While the most-reported foreign Christian groups in Iraq concentrate on annoying local Eastern Christians in lieu of not being able to convert many Muslims, it’s refreshing to read about a Christian group with another agenda. Christian Peacemaker Teams is an international concern based in Chicago, and brings together Mennonite, Quaker and Brethren traditions in volunteer “violence reduction” activities and assisting groups such as Doctors Without Borders. Oddly, the mainstream media seems to be ignoring them, despite the fact that their members were eyewitnesses to the latest incursion into Fallujah. As reported by Ekklesia:
Christian peacemakers in Iraq have reported harrowing scenes including the killing of women and children by US forces following an overnight humanitarian mission to Fallujah…Marine snipers were “shooting at anyone who moves”.
The report includes accounts of a hospital being taken over as a military base, cluster bomb injuries and an ambulance coming under attack from US snipers as it tried to reach a woman in labour. However, according to a second report, the CPT is now moving out to Amman:
CPT’s “most trusted Iraqi partners” have urged the team to leave, saying that the current situation will make it impossible for the team to engage in normal, honest engagements with Iraqis or fulfill their mission to deter violence.
They have also suggested that CPT’s presence might actually endanger their local Iraqi partners in the emerging violent chaos.
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