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Women |
Declaration
of the Executive Committee of the Women's International Democratic
Federation
Paris 9th October 2001
The
Executive Committee of the Women's International Democratic Federation (WIDF),
representing organisations, associations and peace-loving forces expresses
its anger and denunciation for the attack of the USA on the people of
Afghanistan before implementing the resolutions of the UN Security Council
on terrorism, and before taking the terrorists to court. The attack
on terrorists should be based on concrete evidence. The next stage
of this war could be extended to the Middle East and the whole world.
The
Executive Committee stresses the fact that elimination of terrorism should
not be done by military retaliation, but be intensifying efforts to get to
the root causes of terrorism: namely, armed conflicts, aggression,
occupation, foreign intervention, poverty, racism, capitalistic
globalisation, xenophobia, discrimination, of which women and children all
over the world are the first victims.
The
Executive Committee joins women all over the world in condemning the
terrorist attacks on the USA, and extends its deepest sympathy and
solidarity to all the families of those who died on September 11.
At the same
time it expresses its sorrow for the millions who have perished over the
last century or more, victims of state-sponsored terrorism in its many
forms, where US foreign policy has inflicted pain and terror.
Under the
pretext of fighting against terrorism and in the name of "Infinite
Liberty" the US Administration has launched war on Afghanistan.
In an attempt to force everyone to line up with the plans of the US
Administration, President Bush declared: "Every nation in every
region now has a decision to make, either you are for us, or you are with
the terrorists". It is a smoke screen for an unprecedented
offensive to extend its military, political and economic domination around
the glob.
We should
differentiate between terrorism and the rights of the peoples to struggle
for their freedom, self-determination, independence, social justice,
sovereignty and democracy.
Taking
advantage of the recent events, Israel is exploiting the devastating
events in the US to escalate its brutal aggression against the Palestinian
people by shelling, invading, demolishing houses, imposing sieges on the
towns and killing children and innocent people and assassinating leaders.
We appeal to
all women, progressive and peace-loving forces, to condemn the attacks on
Afghanistan and exert pressure to stop them.
We call on
governments to hold an emergency international conference, under the
auspices of the UN to take effective international measures for :
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A
diplomatic solution, for the recent events and terrorist attacks, and
solving the root causes of terrorism especially state-sponsored
terrorism.
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Transferring
the huge amounts of money spent on militarisation to sustainable
development.
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Ending
all occupations, armed conflicts, stopping all forms of aggression,
and solving the Israeli-Arab conflict on the basis of the UN
resolutions 194, 242 and 338.
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Lifting
the unilateral blockade on Cuba and the embargo on Iraq.
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Building
an economically just, peaceful, democratic and tolerant world, to
eliminate terrorism and other forms of warfare.
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