBlue paid Jarrar $240,000 to settle the case

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Peace,
Megan Heeney

Catholic Action Network
can@catholicactionnetwork.org
314.766.8713 cell
314.721.2977 work





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