Fasting for Healing

Hi everyone,

I know I have been delayed quite a while in my writing. Some of you have
scolded me for that. I do have much to say, and will get to it soon.

My speaking tour this time has gone well overall. It has also been
nerve-wracking in some ways, knowing especially that what I am compelled
to say about what I have witnessed in Iraq is a very uncomfortable message
in our society. Fortunately, I have also been surrounded by personal and
CPT supporters every time I spoke. This has done much to keep me going
and I am grateful.

Next week, I return to Baghdad, just as we the church move into the season
of Lent. When our team pondered what witness would be meaningful to our
work there with the Iraqi prisoners, a fast seemed most appropriate.

Every member of the team will fast in some form, in addition to daily acts
of public witness to draw attention to the plight of Iraqis in the U.S.
prison camps. I would like to begin by fasting from meat, and by Lent I
would like to be ready for a liquids-only fast. I have become sick from
fasting before, so I will have to see what I can manage.

I encourage each of you to read the call for fasting below, share it in
your own church congregations, and join the fast in whatever way you are
able. In the meantime, if you have not yet had a chance to share the
Campaign to Ensure Justice for Iraqi Detainees which I distributed
earlier, I encourage you to do so now. Another copy of the Campaign can
be obtained from http://www.cpt.org/iraq.

Several of you have indicated you are not receiving updates from the Iraq
team as you do from Hebron. Most of the testimonies we have collected and
I have edited are going out on the Iraq list, and not on my personal list.
To receive regular updates from CPT Iraq, send an email to:
cpt_iraq-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

peace,

Le Anne
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Break Every Yoke: A Lenten Fast for Justice and Healing in Iraq

"Is this what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? THIS is the
kind of fasting I desire: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the
cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke. Then
your light will break forth like the dawn, and your wound will quickly be
healed. The ancient ruins will be rebuilt, and the foundations restored."
– Isaiah 58:5-6, 8, 12.

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) members living and working in Iraq appeal
to the worldwide church to join a Fast for Justice and Healing throughout
the season of Lent.

Mohammed huddles beneath two blankets at Abu Ghraib prison outside
Baghdad. U.S. forces raided his home by mistake last September. Ayia
weeps for her imprisoned brothers and their now-homeless wives and
children. She has not seen them since June and cannot get permission to
visit. A young soldier looks out at the night, haunted by what he has
seen and done. He wonders if he will ever heal.
No one knows how many Iraqis are being detained. The Coalition
Provisional Authority is able to provide names and locations for 11,000
to 13,000 detainees, but human rights organizations estimate that there
are over 18,000. Due process for the detained is unbearably slow or
nonexistent, and many suffer abuse, hunger, and psychological distress in
prison. Their families struggle to get by and wonder if their loved ones
are dead or alive. Thousands of families – both in the U.S. and Iraq –
ache for the wounds of war to be healed.
It is time to ask for miracles. It is time to empty ourselves and beg for
God’s mercy and compassion. It is time to proclaim a fast – a “day
acceptable to the Lord.”

We fast to set the oppressed free and to break the yokes of injustice that
keep thousands of Iraqis imprisoned without due process. We fast to
become more vulnerable to God’s presence as we seek ways to reduce the
fear, violence, and injustice that imprison all of us. We fast to seek
the miracle of forgiveness, peace, and healing from all the terrors of
war. We invite you to fast with us.

CPT members in Iraq will fast in a variety of ways (liquids-only,
Ramadan-style dawn to dusk) and will engage in daily public witness in
Baghdad.

Please JOIN THE FAST in whatever way you are able:
• Give up a meal, a TV show, or a favorite pastime each day during
Lent; spend that time in prayer for a detainee and their family.
• Join with a group to fast in a particular way for the entire
season of Lent, each person taking one day per week.
• Join with a group of friends, church community or family to fast
or eat a simple meal and pray for peace.
In the spirit of Isaiah, take concrete actions to BREAK EVERY YOKE: •
Write letters on behalf of Iraqi detainees and their families; go to
CPT’s website for the names and addresses of detainees, the
Coalition Provisional Authority officials who are in charge of these
detainees, sample letters, and other information.
• Organize your chuch/community/group to participate in CPT’s
[Adopt-a-Detainee] campaign to take action on behalf of Iraqi detainees;
contact CPT’s Chicago office for a campaign organizer’s kit.
• Hold a public vigil to draw attention to the plight of Iraqi
detainees; possible symbols could include candles, posters of detainees,
and wearing handcuffs and head-shrouds to graphically depict the situation
of Iraqi detainees.

Sharing your prayers, actions, and experiences of fasting will provide
encouragement and inspiration for others around the world. Please send
your comments to or

Team members include: Peggy Gish, Athens, OH; Shiela Provencher, South
Bend, Indiana; Maxine Nash, Centerville, IN; Jane Wright, Providence Bay,
Ont; Jim Loney, Toronto Ont;Steward Vrisinga, Lucknow Ont, Cliff Kindy,
North Manchester, IN

Christian Peacemaker Teams is a program of Brethren, Quaker and Mennonite
Churches. CPT P. O. Box 6508 Chicago, IL 60680 tel. 773-277-0253; Fax:
773-277-0291, E-Mail Peacemakers@cpt.org WEB www.cpt.org