Four Years - Let us Remember

Four years. Think back over the last four years. What you have you done? Have you completed an entire High School career? Have you started college? Have you experienced the birth of a new family member? Have you said goodbye to a loved one? Four years.

For four years, Iraqi citizens have lived under war and occupation. March 19th will mark the fourth anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) invites Chicagoans to commemorate the anniversary by remembering an often-unseen side of the war in Iraq. Behind weaponry and strategy, behind political debate or disagreement are people -citizens and soldiers, men and women, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers all of whom carry within themselves hopes and dreams for life and love.

From March 13 - 15th, AFSC will display an exhibit Dreams and Nightmares in the Federal Plaza in Chicago. They describe their exhibit as "a memorial to Iraqis who have lost their lives in war and occupation. With photographs, names and personal stories, it conveys the tragedy being experiences by everyday Iraqis. Careful estimates put Iraqi deaths at more than 655,000* - most of them civilians." In addition to the photos remembering the lives of Iraqis, the memorial also includes a display of Eyes Wide Open - National Guard , which includes a pair of boots, each tagged with the name of a National Guard soldier killed in the war in Iraq.

Since 1917, the American Friends Service Committee has "championed the dignity and worth of every individual, the sanctity of human life and humanity's collective responsibility to promote peace." In 1947, AFSC gained worldwide recognition when it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. For almost 90 years, AFSC has worked in war zones across four continents. Dreams and Nightmares is an exhibit that describes the human costs and horrors of war discovered through this faithful work.

The memorial will begin with an opening press conference on March 13th at noon and continue through March 15th. From 9 am - 5 pm each day, names of Iraqis who have died in the war will be read and remembered. AFSC is seeking volunteers to assist with the exhibit and the reading of names. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Erin Polley, epolley at afsc dot org.

As Catholic Christians, our tradition is rooted in life and dignity. As we approach the fourth anniversary of this war in Iraq, let us remember the dreams of the children, mothers and fathers in Iraq. Let us remember the dreams of the sisters, brothers, sons and daughters serving as US soldiers in Iraq. Let our remembering give us the courage to seek and demand peace and may this seeking bring an end to the nightmares that plague so many across our globe.

Catholic Connection:

"When war, as in these days in Iraq, threatens the fate of humanity, it is ever more urgent to proclaim, with a strong and decisive voice that only peace is the road to follow to construct a more just and united society. Violence and arms can never resolve the problems of men." --
--Pope John Paul II, March 22, 2003. Address to television broadcaster Telepace in first public remarks following start of Iraq war.

A study by Johns Hopkins University and Al Mustansiriya University researchers finds that between 420,000 and 790,000 Iraqis have died as a result of war and political violence since the beginning of the US invasion in March 2003. It was published in The Lancet medical journal on October 11, 2006.

Reflection Questions

As the Fourth Anniversary of the War in Iraq approaches, how will you remember and not forget the lives of Iraqis and US military personnel who have died?

Join us in our Forum to discuss these questions!