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Excerpt:
By rewarding and praising Khartoum at the very moment
it is stepping up its bombing, starvation, and literal enslavement
of religious minorities, the U.S. appears to be willing to tolerate
religiously-based internal terrorism. We believe that even the
perception of such a policy will increase contempt for the United
States on the part of all terrorists, not only those in Sudan.
In our view, it could cause America to be seen as a country willing
to sacrifice people and principles to gain itself a short-term
respite from terrorism.
For these reasons, we believe that any understanding apparently
reached with Khartoum is inherently unstable; that regimes practicing
religiously-based mass terrorism within their own borders will
continue to support worldwide terrorism directed against the
United States. We believe that such regimes will merely bide
their time until current pressures on them abate. Indeed, in
an October 9 article on Sudan's participation in the anti-terrorism
coalition, the Wall Street Journal quoted a senior aide to Sudan's
President Bashir as stating: "In the government, the main
feeling is that we want to get America off our backs. We are
not so concerned about their friendship."
Mr. President, we urge you to reaffirm U.S. commitments against
the terrorism systematically committed by the Khartoum regime.
Specifically, we urge you to adopt as policy the four recommendations
of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which
were endorsed by the U.S. Senate in November. These consist of
pressing Khartoum to honor a comprehensive cease-fire while putting
oil revenues in an internationally monitored trust fund, to lift
bans on food relief flights, to join the IGAD peace talks, and
to guarantee religious freedom. We appeal to you to give resolute
priority to these policies in our relations with Khartoum.
In light of events of September 11, some have argued that
"the United States doesn't have time for human rights anymore."
We are confident you do not share this view. Your strong leadership
in America's dealings with Sudan will be a critical test by which
much of the world will evaluate America's determination to eliminate
the terrorist scourge that confronts the civilized world.
We look forward with hope and concern to coming developments
in the relations your administration establishes with the Khartoum
regime.
- Sincerely,
- Nina Shea
Director, Center for Religious Freedom, Freedom House
- Diane Knippers
President, Institute on Religion and Democracy
- The Rt. Rev. Keith L. Ackerman, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of Quincy
- The Very Rev. Canon David C. Anderson, President, The
American Anglican Council
- Leith Anderson, Interim President, National Association
of Evangelicals
- Major Nancy Banfield, Director of Women's Programs,
Salvation Army Southwest Ohio
- Rev. David Runnion Bareford, Executive Director, Biblical
Witness Fellowship, Renewal Movement of the United Church
of Christ
- Gary Bauer, President, American Values Coalition
- Dennis Bennett, Executive Director, Servant's Heart
- Paul T. Bernetsky, Executive Director, Youth for the Third
Millennium
- Charlie Butts, Religion Editor, USA Radio Network
- Commissioner John Busby, National Commander of the Salvation
Army
- The Most Rev. Fabian Bruskewitz, Bishop, Catholic Diocese
of Lincoln, Nebraska
- David Bryant, Chairman, America's National Prayer Committee
- The Rev. Richard Cizik, Vice-President, Governmental Affairs,
National Association of Evangelicals
- Lena Cuomo, Assistant Director, Science Technology Entry
Program, State University of New York at Farmingdale
- Carey R. D'Avino, Attorney for the Presbyterian Church
of Sudan
- Penna Dexter, co-host Point of View Talk Show
- Dr. James Dobson, President, Focus on
the Family
- Bernard Dobranski, Dean, Ave Maria School of Law
- William A. Donohue, President, Catholic League for Religious
and Civil Rights
- The Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of Pittsburgh
- Jean Dunethan, President, Holy Spirit Studies Institute,
Ltd.
- John Eibner, Director, Christian Solidarity International
- The Rt. Rev. Andrew Fairfield, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of North Dakota
- Rev. Walter Fauntroy, Director, National Black Leadership
Roundtable
- Christopher A. Ferrara, Esq., President & General Counsel,
American Catholic Lawyers Association
- Deborah Fikes, Director, BASIC Ministries Inc., Midland,
Texas
- The Rt. Rev. William C. Frey, Bishop (Retired), Episcopal
Diocese of Colorado and Guatamala
- The Rt. Rev. James Edward Folts, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of West Texas
- Brian J. Gail, President, GailForce Communications,
Inc.
- Pastor Jim Geist, New York City Director, Interfaith Alliance
for Christian Human Rights
- The Rev. James E. Goode, OFM, PhD., President, National Black
Catholic Apostolate for Life
- Ted Haggard, Senior Pastor, New Life Church, and Co-founder,
World Prayer Center
- William J. Hamel, President, Evangelical Free Church of
America
- Pastor Ray Hammond, Beth-El A.M.E., Boston, MA
- The Rt. Rev. Robert J. Hargrove, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of Western Louisiana
- The Rev. David R. Harper, Chair, SOMA (Sharing Of Ministries
Abroad), International Anglican Mission Organization
- The Rt. Rev. Edward Haynsworth, Assistant Bishop (Retired),
Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina
- James V. Heidinger II, President, Good News, United Methodist
Church
- The Rt. Reverend Daniel W. Herzog, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of Albany
- Hugh Hewitt, Broadcast Journalist
- Norman Hill, President, A. Philip Randolph Institute
- Steve Hohenberger, Pastor, Heritage Presbyterian Church,
Warrenton, Virginia
- Jess N. Hordes, Washington Director, Anti-Defamation League
- Michael Horowitz, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute
- The Rt. Rev. John W. Howe, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of Central Florida
- Kathleen Hunt, President, Peter's Voice, Inc.
- Charles Jacobs, President, American Anti-Slavery Group
- The Rt. Rev. Stephen H. Jecko, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of Florida
- The Rt. Rev. David Colin Jones, Bishop Suffragan, Episcopal
Diocese of Virginia
- Dean Jones, Actor and President, Christian Rescue Committee
- Adrian Karatnycky, President, Freedom House
- Karl Keating, President, Catholic Answers
- Dr. D. James Kennedy, Senior Pastor, Coral Ridge Ministries
- Joop Koopman, Senior Vice President/Editorial Director, American
Catholic
- Gary Kusunoki, Senior Pastor, Calvary Chapel Rancho Santa
Marguerita
- Dr. Richard Land, President, Ethics & Religious Liberty
Commission, Southern Baptist Convention
- The Rt. Rev. John B. Lipscomb, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of Southwest Florida
- The Rt. Rev. Edward S. Little, II, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of Northern Indiana
- Joe Madison, Nationally Syndicated Talk Show Host, Radio
One/XM
- The Rt. Rev. Larry E. Maze, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of
Arkansas
- Faith J. H. McDonnell, Coordinator, Church Alliance for a
New Sudan, A project of IRD
- The Rev. Herb McMullen, Episcopal Standing Commission on
International Peace and Justice
- Dr. James Merritt, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Snellville,
GA; President Southern Baptist Convention June 1999-June 2002
- Kweisi Mfume, President/CEO, National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
- James S. Mulholland, Jr., President, Freedom, Justice and
Peace Society
- Bishop Dr. Robert A. Morey, President, Research and Education
Foundation
- Jimmy Mulla, President, Southern Sudanese Voice for Freedom
- Amb. Aurel Munteanu, Acting President, Institute on Religion
and Public Policy
- William J. Murray, Chairman, Religious Freedom Coalition
- The Most Reverend John J. Myers, Archbishop, Catholic Diocese
of Newark, New Jersey
- The Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, President, Religion in Public
Life
- Mark Palmer, former Ambassador and Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State
- Janet Parshall, Nationally Syndicated Talk Show Host
- Dr. Paige Patterson, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological
Seminary; Former President, Southern Baptist Convention (1998-2000)
- Bradford Phillips, President, Persecution Project Foundation
- James Phillips, Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation
- Rev. Keith Roderick, Secretary General, Coalition for the
Defense of Human Rights
- Adrian Rogers, Senior Pastor, Bellevue Baptist Church; Former
President Southern Baptist Convention, 1980, 1987, 1988
- The Rt. Rev. Edward L. Salmon, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of South Carolina
- Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religious Action Center
of Reform Judaism
- The Rt. Rev. John-David Mercer Schofield, Bishop, Episcopal
Diocese of San Joaquin
- Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, Chairman, Traditional Values Coalition
- L. Faye Short, President, RENEW Network of the Methodist
Church
- Chuck Singleton, Pastor, Loveland Church; President, Revolution
Television
- The Rt. Rev. William J. Skilton, Bishop Suffragan, Episcopal
Diocese of South Carolina
- The Most Rev. Edward J. Slattery, Bishop, Catholic Diocese
of Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Maria Sliwa, Founder, Freedom Now World News
- Steven Snyder, President, International Christian Concern
- David M. Stanley, Chairman, United Methodist Action
- Bruce Stewart, Head of School, Sidwell Friends School
- Dr. Jack Stone, General Secretary, Church of the Nazarene
- Leon J. Suprenant, Jr., President, Catholics United for the
Faith
- Ken Tamplin, Tamplin Music (A Major Motion Picture Soundtrack
Company)
- Teresa Taylor, Executive Director, Survivor's Rights International
- Susan Toscani, Executive Director, Catholic Women @ Work
- John Tuitele, Board Chairman, Prayer for the Persecuted Church
- Lt. Col. Richard T. Ulyat, National Secretary for Program,
The Salvation Army
- The Rt. Rev. Catherine M. Waynick, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese
of Indianapolis
- George Weigel, Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center
- The Rt. Rev. Roger J. White, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of
Milwaukee
- Tom White, Director, Voice of the Martyrs
- James Woolsey, partner, Shea & Gardner; former Director,
Central Intelligence Agency
- ~~~~~~~~~~`
- *Affiliations are for identification purposes only. All signatures
are on file at thehttp://www.freedomhouse.org/religion/sudan/publications/letter_to_Bush_Nov_2001.htm
Center for Religious Freedom, Freedom House.
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