International Committee of Religious Leaders for Voluntary Family Planning Calls on President Bush to Release $34 Million for UNFPA

4/30/2002

From: Patti Miller for the International Committee of Religious Leaders for Voluntary Family Planning, 202-986-6093

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- An ad hoc coalition of people of faith and leaders in the religious community today called on President George Bush to release the full $34 million appropriated for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for Fiscal Year 2002. In a letter to the president, 136 religious leaders from 31 countries said, "As a UN agency, UNFPA is vital to the reproductive health needs of women, men and their families by providing life-saving services such as family planning, and HIV/AIDS prevention, counseling and services to people living in developing countries around the world. As people of faith, we understand that women and men must have access to information and services so they can act morally and responsibly in their sexual behavior. Highly respected religious leaders have supported modern family planning as a moral good."

The letter, which was signed by Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Jews, went on to note that, "We believe that UNFPA has been unequivocally committed to providing informed and voluntary family planning. The agency has used, and continues to use, its stature as a UN agency to help governments, like China, to move more and more towards respect for the rights of women and men to decide for themselves on the number and spacing of their children and to move away from draconian practices."

"In the Catholic tradition, caring for the poor and marginalized is a key social teaching. Too often, this value is neglected when conservative Catholic leaders lobby to cut off family planning services or funding. The Catholic leaders who have signed this letter to President Bush know that you can be Catholic and support family planning and they know that women's and children's lives are saved when voluntary family planning is available," said Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice in Washington, DC.

"For Muslim women, family planning is key to their empowerment, and their ability to live responsible Muslim lives," said Zainah Anwar, executive director, Sisters In Islam, Malaysia.

"I understand President Bush's concern about abortion, but every dollar spent on family planning means less illegal, unsafe abortion. Denying UNFPA funding causes more harm than good, in that it means less contraception, producing more unwanted pregnancies and therefore more abortions," said the Rev. Dr. James Martin-Schramm, associate professor of Religion at Luther College in Decorah, IA.

--- LETTER FOLLOWS

President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush,

As people of faith and leaders in the religious community, we are deeply concerned that you are considering defunding the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). We urge you to release the full appropriation of $34 million for the UNFPA in the Fiscal Year 2002 Budget. Religious leaders actively supported the founding of the UN and continue to believe that the UN and its agencies are critical vehicles for world peace and justice. We recognize the importance of the United Nations in providing the world with humanitarian assistance, especially to those living in developing countries. As a UN agency, UNFPA is vital to the reproductive health needs of women, men and their families by providing life-saving services such as family planning, and HIV/AIDS prevention, counseling and services to people living in developing countries around the world.

As people of faith, we understand that women and men must have access to information and services so they can act morally and responsibly in their sexual behavior. Highly respected religious leaders have supported modern family planning as a moral good.

The Dalai Lama has said that "family planning is crucial, especially in the developing world." Anglican Bishop Desmund Tutu stated, "Planned parenthood is an obligation of those who are Christians. Our church thinks we should use scientific methods that assist in planning families."

As people of faith we oppose any coercive measures in reproductive health. We believe that UNFPA has been unequivocally committed to providing informed and voluntary family planning. The agency has used, and continues to use, its stature as a UN agency to help governments, like China, to move more and more towards respect for the rights of women and men to decide for themselves on the number and spacing of their children and to move away from draconian practices. The agency deserves and needs your support.

Again, we respectfully urge you to respond with compassion and provide $34 million for the UNFPA to help them promote the health and well-being of women and families around the world.

Sincerely,

PARTIAL LIST OF SIGNATORIES

Rev. Rose Teteki Abbey Presbyterian Church of Ghana

Rabbi Rebecca Alpert Associate Professor of Religion and Women's Studies Temple University, USA

Guinn Blackwell-Eagleson Minister of Word and Sacrament Presbyterian Church USA

Rev. Daniel Budd First Unitarian Church of Cleveland, USA

Albert G. Cohen Executive Director, Southern California Ecumenical Council United Church of Christ, USA

Rev. Tom Davis Chair, Clergy Advisory Board, Planned Parenthood Federation of America United Church of Christ, USA

Behjat Dehghan Muslim President, Association of Iranian Women-USA (AIWUSA)

Dr. Farid Esack Muslim Distinguished Walter Mason Fellow in Religion College of William and Mary South Africa/USA

Sr. Maureen Fiedler, SL Roman Catholic Radio host, Interfaith Voices USA

Prof. Paul H. Gundani Roman Catholic Director, United Religions Initiative, Zimbabwe

Dr. Anke Hoenkamp-Bisschops Catholic Theological University Utrecht, The Netherlands

Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory Director, Washington Office Presbyterian Church USA

June Jacobs President, International Council of Jewish Women United Kingdom

Mohammad Hashim Kamali Muslim Professor of Islamic Law and Jurisprudence International Islamic University Malaysia

Rev. Peter Laarman Senior Minister, Judson Memorial Church New York, USA

David R. Loy, Ph.D. Zen Buddhist, Professor in Faculty of International Relations Bunkyo University, Chigasaki, Japan

Rev. Dr. James B. Martin-Schramm Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Associate Professor of Religion, Luther College, USA

Rev. Timothy McDonald, III President, African American Ministers Leadership Council Pastor, First Iconium Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Eriya Murana Roman Catholic Branch Manager, AIDS Information Centre, Uganda

Msgr. Dr. Francis Ndamira National Director, Caritas Uganda Uganda Catholic Secretariat, Uganda

Mira Poljakovic President, League of Jewish Women Yugoslavia

Dr. Tavivat Puntarigvivat Director, Institute of Research and Development The World Buddhist University, Thailand

Dr. John Raines Ordained United Methodist Minister Professor of Religion, Temple University, USA USA

Dr. Norbert Scholl Former professor for Catholic Theology and Religious Teaching at the Pedagogical School, Heidelberg Germany

Dr. Arvind Sharma Hindu Birks Professor of Comparative Religion McGill University, Canada

Lene Sjorup, Ph.D. Lutheran Consultant, Religion and Development, Denmark Valerie J. Stroud Coordinator, We Are Church, United Kingdom

John Swomley Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics St. Paul School of Theology, USA

Dr. Karma Lekshe Tsomo Buddhist President, Sakyadhita: International Association of Buddhist Women, USA

Sr. Ngozi Uti, HHCJ Roman Catholic Centre for Women Studies and Intervention, Nigeria

Lonnie Valentine Religious Society of Friends Associate Professor of Peace & Justice Studies, Earlham School of Religion, USA

Rev. Carlton Veazey, M.A. Baptist Executive Director, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, USA

Heinz-Juergen Vogels Roman Catholic International Federation of Married Catholic Priests, Germany

Ashok Vohra Hindu Professor of Philosophy, University of Delhi, India

Elisabeth Denby Wilkes Roman Catholic President, Demain l'Eglise, France

James E. Winkler General Secretary General Board of Church & Society of The United Methodist Church USA, Europe, Asia and Africa

Cc: Colin Powell, Secretary of State Arthur E. Dewey, Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration John Negroponte, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Representative James Kolbe, Chair, Foreign Operations subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee Representative Nita Lowey, Ranking Member, Foreign Operations subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee Senator Patrick Leahy, Chair, Foreign Operations subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee Senator Mitch McConnell, Ranking Member, Foreign Operations subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee

All organizations listed for identification purposes only