July 21, 2006

To: President George W. Bush
United States Senate
Members of the House of Representatives

From: Religious Leaders and Organizations of Greater Chicago

We are a coalition of faith-based organizations, religious leaders and religiously identified organizations composed of Christian, Muslim and Jewish individuals from the Greater Chicago region. We represent both religious communities with deep spiritual and family ties throughout Lebanon, Northern Israel, and the Gaza Strip, and other religious communities who are deeply concerned about the escalating loss of human life and increasing violence in the Middle East.

We continue to hear the desperate cries from the innocent civilians who are bearing the burden of the recent hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, and Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. With anguish, we recognize the tremendous grief, anger, suffering and fear felt by the Lebanese, Palestinian, and Israeli people. Given the rapid escalation of violence in Lebanon, Northern Israel and the Gaza Strip, we urge you to take immediate action in order to end the present hostilities in this region before they lead to a wider war that could encompass the entire Middle East. We urge you to take the following steps:

• Push for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and monitored truce in Israel, Lebanon,
and Palestine.

• Facilitate immediate humanitarian relief for the civilian populations throughout Lebanon, Northern Israel, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including the reconstruction of the infrastructure (water and electric power plants, bridges, highways, airports, seaports,
hospitals and other vital elements).

• Support a negotiated and safe return of prisoners currently held by Hamas, Hezbollah, and Israel.

• Call upon all parties to uphold International Humanitarian Law and commence negotiations to peacefully resolve outstanding disputes in a just and permanent manner.

We appeal for the urgent protection of civilians on all sides of this conflict. We mourn for those who have been killed, thank God for those who are still alive, and ask you to have the strength to undertake these measures immediately so as to end the present hostilities and avoid more destruction in the Middle East. May God inspire and direct you to pursue these steps as further violence in the Middle East will have dire consequences not only in this region, but throughout the world.

* * * *
List of Signatories to Interfaith Letter

1. The Reverend Paul R. Landahl
Bishop of Metro Chicago Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

2. The Rev. Dr. Larry L. Greenfield
Executive Minister
American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago

3. The Rev. Dr. Jane Fisler Hoffman
Illinois Conference Minister
United Church of Christ

4. Michael McConnell, Regional Director
Great Lakes Region
American Friends Service Committee

5. Rev. Paul Koch, Chair
ELCA Metro Chicago Synod
Working Group on the Middle East

6. Del Leppke, Member
Middle East Working Group, Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

7. Reverend Christopher L. Pierson, Director
Outreach & Witness Ministries
Northern Illinois Conference
The United Methodist Church

8. Rev. Calvin S. Morris, Ph.D., Executive Director
Community Renewal Society
United Church of Christ
Chicago, IL

9. Rev. Jacqueline G. Lynn, Executive Director
Episcopal Peace Fellowship

10. Imam A. Malik Mujahid, Chairman
The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago

11. Rev. Catiana McKay, Chair
Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns
Northern Illinois Conference
The United Methodist Church

12. Pauline Coffman, Co-Moderator
Middle East Task Force of Chicago Presbytery

13. Barbara Ellson, Co-Moderator
Middle East Task Force of Chicago Presbytery

14. Rev. (Dr.) Kathleen Matsushima, Education Chairperson
Israel-Palestine Mission Network
Presbyterian Church (USA)

15. Elizabeth Mertic, Member
Lake Forest Friends Meeting

16. Krehl Stringer, Member
Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

17. Connie Baker, Chair
Church Network for Education on Palestine

18. Rev. Richard Mosley, Jr., Associate Pastor
First United Methodist Church
Waukegan, IL

19. David Borris, Board Member
North Suburban Peace Initiative

20. Rev. Francisco Ramos-Lara, Pastor
Lincoln United Methodist Church
Chicago, IL

21. Laura S. Wilson, Chair
Faith and Public Issues Team
First Congregational Church of Evanston, IL

22. Lynn Pollack, Steering Committee Member
Not in My Name
Chicago Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace

23. Jesse Bacon, Steering Committee Member
Not in My Name
Chicago Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace

24. Rev. Jean Siegfried Darling, National Board
Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community;
Minister, New Garden Community Church – Unitarian Universalists
Chicago, IL

25. Louis Hirsch, Steering Committee Member
Not in My Name
Chicago Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace

26. Rev. Mark J. Powell
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Darien, IL

27. Rev. James A. Hobart, Chapter President
Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association

28. Rev. Roger Jenks
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

29. Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director
Council on American Islamic Relations
Chicago, IL

30. Joyce M. Cassel, Principal
Chicago Mennonite Learning Center

31. Rev. Ruth A. Meyers, Academic Dean
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary

32. Newland F. Smith, 3rd, Member
Church Network for Education on Palestine

33. Rev. Harold Vogelaar, Ph.D., Director
Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

34. Rev. Montgomery A. Johnson
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Chicago, IL

35. Rev. Sheri L. Delvin
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Evanston, IL

36. Rev. Rebekah Swanson Wagner
Unity Lutheran Church
Chicago, IL

37. The Rev. Dr. Edward W. Curtis, Rector
Grace Episcopal Church and Community Center
Chicago, IL

38. Rev. Dr. Donald Wagner, Director
Center for Middle East Studies
North Park University
Chicago, IL

39. American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Greater Chicago Chapter

40. Rev. Pamela V. Sten, Assistant Rector
St. David’s Episcopal Church
Glenview, IL

41. Father Dominic Grassi, Pastor
St. Gertrude Catholic Parish
Chicago, IL

42. Rev. Grayson Van Camp, Director
Office of Continuing Education
McCormick Theological Seminary
Chicago, IL

43. Rev. Edgar Hiestand
Ecumenical Interreligious Officer
Northern Illinois Conference United Methodist Church

44. Antje Jackelén, Dr. Theol
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology/Religion and Science
Director of the Zygon Center for Religion and Science (ZCRS)
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

45. Rev. Paul G. Palmer
Past Moderator of the Presbytery of Chicago (PCUSA)
Arlington Heights, Illinois

46. The Rev. David W. Jones
4756 Quarry Ridge Trail
Rockford, IL 61101

47. The Rev. Paul S. Allen
Pastor Emeritus, Winnetka Congregational Church
Winnetka IL 60093

48. The Rev. Jeff Doane, Pastor
Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church
Chicago, IL

49. Rev. Delmar L. Meester
First Presbyterian Church
Chicago Heights, Illinois

50. Kathleen Desautels, Sister of Providence
8th Day Center for Justice
Chicago, IL

51. Father Bob Bossie, SCJ
8th Day Center for Justice
Chicago, IL

52. Rev. Frank Baldwin, Chaplain
Presbyterian Homes
Evanston, IL

53. The Rev. Dr. Robert L. Brawley
Albert G. McGaw Professor of New Testament
McCormick Theological Seminary
Chicago, IL

54. Sr. Dorothy Pagosa, SSJ-TOSF
Social Justice Director
8th Day Center for Justice

55. The Rev. Dr. Kathryn Long
Associate Professor of History
Wheaton College

56. The Rev. Dr. Kathleen Bostrom
Wildwood Presbyterian Church
Wildwood, IL

57. Warren Wiggins, Pastor
St. Peter Community Church
Northbrook, IL

58. The Rev. Edward E. Goode
Association Co-Minister
Chicago Metropolitan Association of
The United Church of Christ

59. Rev. Dr. Sid L. Mohn, oef
United Church of Christ/Order of Ecumenical Franciscans
Chicago, IL

60. Dennis Sall and Pam Edelmann Sall
Member, Middle East Working Group
Chicago Metropolitan Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

61. Rev. Jeff Fricke
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
St. Charles, IL

62. Father Nicholas Dahdal
St. George Orthodox Church
Cicero, IL

63. Alka Lyall, Chair
Outreach Ministry Team
Northern Illinois Conference
The United Methodist Church

64. Outreach Ministry Team
Northern Illinois Conference
The United Methodist Church

65. Rev. Roger E. Timm
Ascension Lutheran Church
Riverside, IL

66. Rabbi Robert J. Marx
Rabbi Emeritus
Congregation Hakafa
Glencoe, IL

67. Rev. Terrence Baeder
Zion Lutheran Church
Tinley Park, IL 60477

68. Rev. William E. T. Hutchison
Light of Christ Lutheran Church (ELCA)
Chicago, IL

69. Orlando Redekopp, Pastor
First Church of the Brethren
Chicago, IL

70. Rev. Jennifer Burns Lewis
Pastor, Head of Staff
Presbyterian Church of Western Springs
Western Springs, IL

71. Pastor Jean Marie Duran
Living Lord Lutheran Church
Bartlett, IL

72. The Rev. Elizabeth Hopp-Peters
Adjunct Faculty, McCormick Theological Seminary

73. The Rev. Wendy DeFoe Lane
The Church of the Holy Spirit
Lake Forest, IL