Here is the ad signed onto by Mishkan Shalom that appeared in Spanish in two Salvadoran newspapers: LaPrensa Grafica and Diario CoLatino
Open Letter to the Salvadoran Government in the Suchitoto Case, July 2, 2007
We, the undersigned non-governmental organizations, religious congregations, and other members of U.S. civil society, have received with profound concern information regarding the events of July 2nd in Suchitoto. On that day, riot police (UMO), with the support of the armed forces, reprimanded a peaceful protest against the privatization of water at the time in which the President of El Salvador had planned to launch his national water decentralization policy.
Via the media and organizations that specialize in human rights, and after reviewing video taken on July 2nd in Suchitoto, we are convinced that there was abuse of force and arbitrary actions taken by the riot police against unarmed men, women, and children who were peacefully protesting in said location.
We have also received with great worry the news of the detention of 14 people. In various cases, the detentions were accompanied by torture (as reported by Tutela Legal of the El Salvador Archdiocese, July 12, 2007). Among those arrested are directors of social organizations, university students, municipal workers, and peasant farmers. All except one of these individuals (who was provisionally released) have been taken to provisional prison for a period of three months under charges of terrorism, according to the verdict rendered on July 7th by Judge Ana Lucila Fuentes de Paz, from the Special Tribunal of San Salvador. These charges are of such a serious nature that the accused could be facing a sentence of up to 60 years in prison if found guilty.
We share the declarations of the Human Rights Ombudsman of El Salvador, Dr. Oscar Luna, that “public freedoms such as the right to freedom of expression, free assembly, free protest, and free association are becoming more vulnerable.” We also agree with this Salvadoran Government official, whose constitutional function is to oversee the respect of human rights in this country, that the Special Law against Acts of Terrorism is NOT applicable in the aforementioned case of Suchitoto.
The situation described above is evidence of the grave deterioration of human rights and civil and political liberties in El Salvador. With this, the hopes of the Salvadoran population and the international community that were placed in the mechanisms and institutions of democracy derived from the Peace Accords of 1992 are once again frustrated. The extreme political polarization that exists in El Salvador and the elevated violence indicators that the Salvadoran people must endure have been aggravated by the treatment of the National Civil Police, the Attorney General of the Republic, the Judicial powers, and the mass media in this case before us.
The events of July 2nd in Suchitoto take us back to past times in the history of El Salvador, to which we do not wish to return. We repeatedly hear members of Salvadoran civil society, in relation to the case of Suchitoto, utilize the words “political prisoner” and “terrorism of the State.” We cannot avoid remembering in these circumstances the final homily of Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, shortly before his assassination at the hands of death squads on March 24, 1980: “STOP THE REPRESSION!”
Given the above, as social organizations and religious institutions who are international, but who are in solidarity with the people of El Salvador, and who are committed to the defense of democracy and human rights, WE DEMAND:
1. The immediate freedom, without charges, of the people who were arrested on July 2nd in Suchitoto: Marta Lorena Araujo Martínez, Facundo Dolores García, Manuel Antonio Rodríguez Escalante, Rosa María Centeno Valle, Héctor Antonio Ventura Vásquez, María Aydee Chicas Sorto, Sandra Isabel Guatemala, José Ever Fuentes, Patricio Valladares Aquino, Clemente Guevara Batres, Santos Noel Mancía Ramírez, Marta Yanira Méndez, Beatriz Eugenia Nuila, and Vicente Vásquez.
2. The abolition of the Law against Acts of Terrorism, against which there are many appeals of unconstitutionality waiting in the Supreme Court, in addition to the abolition of the Law against Organized Crime. Both of these laws have been harshly criticized by the past Human Rights Ombudswoman, Dr. Beatrice Alamanni de Carrillo. We also base this demand on the consideration that in the case of Suchitoto, said legislation constitutes a tool used to criminalize social organizations and reprimand peaceful social protest in El Salvador, thereby violating the civil liberties of the population.
Approved 4/15/03
RESOLUTION ON THE IRAQ WAR
Congregation Mishkan Shalom’s Statement of Principles affirms that “As
a community of faith, we are often challenged in our ability to repair and
transform ... a broken and unjust world. We hope that we will have
the faith and courage to be a voice of Tikkun Olam in the Jewish Community
and the community at large.” Acting on their commitment to these
principles, our rabbis, as well as our Tikkun Olam Committee, have publicly
opposed the war against Iraq. The Board of Mishkan Shalom recognizes
that a majority of our membership has opposed the war as it has been carried
out by the government of the United States. The Board believes that
this opposition is well grounded in Jewish tradition, which requires us to “seek
peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34), to pursue justice (Deut. 16:20), to “seek
just ends by just means” (Rashi), and to value the saving of human
life (pikuach nefesh).
Although a majority of the Mishkan Board has opposed the U.S. war against
Iraq, the Board welcomes reports that the war is winding down, and that the
murderous regime of Saddam Hussein has come to an end. The Board therefore
anticipates that the congregation’s tikkun olam work will soon turn
from opposing this particular war to advocating for a just peace in the region,
as well as for adequate humanitarian aid. We urge our government to
work with the United Nations as well as with international human rights and
relief organizations to provide the people of Iraq with the resources and
other assistance they need to rebuild their country and to establish a democratic
government that respects the human rights of its citizens.
At this moment, President Bush’s “preventive war” against
Iraq seems to have succeeded in deposing the regime of Saddam Hussein. Nevertheless,
a doctrine that permits war to deter a possible threat sometime in the future
(as opposed to an immediate threat), without the authorization of the U.N.
Security Council, is, in itself, a grave threat to international peace. We
urge our government to renounce such war as an instrument of foreign policy,
and instead to work collaboratively through the United Nations and international
human rights and relief agencies to ensure international peace and to protect
the human rights of all the earth’s inhabitants.
Our understanding of Jewish tradition compels us not only to oppose this
and other “preventive wars” but also to speak out in support
of members of the armed forces of the United States. We honor those who have
served in Iraq and grieve for the men and women who have died. When our young
people become part of the military, they trust that their government will
not send them in harm’s way or require them to unleash the massive
deadly and destructive forces under their command unless there is no other
way to protect this country or our allies from a military threat. The
doctrine of “preventive war” violates that trust.
The Board therefore authorizes our rabbis to add the endorsement of Mishkan
Shalom to public statements and demonstrations which support the positions
advocated by this resolution, as well as to urge, on behalf of the congregation,
other Jewish institutions to take similar public positions.
Mishkan Shalom is affiliated with the following organizations:
Good Schools Pennsylvania
"Good Schools Pennsylvania is a state-wide network of citizens who are informed
and mobilized in support of public education. We believe that we can improve
our schools when we join together in calling for adequate funds that are equitably
distributed, proven educational practices to meet a standard of excellence, and
effective accountability measures"
http://www.goodschoolspa.org/
Interfaith Walk for Peace and Reconciliation
"...The Walk included stops for prayers, teachings, singing and fellowship
at a mosque, synagogue, church and Independence Mall.
The walks endeavor to help people provide witness to reaffirming the common roots
of our different religious traditions... to be part of the solution, not the
problem."
http://www.interfaithpeacewalk.org/wordpress/index.php
Jobs with Justice
"Founded in 1987, Jobs with Justice's mission is to improve working peoples'
standard of living, fight for job security, and protect workers' rights to organize."
http://www.jwj.org/
The Neighborhood Interfaith Movement (NIM)
"Acting in alliance with NIM's 53 Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Unitarian,
and Muslim congregations and faith institutions, volunteers and professionals
work to fulfill NIM's mission: to build a more just and sensitive community through
advocacy and service."
http://www.nim-phila.org/
Northwest Interfaith Hospitality Network
"NPIHN's mission is to marshal resources and volunteers among the diverse
congregations and communities of Northwest Philadelphia in direct response to
the needs of homeless families for temporary shelter, encouragement, and support"
http://www.philashelter.org/
