A global commission of Dominican sisters, friars, and laity today issued a statement addressing the crisis in Iran.
“We urgently appeal to the Iranian authorities to safeguard the lives of all citizens, to respect their dignity, and to take concrete steps to halt further bloodshed,” the statement says. “No political goal can justify the taking of innocent life.”
It goes on to call the international community to employ “diplomatic, peaceful, and nonviolent means to bring the crisis to an end,” adding “True security and lasting peace is not born of repression or force, but of justice, dialogue, and trust.”
The full statement is available here.
“In this time of great global peril, we Dominicans are raising our voice in the cause of diplomacy and peace,” remarked Sister Marcelline Koch, the justice promoter for the Dominican Sisters of Springfield. “My understanding of the violence in the region is through the lens of our sisters and brothers in Iraq, who often say what happens in Iran happens in Iraq. For the sake of the entire region and the world, we call for peace.”
Dominicans first arrived in the Middle East in the 13th century and have a long history of fostering mutual understanding and peace in the region, the statement says. “From this shared history, we speak not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters concerned for the lives and dignity of the Iranian people.”
The International Dominican Commission for Justice and Peace is composed of friars, sisters and laity, representing the regions of the world: Latin America & Caribbean, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America along with the General Promoter for the friars and the International Coordinator for Dominican Sisters International Confederation. North America is represented on the commission by Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Regina McKillip and Father Brendan Curran, OP, a priest of the Chicago-based Province of St. Albert the Great.
An in-depth report on the situation in Iran is available from the International Crisis Group.
