CPTnet
4 April 2006

IRAQ: What now?

by Peggy Gish

What now for CPT in Iraq--after a three and a half years presence, after
four months of dealing with a hostage situation, culminating in Tom Fox's
death and the safe release of Jim, Norman, and Harmeet? The celebration of
the release and the mourning for Tom will continue, but CPT needs to make
decisions now about the Iraq team's future.

As part of this process of discernment, the remaining team in Baghdad has
been meeting with Iraqi friends and colleagues from various religious and
ethnic backgrounds who have shared in our work and understand our goals.
What we hear varies widely.

Some friends tell us, "Now that everybody knows about you, it is too
dangerous for you to stay." "We are not so afraid for us, but we are afraid
for you. We don't want another of you to die." "The situation in Iraq is
getting worse. You should leave until there is a stable government, or until
public attention on CPT subsides and then return."

Another human rights colleague, however, said "I believe you are very useful
here, so I wonder why you would leave."

We hear differing opinions about the focus of our work. One person values
most our work with prisoners. Another said, "The most important thing you
can do is to tell the truth about the situation here." Others suggest a
change of location or a change in the focus of our work. One human rights
worker suggested we focus on building bridges between the Kurdish north and
the central section of Iraq and relocate to an area near the Kurdish region
to explore that possibility. Another suggested the south.

One positive voice of support for CPT to remain in Iraq came from a
Christian leader who also suggested relocating temporarily to another part
of Iraq to explore future direction. He wrinkled up his face in disbelief
when we asked if he knows Christians in Iraq who thing our presence is
making them unsafe. "I would feel bad if something happened to you," he
said, "but I would be angry if you disappear. If you care for us just in the
good times, I will forget you. If you take care of us in the bad times, I
will remember you. You die when you do nothing, but live when you do
something. Everyone dies, but not everyone lives."

Referring to Tom, he added, "When we lost our friend, the suffering is hard,
but it gives us courage. When they bombed my church, it didn't weaken us; it
made us strong. Iraq's recovery may take ten years or more. But we can't
wait until the tragedy is over to work, laugh, and hope."

We are not certain where God will lead us but we find courage and hope when
our friends warn us, challenge our assumptions, or push us to be clear.
Because as they do so, they also offer their continued support and love.