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Letter of solidarity to the Japanese people on Japan's Constitution Day |
Dear friends and allies in Japan,
We send you warm greetings as you commemorate Constitution Day. As you gather in Hibiya Park, please know that we, on the other side of the world, stand in solidarity with you. As the U.S. section of Pax Christi International, the international Catholic peace movement, we have been working in concert with the Japanese Catholic Council for Justice and Peace to accompany your extremely important efforts. We are honored to be part of your movement to preserve Article 9, and to promote it beyond Japan as a unique and powerful contribution to international peace and security.
Last Thursday, when Prime Minister Abe was in Washington, D.C., we hand-delivered a hundred letters affirming Article 9 to the Japanese embassy for him, signed by U.S. faith leaders from various religious traditions. In them, we acknowledged “the pressure…from the U.S. Administration…to allow (your) military to be integrated into the U.S. security strategy…” but “we believe Article 9 provides a more effective path to peace and stability in the region than force of arms ever could.” Also, as Prime Minister Abe arrived at the White House for a dinner with President Bush, we were outside the White House, holding our banners in support of Article 9.
We are humbled before the Japanese people’s ability to claim that 60 years since the end of World War II, not a single person has died as a result of Japanese state aggression. If only we in the United States could claim the same.
We know that at this time when our world so desperately needs institutional commitments to non-violence, Article 9 enshrines such a commitment, and we thank you for your unwavering commitment to defend it —which profoundly inspires us to do the same. We will continue to elevate these concerns to our own Members of Congress.
Lastly, we ask for your forgiveness for the horrific wounds that the U.S. atomic bombs in 1945 inflicted upon your people. We are so deeply sorry for the sufferings of the Hibakusha and for all the destruction and the lives lost. In their memory and in our shared hope for peace, we pledge to you to further our work on behalf of Article 9. Another world is possible. A non-violent world is possible.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Pax Christi USA: the U.S. Catholic Peace Movement, on May 3, 2007, Japan's Constitution Day
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