JAKARTA (UCAN) -- Indonesian religious leaders belonging to the national interreligious moral movement known as Gerakan Moral Nasional Indonesia have expressed their worry about a possible war against Iraq to Pope John Paul II.

Seven delegates of the movement visited the Vatican Feb. 20 and detailed their concerns in a message they presented that day to the pope.

Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja of Jakarta led the delegation of Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim and Protestant leaders. They included representatives of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, respectively Indonesia's largest and second largest Islamic organizations.

The following is the full text of their message to Pope John Paul, provided to UCA News by the Indonesian Bishops' Conference:

Observing the rapid escalation of the Iraqi issue, we, the leaders of the religious community in Indonesia, namely, Islam, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Hindu and Buddhist, as well as members of inter-religious dialogue in Indonesia, are greatly concerned over the imminent U.S. military attack against Iraq. We believe that military action of any kind will only cause global instability and destruction of the world order that has been collectively built by the international community through a long and difficult process.

In view of the above, we are greatly honored to have the opportunity for an audience with Your Holiness. We are coming to the Vatican to visit Your Holiness and to pay our respects for Your Holiness' firm and consistent stance against the imminent war on Iraq. We would like to express our gratitude to Your Holiness' firm voice for peace, which reaches our country far away from the Vatican. In this connection, we would like to share our concerns of the aforementioned issue as well as to seek support from the Holy See for our moral endeavors to prevent the war in Iraq. We join the worldwide peace movement united with you in prayer for a better world that is based on love, solidarity, forgiveness and reconciliation.

We hope that our meeting with Your Holiness will strengthen the already flourishing global peace movement and enhance the culture of peace and brotherhood in our country.

In connection with the Iraqi crisis, we would like to state our position and hope as follows:

1. Conflict between Iraq and the United States is not an inter-religious conflict. In this context, we note with great appreciation the efforts taken by the Vatican to prevent the war by appealing to the U.S. and Iraq, and to convince the world that conflict between both sides has nothing to do with religion. These efforts have given invaluable contributions to the enhancement of the relationship between religions.

2. It is our fervent hope that Your Holiness and the Holy See will continue to intensify the above efforts, particularly in the event that war in Iraq cannot be avoided.

3. We wish to appeal to Your Holiness that the Holy See will continue to urge the United States to refrain from taking any unilateral action in addressing the issue of Iraq, especially with the use of military force. It is imperative that the United States respect U.N. resolution No. 1441 of 8 November 2002, and extend its full cooperation to the United Nations in searching for a peaceful solution to the Iraqi issue.

4. We are of the view that efforts to disarm Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (if any) should be conducted through the U.N. Security Council mechanism. In view of this, it is necessary that the U.N. Security Council allows more time to the U.N. weapons inspection teams to conclude their work. The kind of final action to address this issue could only be determined after the submission of the final reports by the inspection teams, and should be agreed upon by members of the U.N. Security Council and supported by the international community.

5. We would like also to appeal to Your Holiness that the Holy See continue to extend its good offices to urge President Saddam Hussein that he needs to show his government's good intention and cooperation with the U.N. weapons inspection teams in order to avoid any international accusation that Iraq has intentionally hidden its weapons of mass destruction and is not in compliance with the U.N. Security Council Resolution No. 1441. It is in this connection that we welcome the more cooperative attitude demonstrated recently by President Saddam Hussein to the U.N. weapons inspection team. We do hope that such cooperation will be enhanced, in line with the provision stipulated in the above-mentioned Resolution.

6. We are of the view that should there be any further action taken by the Security Council in the event that President Saddam Hussein breaches the Security Council Resolution, it should be intended only to disarm Iraq through a peaceful mechanism. This could include, among others, the elimination of the weapons of mass destruction without any military action. Attacking civilian targets means killing innocent people and leaving millions of orphans, widows and invalids for the future.

Based on the aforementioned points of concerns, we would like to reiterate our fervent hope that the Holy See will continue and intensify communications and diplomatic efforts with all parties concerned, in order to find a just and peaceful solution to the Iraqi issue, based on ethics and humanitarian principles embraced by all religions existing in the world. The religious community in Indonesia will continuously pray for the successful result of this endeavor.

History has taught us that war can never be the right answer to any problem. It will only cause a great deal of human loss and suffering.

May God bless and guide us with His Holy Light in our effort to build a peaceful world through peaceful efforts.

Vatican City, 20 February 2003

Cardinal Julius Rijadi Darmaatmadja, Ahmad Hasyim Muzadi, Ahmad Syafii Maarif, Nurcholish Madjid, Natan Setiabudi, I Nyoman Suwandha, Bhiksu Virya Mitra Sthavira

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