Representatives of Britain’s Quakers have written to the prime minister to express disagreement with his decision to bomb Libya.

In a letter to David Cameron, they reaffirmed Quaker pacifism by declaring that war is ‘intrinsically wrong’. The letter was signed by Gwen Schaffer, clerk of Quaker Peace & Social Witness, on behalf of Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) of the Religious Society of Friends.

The letter offered respect to those who disagree, before giving a warning from history.

‘We have however seen, over and over again, the arguments used that “we must do something” and that this time what is planned will be brief and clinical. But the truth is so often very different – violence tends to escalate, and it is much harder to end a war than to start it.’

The bombing has also been criticised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the Stop the War Coalition.

The Christian thinktank Ekklesia pointed out that the recent resistance to tyranny across north Africa and the Middle East has been characterised by ‘indigenous, grassroots movements’. They argued that ‘the ability of these movements to operate democratically will be undermined by US and UK military action, in which the priorities will be based on western governments’ interests.’

Other religious groups to voice objections include the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship, who insisted that ‘non-military methods have not been utterly exhausted’.

Options suggested by various peace campaigners and commentators include economic and political pressure, financial assistance and intelligence-sharing with anti-Gaddafi movements and working with nearby countries to prevent the flow of non-Libyan mercenaries to Gaddafi’s forces.

BYM accused the UK government of ‘increasing instability in the world, particularly through the very substantial support it provides for the arms trade’.

The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has pointed out that the UK was licensing arms sales to Gaddafi less than six months ago. The government continues to allow arms sales to other countries in the region. CAAT has drawn attention to the Saudi forces in Bahrain, who are suppressing protests with armoured vehicles made by BAE Systems in Newcastle.

BYM’s letter concluded by saying that British Quakers will be praying for ‘those in positions of responsibility at this crucial time’.

Comments

• Posted by kelvinbeerjones on March 31, 2011

  I wholeheartedly support the letter and utterly deplore the grim login which western governments use as excuses htese days. You rightly mention the “we must do something” argument. The “something” is all too often the deployment of arms - because we have them and can get away with using them.

  The use of arms impresses like no other device. I remember working peaceably in Tchad in the late 1990’s and watching the impact of French helicopter gunships flying low over N’Djamina scattering people on the river in blind panic, and animals too. That the Americans were at the same time offering TChad Government Officials free rides (over home towns and villages) in military helicopters made the outcome of the award of oil contracts a foregone conclusion and massively distorted local Tchadian politics in favour of the powerful.

  Let us not be fooled by our toadying media into thinking that the West has suddenly caught a rash of altrusim here.