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Iraq Veterans Against the War has become About Face: Veterans Against the War. About Face can be found at aboutfaceveterans.org

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Iraq Veterans Against the War Statement on Orlando Massacre

published by IVAW National on 06/16/16 4:55pm
Posted to: 
Staff

We grieve for those who lost their lives Sunday morning in a bigoted, hate-fueled attack in Orlando, Florida. People - mainly Latinx and Black people - were targeted and killed simply because they were members of the LGBTQ+ community celebrating at a gay club in Orlando. It is a terrible tragedy to lose them, and we send our deepest condolences to their families, including chosen families, and the community of Orlando. Our profound grief, however, must not be fuel for more war.

We refuse to let the answer to homophobia be Islamophobia, hate, and further erosion of our civil liberties. To truly honor those lost, we must remember that our country’s recent mechanisms for securing “safety” in times of attack have meant an escalation of state violence and unjust treatment of LGBTQ+ communities and communities of color. To echo the eloquent words of a fellow veteran, Chelsea Manning, "We are not safe and secure when the government uses us as pawns to perpetrate violence against others. Our safety and security will come when we organize, love and resist together."

We see the media’s sleight of hand. Last week, they said Muhammad Ali transcended religion and race, while this week they made the perpetrator of the Orlando attack into the mouthpiece for all of Islam. The responsibility for Sunday’s massacre lies not with a religion practiced by 1.6 billion people but with Omar Mateen and with the politicians, religious leaders and pundits who continue to push an agenda of homophobia, militarism, racism, and hate. We offer our love and support to the Muslim people, including Muslim queers, and to the queer community around the world.

As veterans, we will not allow this tragedy to beget more tragedies, nor allow this attack be an excuse for continuing a never-ending war that escalates into yet more death overseas whether that comes from U.S. arms and armies or U.S. supported nations. We must welcome refugees fleeing violence, often created by U.S. policy makers. We must receive Muslim families into our communities and respect the religious pluralism that is the fabric of our society. We must always be proud of our queer communities, who have lead the way against patriarchy, war, and senseless violence.

We are called upon to meet tragedy with compassion, to meet violence with peace, and to meet hatred with love. As veterans, we call on the best parts of humanity to end the cycle of violence, reject and oppose hate, and work together towards a world in which no parent buries their child killed by senseless violence.

*****

If you are looking for a way to contribute in this painful time there are a number of ways to do so, here are just a couple of suggestions:

  • Donate to the following fundraiser to the victims and families of victims of the Pulse attack organized by Muslim communities nationwide. This fundraiser is meant for Muslims and their allies: https://www.launchgood.com/project/muslims_united_for_victims_of_pulse_s...  
  • Contribute to Southerner on the New Ground (SONG) an powerful queer & trans liberation organization based in the South that has been holding down important work: https://song.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=2
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Fall Internships in Media and Development at IVAW New York

IVAW is currently seeking interns in Fundraising & Development, Media & Public Relations, and New Media for Fall 2011. Applicants should send a cover letter and resume or C.V., along with two professional or academic...

War Voices: Building Community After a Decade of Struggle at Home and Abroad

October 7th, 2011 will mark 10 years since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the start of the Global War on Terror. To commemorate this sad anniversary, we are calling for a month of local and national activities from...

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Members of the Los Angeles chapter were joined by organizers from the Operation Recovery Campaign to attend the LA Rising festival at the Memorial Coliseum. The event, headlined by Rage Against the Machine, was...

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Convention 2011 was a big success! Over 100 members and allies were in attendance.  We will share more about the trainings, workshops, plenaries, and post photos and video in the coming days. In the meantime, the results of...

Convention Broadcasting Live!

Go to http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ivaw-national-convention-2011 to watch now. Check out our convention guide to keep up with the latest happenings.

New IVAW Promo Video

Please check out our new promo video created in time for the L.A. Rising Festival at the end of the month.  A big thanks to Torrey Townsend, David Zeiger, and Ryan Harvey for their contributions!

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