Fw: [ANSWER]: Four Coalitions Respond to Michael Lerner

["Nello Margiotta" <animarg at tin.it>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "A.N.S.W.E.R." <answer.general at action-mail.org>
To: <answer.general at action-mail.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2003 5:17 AM
Subject: [ANSWER]: Four Coalitions Respond to Michael Lerner


> FOUR COALITIONS RESPOND TO MICHAEL LERNER
> 
> In the last day, as anti-war forces around the country 
> have been working together to build for this weekend's 
> important mobilizations, we at A.N.S.W.E.R. have been 
> taken by surprise by a campaign initiated by Michael 
> Lerner and furthered by David Corn (a reporter for the 
> Nation and Fox News) and others that has sought to deceive 
> the anti-war movement and to misdirect its energies to 
> instead focus on fraudulent claims of victimhood by 
> Michael Lerner because he was not asked to speak at the 
> San Francisco demonstration this Sunday. This attack has 
> now been picked up by ultra-right, pro-war forces in an 
> effort to defame the movement.
> 
> We have heard from many who have been anguished by the 
> false claims put forth by Lerner. The following is a 
> statement by the four major anti-war coalitions that are 
> co-sponsoring the San Francisco rally on Sunday, February 
> 16 that sets the record straight. The four coalitions are 
> Not in Our Name Project, United for Peace and Justice, the 
> A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, and the Bay Area United Against 
> War.
> 
> Please post where necessary to clarify Michael Lerner's 
> deceptions.
> 
> -----------------------------
> 
> BAY AREA UNITED AGAINST WAR
> NOT IN OUR NAME PROJECT
> INTERNATIONAL A.N.S.W.E.R. COALITION
> UNITED FOR PEACE & JUSTICE
> 
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
> February 11, 2003
> 
> CONTACT PERSON:
> Bert Knorr (510) 644-8071, (415) 307-8028 (cell)
> 
> STATEMENT FROM FEBRUARY 16 ANTI-WAR COALITIONS REGARDING 
> RABBI MICHAEL LERNER
> 
> We would like to clarify the misunderstanding regarding 
> Rabbi Michael Lerner's perception that he was "banned" 
> from speaking at the peace rally. His charges are untrue, 
> and we wish to set the record straight.
> 
> As the Bush Administration continues its relentless drive 
> toward war, the mass mobilizations in cities around the 
> world on the weekend of Feb. 15-16 have taken on great 
> significance. Millions of people are expected to 
> demonstrate in cities around the world in what may be the 
> last opportunity to stop a new war on Iraq before it 
> starts.
> 
> In the San Francisco Bay Area, four coalitions -- each 
> comprised of many organizations and individuals -- have 
> come together to sponsor a broad and united anti-war march 
> and rally on Sunday, Feb. 16. The four coalitions -- Bay 
> Area United Against War, Not In Our Name project, United 
> for Peace & Justice, and the International A.N.S.W.E.R. 
> (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Coalition -- have been 
> working together successfully for the last several weeks 
> to maximize the turnout on Feb. 16.
> 
> One of the first agreements that was made between the 
> groups organizing the Feb. 16 anti-war protest was that 
> none of the coalitions would propose rally speakers who 
> had publicly attacked or worked to discredit one of the 
> coalition groups. When members of the Tikkun Community, 
> who have actively participated in the organizing meetings 
> for Feb. 16, suggested to Bay Area United for Peace and 
> Justice that it propose Michael Lerner as a speaker, it 
> was explained by members of UPJ that since he had publicly 
> attacked A.N.S.W.E.R. in both the New York Times and 
> Tikkun community email newsletters, his inclusion in the 
> program would violate the agreement among the Feb. 16 
> organizing groups. At that time, Tikkun representatives 
> expressed that it would not be a problem if Michael Lerner 
> was not proposed as a speaker.
> 
> It was this issue, Michael Lerner's public attacks against 
> one of the anti-war coalitions, that resulted in his not 
> being formally proposed as a speaker on Feb. 16. His views 
> on Israel and Palestine had nothing to do with it. Within 
> the anti-war movement, there is a wide spectrum of diverse 
> and opposing views regarding Israel and Palestine, which 
> will be expressed on Feb. 16. To reiterate, the fact that 
> Michael Lerner was not invited to speak on Feb. 16 was not 
> the consequence of a "veto" by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition. 
> None of the coalitions have veto power over the Feb. 16 
> program.
> 
> We strongly abhor all forms of racism and bigotry, 
> including anti-Semitism. At the same time, we don't 
> believe that criticism of Israeli government policies 
> should be labeled as anti-Semitism any more than criticism 
> of U.S. government policy should be labeled as 
> anti-American.
> 
> On the eve of a terrible war, we call upon everyone to 
> join together in making Feb. 15-16 a massive and powerful 
> statement for peace and justice. We're heartened by the 
> broad range of participation that is developing for Feb. 
> 16, including within the Jewish community, and invite one 
> and all to join with us in our efforts to stop the war on 
> Iraq.
> 
> Issued by: Bay Area United Against War, International 
> A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Coalition, 
> Not In Our Name Project, United for Peace and Justice
> 
> -----------------------------
> 
> Email circulated by:
> International A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
> http://www.internationalanswer.org
> 
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