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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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Civilian Ally Board Nominee Bios

  Siri Margerin I grew up in the ‘50s in rural western Pennsylvania, through the civil rights movement and the war in Vietnam. I graduated from Philadelphia College of Art with a degree in painting in 1972, went on to travel...
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Iraq Veterans Against the War Statement on Gaza

Over the last three weeks, we at Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) have watched with dread the endless bombing of Gaza, leading to the senseless killing of now more than 1,300 Palestinians and the destruction of their...
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A Letter to John Kerry from the Right to Heal Initiative

June 19, 2014 U.S. Department of State Attention: Secretary John Kerry 2201 C Street NW Washington DC 20520 Fax: 202 647 3344 Dear Secretary Kerry: The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 incited a previously unimaginable deepening...
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IVAW Statement on the Crisis In Iraq

Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) – an organization comprised of individuals who served or continue to serve in the US Military following September 11, 2001 – calls on Congress, the President, and his administration to...

Fort Hood soldiers suggest overhaul of mental health treatment to the President

More than 4 years ago Iraq Veterans Against the War in conjunction with out friends down at Under the Hood Cafe responded to the recent shooting by Major Hassan at Fort Hood by attempting to hand President Obama a letter...
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IVAW Statement on Blocked Veterans Omnibus Bill

Vets Outraged by Political Gamesmanship Over Veterans Healthcare Bill Yesterday members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) were disgusted to witness the Republican party engage in acts of cynical political maneuvering....

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