CODEPINK PRESS RELEASE

CODEPINK Reaches Out to Iraqi Mothers This Mother's Day

Contact:

Inder Comar, Comar Law, [email protected], (415) 640-5856
Jodie Evans, CODEPINK Cofounder, [email protected], (310) 621-5635
Farah Muhsin, CODEPINK organizer, [email protected], (415) 948-5979

(San Francisco) For this Mothers Day, the women's peace group CODEPINK, reached out to Iraqi mothers asking if they have a message to give to American mothers. Some brave Iraqi mothers shared messages of love, hope and pain -- a pain that only someone who lost a son or a daughter to war can understand. American mothers respond with messages of sorrow, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Sundus Saleh Shaker, an Iraqi single mother of 5 writes, "This war that was brought on us, tore me and my mother apart. It drifted me away from her, but she is always near to me in my heart. I will always long for that day she and I will be together again soon." CODEPINK is supporting the efforts of Comar Law in representing Sundus in a class-action lawsuit for pursuit of justice against the Bush administration for war crimes.

"I hope this lawsuit inspires people. The law is on our side when it comes to issues of international regulation, peace and justice," states San Francisco-based attorney Inder Comar. "The laws are actually quiet clear that countries and leaders of countries have positive obligation to choose peace and not go to war particularly for unjust or legal reasons. And I hope this lawsuit helps explain this especially for the academic amongst us."

American mothers posted on social media messages in response to Iraqi mothers. An anonymous mother writes, "The night before the so-called "Shock and Awe," I could not stop thinking about people sitting in their gardens, in their homes, wondering what was going to happen. I can't even imagine the fear. If my tears were magical they would have prevented the crime that was about to happen."

CODEPINK emerged out of a deep desire by a group of American mothers to stop the United States from invading Iraq. The name CODEPINK plays on the former Bush Administration's color-coded homeland security alerts - yellow, orange, red - that signaled terrorist threats.

To read more of the Mother's Day letters from Iraqi and American mothers visit the CODEPINK Tumblr: http://iraqimotherstomothers.tumblr.com/