"CESE has accompanied with horror and sadness the devastating attacks on people in the United States of America. We grieve for the victims and offer our heartfelt condolences and solidarity to their families, whom we hold in our thoughts and prayers, joining with millions of women and men in the whole world.

As the world is still trying to understand what happened, feelings of bitterness and hatred arise. In some cases, they have already become manifest in acts of violence against Muslim mosques, shops, houses and individuals. But blind acts of violence are no solution, even more so as they are directed against innocent people. The real culprits ought to be punished, but we are deeply worried that severe acts of retaliation against a whole people, such as Afghanistan, seem a possible reaction of the USA and its allies.

As Christians and citizens of this world, we call on all leaders to let wisdom and love for peace, not hatred and revenge, speak to their hearts and minds. Violence will only create more violence, and an exaggerated reaction might well cause a disaster for the whole world. It would reduce the world's civilized nations to the level of those who committed Tuesday's atrocities, and this would indeed be a victory for them and not for the world.

We believe that a different world is possible, overcoming the fundamental causes of great conflicts between nations, such as social and economic inequalities and racial discrimination and hatred.

We pray to God that together we will overcome this terrible situation, incessantly working towards world peace through dialogue and service to those in need, as is CESE's mission in this co untry.

Salvador/Bahia, Brazil
14th September, 2001

Eliana Rolemberg
Executive Secretary"

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