Letter to Members of Parliament: Canada’s Response to Terrorism – An Ecumenical Appeal to Parliament

Dear Member of Parliament,

We are writing with regard to the forthcoming Parliamentary debate concerning appropriate Canadian and international responses to the heinous September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. You and your colleagues in the House of Commons bear the formidable responsibility of guiding our country’s actions in these critical days. We write to support you in those responsibilities and to ask you to consider the following concerns.

We believe that a sustained and effective campaign against terrorism is fundamental to the safety and well-being of all people, and that Canada can and must make a vital contribution to that campaign. We fear, however, that the military attacks on Afghanistan which began on October 7 could seriously undermine the international community’s efforts, both to bring those responsible for the September 11 attacks to justice and to reduce the incidence of terrorism in the future. Nevertheless, we believe that the international community acting through the United Nations can still recover a lawful, principled and effective approach to the struggle against terrorism.

That struggle against terrorism must include three essential elements:

• ·  immediate actions and measures to prevent additional attacks in the near term;
• ·  the pursuit, capture and trial of those who participated in or share responsibility for the

  September 11 attacks; and

• ·  long-term measures towards the reduction and eradication of terrorism.