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Christian Leaders Call for Urgent Action, Tough Sanctions on Iran 9/22/2009 Washington D.C. (CR Newswire) — In a remarkable ecumenical and bipartisan display of unity, Christian leaders representing over 28 million evangelicals, Roman Catholics, and other Christians have sent a letter to Congress today and other key world leaders calling for urgent action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The letter urges a total arms embargo and a cut off of exports of refined petroleum products, including gasoline, as a firm yet peaceful measure against the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.
The letter comes while the G-20 is meeting in Pittsburgh, Iranian President Ahmadinejad arrives in New York City to speak to the United Nations General Assembly and talks are scheduled with Iranian diplomats on October 1st.
"For the world's most dangerous regime to obtain the world's most dangerous weapons is something that neither the United States nor the community of nations can allow," the leaders told Congress, urging them to apply economic sanctions against foreign companies that export, ship, finance or broker refined petroleum products to Iran. Although Iran has large oil reserves, it has been unable to refine its petroleum products and is vulnerable to such sanctions.
The leaders include Pat Robertson of Christian Broadcasting Network, Southern Baptist Convention chairman and pastor Johnny Hunt of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Charles Colson of the Prison Fellowship Ministries, Richard Land of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family, Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, , Dr. Michael Youssef of Leading the Way, Dr. James Merritt of Cross Pointe Church, Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America, Gary Bauer of American Values, and Dr. John Hagee of the Conerstone Church in San Antonio.
The leaders urge Congress to remember that "a nuclear-armed Iran is almost certain to initiate an arms race with other Middle Eastern and Arab nations who have reason to fear the religious, political and military ambitions of Iran's extremist leaders. As the world's leading state sponsor of international terror, we must assume Iran will sell or give a nuclear weapons to extremist groups that are declared and demonstrated enemies to America and her allies." The letter was also sent to diplomats from around the world who share our values because Iran is a global problem and the world must work together quickly to stop the threat
The letter is an initiative of Christian Leaders for a Nuclear-Free Iran, an ad hoc coalition of evangelical, Roman Catholic and other faith leaders who have come together as a united, ecumenical voice that is reaching out to policy makers and opinion leaders calling for urgent action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The coalition argues that Iran's nuclear weapons program will destabilize the Middle East, lead to an arms race in a volatile part of the world, and threaten the United States and its allies in Europe.
Contact: Bill Armistead
Phone: 770-232-2929
Email:bill@censtrat.com
United States Congress
U.S. Capitol
Washington, DC 20002
September 22, 2009
To the Congress of the United States:
We write to you today as Christian leaders who are deeply concerned about Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
Iran, the world's leading state sponsor of terror, is funding Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza, has sought to destabilize democratic and Western-leaning regimes throughout the Middle East, is currently arresting and detaining political opponents, actively persecutes its Christian citizens, has shot protestors in cold blood in the streets, and its president has denied the Holocaust and vowed to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Iran is one of just eight nations on the U.S. State Department's list of "Countries of Particular Concern" for its "particularly severe violations of religious freedom." This designation subjects nations to actions, including economic sanctions, by the United States. For the world's most dangerous regime to obtain the world's most dangerous weapons is something that neither the United States nor the community of civilized nations can allow.
In recent years American intelligence and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have had clear evidence that Iran's nuclear program includes a uranium enrichment program; high-explosives testing; and the design of a reentry vehicle which could have military nuclear applications.
The IAEA has recently found that Iran now has over 8,000 centrifuges that have produced enough low-enriched uranium to compile almost two nuclear weapons if it is enriched to weapons-grade levels. Furthermore, Iran has failed to answer the IAEA's questions regarding the military dimensions of its nuclear program.
Iran has rejected UN incentives to suspend enrichment, and has rejected UN Security Council Resolution 1696, which requires the immediate suspension of all enrichment-related activities and strict monitoring by the IAEA. Iran has rejected every effort of the United States, our European allies, the United Nations (UN), and the IAEA to cease its nuclear enrichment program and its provocative military displays, including the testing of intermediate-range missiles.
Speaking on his nuclear program and the threat of sanctions as recently as September 7, a defiant President Ahmadinejad told reporters that he "will never negotiate Iran's undeniable rights. … From our point of view, Iran's nuclear issue is over."
A nuclear-armed Iran is almost certain to initiate an arms race with other Middle Eastern and Arab nations who have reason to fear the religious, political and military ambitions of Iran's extremist leaders. As the world's leading state sponsor of international terror, we must assume Iran will sell or give a nuclear weapons to extremist groups that are declared and demonstrated enemies to America and her allies.
Iran has amply demonstrated its intransigence in the face of soft diplomacy, and it is past time the United States showed leadership in demonstrating to the Iranian government that there are serious and sustained consequences for the course of action on which it has embarked.
We urge your immediate action to address Iran's program to develop and deploy nuclear weapons by imposing economic sanctions on foreign companies that: export refined petroleum products, including gasoline, to Iran; help maintain Iran's domestic refining capacity; provide ships or shipping services to transport such products; underwrite those shipments; or finance or broker those shipments. The U.S. should also immediately initiate a boycott of any arms sales to Iran.
Signed,
Dr. Pat Robertson, President of Christian Broadcasting Network For Information Contact: |
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Concerned Women for America 1015 Fifteenth St. N.W., Suite 1100 Washington, D.C. 20005 Phone: (202) 488-7000 Fax: (202) 488-0806 |
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