Choosing Inclusion, Peace and Justice—They Go Together. As our name clearly implies, Peaceworks advocates for peaceful resolution to conflicts. But we understand this requires more than simply opposing war. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. informed us 60 years ago, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it’s the presence of justice.” Essential to Peaceworks’ mission is our work for social and economic justice and the creation of a Peace Economy that works for all. Among many justice concerns, we are now prioritizing raising the banner of inclusion and the celebration of diversity as a response to the fear-mongering over Islam and terrorism. The nearpanic we have seen, since the events late last year in Paris and San Bernardino, is a threat not only to Muslims in this country, who have been subjected to numerous hate crimes, but also to peace around the world and to our very democracy. These events are unfolding at the same time that those living in this country without documents are being threatened with expulsion, a move that appears to be based in thinly veiled racism. It’s time to speak out boldly to challenge the agendas of those who exploit fear and bigotry. The xenophobic, anti-Muslim, anti-refugee/migrant nativism that is being employed by some in the current election cycle is nothing new in American politics. There have been similar reactions to Irish, Eastern and Southern European and East Asian immigrants dating back at least to 1850. Today, there is a well-developed anti-Muslim network of talk show hosts, Rightwing-funded “think tanks,” pressure groups and politicians who continuously gin up fear and loathing. Ditto the anti-immigrant networks. Most susceptible are those less educated who are already insecure in a perilous economy, one in which they’ve been losing ground for many years. We, in Peaceworks, see the rise in Islamophobia as not only harmful to its Muslim victims, but destructive to the fabric of our multicultural society and the harbinger of more scapegoating, should it be allowed to continue. It also is fodder for more wars in the Middle East and around the world. Who Benefits from Islamophobia? As is so often the case, there are those who benefit from the fear-mongering. First to come to mind, of course, are opportunistic politicians. Possibly not as obvious are the interests of the Military Industrial Complex that President Eisenhower warned us of, back in 1961. Those who profit from wars and militarism always need an enemy to justify their ongoing, and quite costly, existence. What the Right refers to as “Radical Islamic Terrorism” serves as a useful construct, allowing them to build support for further wars and interventions, despite the fact that these terror attacks are not acts of military aggression by a hostile state, but rather criminal violence. While these horrible crimes must be condemned, in no uncertain terms, and the perpetrators brought to justice, they are not a reasonable justification for going to war, let alone for engaging in endless war. The reality is that since the end of the Cold War 25 years ago, the United States has faced no militarily credible adversary. U.S. taxpayers, representing 4.5 percent of the world’s people are

today spending nearly 40 percent of the world’s military budget, very little of which is directed to defense; and most of which is designed to dominate others by “projecting power” around the world. And, to a large extent, this is being justified on the basis of fighting “terrorism,” with little recognition that it actually fuels terrorist groups. Fueling Cycles of Violence Our government’s Twenty-first Century aggressive military posture is right in line with the actions, over the past two centuries, of the U.S. and other Western governments. They have an ongoing history of imperialist intrusions into the Muslim world. The repeated invasions, covert interventions, coups, installation of client governments, political manipulations and the extraction, on the cheap, of natural resources have all bred some justified resentment. While the overwhelming majority of Muslims reject the violent actions of extremist groups like al Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State, U.S. invasions and occupations, drone attacks, support for Israeli expansionism, and support for corrupt, autocratic regimes including Saudi Arabia, all make more enemies for our country, as they drive disaffected youth into the arms of these reactionary, violent groups. And the adoption of policies to ban Muslims from coming to the U.S., to close down mosques or to institute a system to identify and track the locations of Muslims in this country would— besides being unconstitutional—have a devastating impact on the American Muslim community, and would sour relations with Muslims worldwide. That such proposals are even being given serious consideration in U.S. political debate, is already serving as a recruitment tool for the extremists. What Instead? The United States is sorely in need of a new foreign policy that moves us away from the role of dominant, intervening superpower and into the role of strong advocate for sustainable development and the negotiation of peaceful resolutions to ongoing conflicts. The path is not easy, but, if, as a first step, our government stops killing people, and then starts to offer genuine aid, things may, over time, begin to improve. It would also be a major step forward to halt the export of tens of billions of dollars of armaments to this troubled region. On the domestic front, we, the people, can take action ourselves to promote solidarity, mutual respect and the embrace of our Muslim sisters and brothers. They are part of our American family—part of our broader human family—and the more we come out and say so publicly, individually and collectively—with words and deeds—the less polarization and alienation we will see. We can each play a role in this process, reaching out and building bridges. And Peaceworks, as an organization, will be aiming to make and build just these sorts of connections. We hope you will join us in this process. One final note: Peaceworks does not support or oppose candidates for office. Nothing herein should be construed as advocating voting for or against any candidate for office. We can, and do, respond to the policy prescriptions that politicians offer, and maintain the right to speak out on any and all issues.