Pressenza Pressenza International Press Agency Madrid, 10/11/09 The Federal Council of the Humanist Party has sent a letter to the President of the Government; José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, encouraging him to join the World March for Peace and Non-violence – which will pass through Spain from the 13th-16th November – and that he, in adherence with the principles of this global initiative, reconsider Spain’s position in the Afghanistan conflict.

The press release argues that “this (as far as Afghanistan is concerned) is not a legitimate war of defence but rather of cruel revenge, the only credible conclusion for an operation starting 26 days after September 11, without the active cooperation of the Afghan government in this attack, which has ended the lives of tens of thousands of Afghanis, having yet been proven to this day. The US government’s refusal of Afghanistan’s offer, once the bombings had begun, to make Osama Bin Laden stand trial in a third country, supports the theory of vengeance over legitimate defence. Only this motive of revenge, and of course, the pressure from the US military industry; immediate beneficiary of every armed conflict that takes place in the world, explain barbarism on this scale.”

It is with this letter that the Humanist Party demands the government act as it did at the beginning of its term in office in 2004, when it withdrew all Spanish troops from Iraq, given that “the same reasons and feelings for opposing the Iraq invasion are also applicable to Afghanistan”. The press release ends: “On 14th November, the World March for Peace and Nonviolence will pass through Madrid. We repeat, in the Light of the proximity of this target, the invitation for you to join the March and further, we urge that, in concordance with that joining; you return to the thoughts which led you to make that brave, wise and moral decision, in April 2004 and order the immediate withdrawal of Spanish troops from Afghanistan”.

The World March for Peace and Nonviolence is an initiative organised by several humanist organisations which has been joined by thousands of people and collectives worldwide. Passing through more than 100 countries, the journey began on 2nd October of this year in New Zeeland and will finish on the 2nd January in Argentina, demanding the same five points at each place visited:

• Nuclear disarmament on a World level

• Immediate withdrawal of invading troops in occupied territories

• Progressive and proportional reduction of conventional armaments

• The signing of anti-aggression treaties between countries and

• That governments abstain from the use of war as means of resolving conflict.

(Translation provided by Viviane Fathimani)