Even A Quick War Has Negative Consequences Say Muslims

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/19/2003) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today said the impending attack on Iraq by the United States could result in long-term negative domestic and international consequences, even if the conflict unfolds as planned.

The statement by the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said: “As we approach the start of a war with Iraq, we should all pause to examine the potential negative and unintended consequences that may arise from even a quick and successful attack.
“In the international arena, any attack on Iraq will almost certainly lead to the unnecessary death of Iraqi civilians and American military personnel, further destabilize an already unstable region, harm long-standing international alliances and treaties, and set a dangerous precedent for unilateral intervention in the affairs of other nations. The chaos caused by a war could also provide cover for even greater Israeli oppression of the Palestinian people.
“An indefinite occupation of Iraq will fuel anti-American sentiment and would thereby harm our nation’s image and interests in the Middle East and around the world. Such an occupation could quickly turn into a political and military quagmire.
“On the domestic front, a war and occupation will drain much-needed financial resources from our struggling economy and could fuel a backlash against innocent American Muslims, Arab-Americans and those perceived to be ‘Middle Eastern.’ A conflict could also be used to justify further erosions of our civil and religious rights.
“No one in the American Muslim community supports the brutal dictatorship currently imposing itself on the long-suffering people of Iraq. But distaste for the Iraqi regime’s murderous policies is not sufficient justification for an invasion of that country.
“Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons constitute a serious threat to humanity. The possible use of such weapons by Iraq, North Korea, Israel, and other nations is of great concern to all Americans. But the elimination of banned weapons possibly held by Iraq should be dealt with through the United Nations, not through precipitous unilateral action by the United States.
“It is clear that America has decided how it will prosecute the war, but it is less clear that our nation has determined what policies will be pursued on the day after the conquest of Iraq. Real and lasting change in any society can only come from within. Democracy cannot be imposed at the point of a gun.”
CAIR is America’s largest Islamic civil liberties group. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 16 regional offices nationwide and in Canada. Since its founding in 1994, CAIR has defended the civil and religious rights of all Americans.