GENEVA - Christian leaders from North America and Britain have appealed to the U.S. and British governments for restraint toward Iraq, the World Council of Churches said Monday.
A group of 37 Protestant and other church representatives sent a letter Friday to the White House and Downing Street expressing concern about "the likely human costs of war with Iraq, particularly for civilians."
The leaders said the "Iraqi government has a duty to stop its internal repression, to end its threats to peace (and) to abandon its efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction."
But they said there is little international support for a war against Iraq, and "no support among the Arab nations for such a war."
"The forces of extremism and terrorism would be strengthened rather than diminished" by the outbreak of hostilities against Iraq, they said.
The World Council of Churches represents 342 churches in more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions except the Roman Catholic Church, which works cooperatively with the council as a nonmember.
Among American signers were the Rev. Kathryn K. Bannister of the United Methodist Church, the Rev. Dr Robert Edgar of the National Council of Churches, the Rev. Dr Clifton Kirkpatrick of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky of the Orthodox Church in America and Bishop C. Christopher Epting of the Episcopal Church.
It was also signed by the Anglican bishop of Bristol, Barry Rogerson, as well as representatives of the Anglican church in Wales and the Church of Scotland.
In a separate appeal Monday, the Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, urged the British government to refrain from backing any U.S. military intervention in Iraq.
"This proposed strike will not in any way contribute to the establishment of a just peace in the Middle East," said Noko. "Rather, it will lead to the proliferation of hatred, suspicion and the desire for revenge."
Noko said it was "deeply disturbing" that some people insist that Iraq comply with U.N. Security Council demands to readmit weapons inspectors but dismiss the need for Security Council approval of the use of military force against Iraq.
"If the rule of international law is to be respected by the nations of the world, it must bind all equally," he said.
"No nation, no matter how powerful, should be permitted by its allies and friends to abrogate that impartial rule," said Noko, who heads a federation of 133 member Lutheran churches representing 61.7 million people in 73 countries around the world.
Britain is regarded as the United States' strongest ally in the event of a military strike on Iraq.