Speech by Ms Randa Kattan at February 16 Sydney Walk Against The War

As I stand in front of you today, it is very clear that the Australian people do not want this unjust and immoral aggression against the people of Iraq. The Australian people want peace. We want our service men and women to keep peace, not wage wars. The people of Iraq have been suffering under sanctions for the last twelve years. War is not going to solve their problems.

We, Arab Australians come from regions that have been torn by wars and conflicts. We have first hand experience of the war from the ground not from the distance of a fighter jet. We know that war is about the killing of innocent people, women and children, the destruction of their homes, schools, hospitals, roads, jobs and livelihood. We know that war destroys people's hope in the future and creates divisions and generations of refugees. War fuels hatred and anger. War does not lead to peace.

The Iraqi people have been suffering for the last twelve (12) years. Five hundred thousand (500,000) children died as a result of the sanctions. The Iraqi infrastructure has not recovered from the first Gulf War. Another war will pound a devastated country and a devastated people with more bombs.

The humanitarian cost of this military campaign against Iraq will reach untold proportions. Twenty-two (22) million Iraqi civilians will face bombs, homelessness and starvation. The UN predicts there will be nine hundred thousand (900 000) refugees. Twelve (12) million children will face death as a sanctions-crippled system puts them at grave risk of malnutrition and disease. Wars in the Middle-East have never been quick, surgical or cheap.

UN has found no evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, despite the best efforts of the US administration to manufacture a reason for war - a war waged in callous pursuit of narrow geopolitical and economic self-interest. We do want a world free of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. And the pressure to disarm must be applied on all countries that hold such weapons. We ask, why no similar pressure has been applied on Israel to disarm, when the world knows that Israel has nuclear, chemical and biological weapons? Why Iraq? Why the double standards?

Israel's long-standing occupation and war crimes against the Palestinian people continue unabated as we speak. So, where is the international action to stop the war crimes and enforce the many UN resolutions calling for an end to the Israeli occupation? Thousands of Palestinians have died, hundreds of thousands have been made refugees. 3.6 million people are facing food shortage, malnutrition, homelessness and poverty. Where is the resolve of the US-led alliance to build a viable Palestinian state?

Australia can play a critical role in promoting peace and development in the region and the national interest would be better served by helping Iraq to rebuild, not destroying it with bombs.

The people of Australia have come together to voice their opposition to war.

We must continue supporting peaceful initiatives and demonstrate to the government our abhorrence of this war. We must keep up the pressure to bring the troops home.

We must act now for peace.

Yes to peace. No to war, sanctioned or unsanctioned by the UN.

We call upon our government to bring the troops home.