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                   Rigoberta Menchu's
                  Open Letter to G. W.
                                         Bush

                                     by Rigoberta Menchu Tum
                     Nobel Peace Prize, Goodwill Ambassador for the Culture of Peace

              Posted at globalresearch.ca 26 September 2001
 
 

              To Mr. George W. Bush
              President of the United States of America
              Washington DC, USA.

              Your Excellency, Mr. President:

              In the first place, I want to reiterate to you the solidarity and condolences I expressed to
              all your people on Tues. Sept. 11 when I became aware of the painful occurrences that
              had taken place in your country, as well as to share my indignation and condemnation of
              the threats these acts of terrorism constitute.

              In recent days I have been following the evolution of events, using my best efforts so that
              the response to them would be reflection, not obsession; prudence, not rage; and the
              pursuit of justice, not revenge. I invoked the consciousness of the world's peoples, the
              communications media, the eminent personalities with whom I share an ethical
              commitment to peace, the heads of state and leaders of international bodies, in order that
              prudence illuminate our acts.

              Nevertheless, Mr. President, upon listening to the message you gave to the Congress of
              your country, I have been unable to overcome a sensation of fear for what may come of
              your words. You call upon your people to prepare for "a lengthy campaign, unlike any
              other we have ever seen" and for your soldiers to save their honour by marching to a war
              in which you intend to involve all of us, the peoples of the world.

              In the name of progress, pluralism, tolerance and liberty, you leave no choice for those of
              us who are not fortunate enough to share this sensation of liberty and the benefits of the
              civilization you wish to defend for your people, we who never had sympathy for terrorism
              since we were its victims. We, who are proud expressions of other civilizations; who live
              day to day with the hope of turning discrimination and plunder into recognition and
              respect; who carry in our souls the pain of the genocide perpetrated against our peoples;
              finally, we who are fed up with providing the dead for wars that are not ours: we cannot
              share the arrogance of your infallibility nor the single road onto which you want to push us
              when you declare that "Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either
              you are with us or you are with the terrorists."

              At the beginning of this year, I invited the men and women of the planet to adopt a Code
              of Ethics for a Millennium of Peace sustaining that:

              There will be no Peace if there is no Justice

              There will be no Justice if there is no Equity

              There will be no Equity if there is no Progress

              There will be no Progress if there is no Democracy

              There will be no Democracy if there is no respect for the Identity and Dignity of the
              Peoples and Cultures

              In today's world, all these values and practices are scarce; nevertheless, the unequal
              manner in which they are distributed does nothing but generate impotence, hopelessness
              and hatred. The role of your country in the present world order is far from being neutral.
              Last night, we hoped for a sensible, reflective and self-critical message but what we heard
              was an unacceptable threat. I agree with you that " the course of this conflict is not
              known", but when you declare that "its outcome is certain", the only certainty that comes
              to me is that of a new and gigantic useless sacrifice, of a new and colossal lie.

              Before you cry "fire", I would like to invite you to consider a different kind of world
              leadership, one in which it is necessary to convince rather than to defeat; in which
              humanity is able to demonstrate that in the last thousand years we have surpassed the
              meaning of "an eye for an eye" which justice had for the barbarians who sank humanity
              into medieval obscurantism; and that there is no need for new crusades in order to learn to
              respect those who have a different conception of God and the work of His creation; in
              which we would share in solidarity the fruits of progress, taking better care of the
              resources still remaining in the planet and that no child lack bread and a school.

              With hope hanging by a thread, I greet you attentively,

              Rigoberta Menchu Tum

              September 23, 2001
 
 

              The URL of this article is:
              http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/MEN109A.html

              Copyright, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, 2001.