Washington D.C. - In a remarkable ecumenical and bipartisan display of unity, Christian leaders representing over 28 million evangelicals, Roman Catholics, and other Christians have sent a letter to Congress today and other key world leaders calling for urgent action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The letter urges a total arms embargo and a cut off of exports of refined petroleum products, including gasoline, as a firm yet peaceful measure against the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.
The letter comes while the G-20 is meeting in Pittsburgh, Iranian President Ahmadinejad arrives in New York City to speak to the United Nations General Assembly and talks are scheduled with Iranian diplomats on October 1st.
"For the world's most dangerous regime to obtain the world's most dangerous weapons is something that neither the United States nor the community of nations can allow," the leaders told Congress, urging them to apply economic sanctions against foreign companies that export, ship, finance or broker refined petroleum products to Iran. Although Iran has large oil reserves, it has been unable to refine its petroleum products and is vulnerable to such sanctions.
The leaders include Pat Robertson of Christian Broadcasting Network, Southern Baptist Convention chairman and pastor Johnny Hunt of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Charles Colson of the Prison Fellowship Ministries, Richard Land of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family, Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, , Dr. Michael Youssef of Leading the Way, Dr. James Merritt of Cross Pointe Church, Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America, Gary Bauer of American Values, and Dr. John Hagee of the Conerstone Church in San Antonio.
The leaders urge Congress to remember that "a nuclear-armed Iran is almost certain to initiate an arms race with other Middle Eastern and Arab nations who have reason to fear the religious, political and military ambitions of Iran's extremist leaders. As the world's leading state sponsor of international terror, we must assume Iran will sell or give a nuclear weapons to extremist groups that are declared and demonstrated enemies to America and her allies." The letter was also sent to diplomats from around the world who share our values because Iran is a global problem and the world must work together quickly to stop the threat.
The letter is an initiative of Christian Leaders for a Nuclear-Free Iran, an ad hoc coalition of evangelical, Roman Catholic and other faith leaders who have come together as a united, ecumenical voice that is reaching out to policy makers and opinion leaders calling for urgent action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The coalition argues that Iran's nuclear weapons program will destabilize the Middle East, lead to an arms race in a volatile part of the world, and threaten the United States and its allies in Europe.
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