Churches called to engage in debate on Canada’s role in Afghanistan

By Kristine Greenaway, WACC Programme Manager, Congress 2008

A prominent ecumenical peace advocate says churches should join in public debate on appropriate use of force by the international community to protect people whose governments "cannot or will not protect them".

“We should not stay on the sidelines and let those who are not wary of the use of force be the only voices,” says Ernie Regehr, a senior advisor with Project Ploughshares, a Canadian Council of Churches agency.

Ernie Regehr, senior advisor, Project Ploughshares, Canada.

He was addressing a public seminar, 14 November, on the role of religion in public policy debates about the appropriate responses to conflict in failed states such as Afghanistan. The seminar in Toronto, Canada, was sponsored by the Rev. Dr. Lois Wilson, Ecumenist-in-Residence at the Toronto School of Theology.

Regehr based his remarks on the decision made by members of the World Council of Churches (WCC) at its 9th assembly held in Puerto Alegre, Brazil in 2006 to offer cautious support on the principle dubbed “the right to protect”.Noting that the mainstream of the global ecumenical movement is wary of military intervention, Regehr said "the final statement approved by the WCC was couched in cautious language".

“We’re not prepared to say that military force is never appropriate”, says Regehr. “The compelling vision that prevailed is ‘solidarity with the vulnerable prevails over sovereignty’.This marks a transition from ‘non-interference’ to ‘non-indifference’.”

In light of the WCC statement, Canadian churches are now faced with the challenge of what to say in public policy debates about Canada’s use of armed force in Afghanistan.Regehr readily admits that Canada’s ecumenical movement is not well-placed to comment on the specifics of a situation in a predominantly Muslim country.But, he says the Canadian churches must be tireless advocates of “energetic” diplomacy efforts that lead to a negotiated settlement.

Responding to Regehr’s remarks, Syed Adnan Hussain, a Muslim Ph.D. candidate at the Centre for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto, says that engaging the voices of the religious community is key to ensuring"a just and sustainable peace" in Afghanistan where religion is integral to politics and economy.Afghans need to describe the form of Islam they want, he says and warns against attempts to impose change on issues such as women’s rights and religious equality.“‘Simple modernization’ is not simple in this context”, says Hussain.“If change is to be sustainable, it must not be forced.Don’t impose ‘Islam-lite’”.

Frances Cation, a graduate student in international affairs who studies terrorism, cautions against waiting too long before the international community intervenes with military force.A prime motivation for terrorists, who she defines as people whose violence is aimed at non-military targets, is a sense of “humiliation” based on perceptions of what others think of them and their faith.This leads in turn to a “culture of violence” which can lead to a sense of being involved in a “cosmic war”.At that point, any violent action is justifiable.Cation agrees there are limits to force but says timely military intervention is needed to ensure a “safe platform and security” for diplomatic initiatives.

Mike Lawrence, whose work focuses on humanitarian intervention and the morality of war, told seminar participants that “military force is the stick to bring reluctant dialoguers to the table”.Noting the evolution of the concept of humanitarian intervention in recent years, Lawrence argues there has been a shift away from an emphasis on the concept of “peace enforcement” which applies to situations where a peace agreement has been reached.

Today, he says, the international community recognizes the need for “peace creation “ in countries where there is no peace to enforce.This is the situation in Afghanistan where the absence of peace limits the possibility for dialogue. “Security is the foundation for development, reconstruction and peace”, he says in calling for a three-pronged approach to peace creation of “Clear, Hold, Rebuild”.

The seminar was part of an ongoing series organized by graduate theology students at the University of Toronto to encourage multi-disciplinary exploration of the role of religion in shaping public policy in a multi-cultural society.Susan Harrison, a Ph. D candidate studying Christian-Muslim dialogue who moderated the discussion, says theology students want to promote discussion among specialists in theology, religious studies, political science, and law.