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Against U.S. Abandonment of Kurds in Syria

20 Nov 2019
Emily
Statements

Statement prepared by Joseph Chuman, PhD, leader
Susan Lesh, President of Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County
Daniel M. Rosenblum, PhD, Social Action Chair of Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County
November 2019

We are appalled by our government’s abandonment of the Kurds in northern Syria to depredations by Turkish forces. This is an extraordinary betrayal of an effective ally in the struggle against terrorist religious fanaticism and forsakes American commitment to human rights.

Kurds are the world’s largest stateless nationality. They have faced nationalist discrimination of varying degrees in each of the countries among which their territory is divided — Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran — since the end of the Ottoman Empire a century ago. In Turkey, in particular, their language and even reference to their existence as an ethnic group was made illegal, and they have suffered a long history of oppression, which has led to cycles of violent resistance by some Kurds and violent repression of Kurds in general by the Turkish government.

Kurds in Syria have formed the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which, in addition to resisting the Assad dictatorship, have been by far the most effective fighters against the ultra-terrorist Islamic State (ISIL), successfully routing ISIL from Syrian territory at the cost of thousands of their own lives, and earning United States military and other support for their efforts. Kurdish areas in Syria have also organized remarkably democratic local governments, including a level of gender equality that would be the envy of many supposedly more advanced societies.

If the U.S. government were sincere about supporting its allies against terrorism and upholding human rights, it would continue to support and protect the Syrian Democratic Forces. Instead, by unilaterally withdrawing without arranging for international protection, it has given a green light to the Turkish government to extend its repression of Kurds into Syria with mere paper objections. This is not only immoral, but also strategically counterproductive, as it may allow ISIL to regain strength and could force Syrian Kurds to abandon their nascent democratic forms and ally with the Assad regime.

We recognize that unilateral intervention in foreign conflicts is at best chancy and at worst can lead to support for dictatorships. We therefore call on our government to immediately take the lead in developing effective international protections for Syria’s Kurds against both Turkish and Syrian oppression. Abandoning oppressed peoples, especially when they have been staunch allies, will ultimately prove foolish and is always grossly immoral.

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The American Ethical Union calls for nontheist participation in National Inaugural Interfaith Service.On Thursday January 21st, the Washington National Cathedral will host a virtual presidential inaugural interfaith service to mark the inauguration of Joe Biden as president. While presented as an opportunity to bring the whole nation together, and while part of the “America United” inaugural activities, one large community will not be represented at all: atheists, agnostics, humanists, and the nonreligious. Millions of Americans today make meaning and express their personal and civic values without reference to a god or traditional religious beliefs. These Americans deserve a voice, and should be included in formal interfaith programming like the Inaugural Service. Read our full statement here: aeu.org/resource/aeu-calls-for-nontheist-participation-in-national-inaugural-interfaith-service/ ... See MoreSee Less

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Today, as the nation continues to recover from an attempted white supremacist insurrection at our capitol, we are reflecting upon this quote from the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. #MLK #MLKDay #MLK2021 #king #martinlutherkingjr #today #EthicalCulture #ethics #2021 ... See MoreSee Less

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AEU Statement Regarding the Events of January 6thYesterday, we watched in shock and horror as a violent mob attacked the US Capitol, forcing their way inside and occupying areas of the building for hours in an attempt to disrupt the certification of electoral votes submitted by the states. By the end of the day, 4 people were dead, 52 members of the seditious mob were arrested, and 14 police officers were injured. It took the assistance of many additional federal law enforcement personnel and the National Guard to remove the attackers from the Capitol and clear the way for the Joint Congress to resume its work.Fortunately, the Joint Congress was resolute and refused to let the interruption derail our democracy, working through the night to certify the electoral vote counts for all of the states. However, this episode was an attack on democracy itself, instigated by a sitting president whose actions have severely undermined respect for and trust in the very system that put him in office. Mr. Trump has shown only contempt for the democratic process and is a danger to our country. People who are in a position to remove Mr. Trump from office ought to proceed in haste as this president has repeatedly shown readiness to incite violence and mayhem, and also continues to demonstrate an obsession with the electoral results to the seeming exclusion of other national concerns. Our democratic system of government must be protected from his influence.As Ethical Humanists, we are called upon to repudiate the anti-democratic tendencies that have gained an unwelcome foothold in public life. Our country will need us to elicit the best from one another and ourselves in the months and years to come.#Jan6 #ethicalhumanism ow.ly/uxes50D2Gzn ... See MoreSee Less

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Share your voice! The AEU is seeking volunteers to contribute to our World Human Rights Day Project. Learn more here: ow.ly/YGDC50CYYPL ... See MoreSee Less

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The American Ethical Union calls for nontheist par The American Ethical Union calls for nontheist participation in National Inaugural Interfaith Service.

On Thursday January 21st, the Washington National Cathedral will host a virtual presidential inaugural interfaith service to mark the inauguration of Joe Biden as president. While presented as an opportunity to bring the whole nation together, and while part of the “America United” inaugural activities, one large community will not be represented at all: atheists, agnostics, humanists, and the nonreligious. 

Millions of Americans today make meaning and express their personal and civic values without reference to a god or traditional religious beliefs. These Americans deserve a voice, and should be included in formal interfaith programming like the Inaugural Service.
Today, as the nation continues to recover from an Today, as the nation continues to recover from an attempted white supremacist insurrection at our capitol, we are reflecting upon this quote from the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. 

#MLK #MLKDay #MLK2021 #King #MartinLutherKingJr #Today #EthicalCulture #Ethics #2021
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