The people of Afghanistan face a horrifying reality. 

In the last three decades, they have suffered through a ten-year war with the Soviet Union, a severe drought, civil war, the oppressive regime of the Taliban, and now a military campaign against the Taliban and the al Qaeda terrorists they harbor.  According to UNICEF, the average life expectancy in Afghanistan is 43 years.  One in four children under five years of age suffers from moderate to severe wasting, while the child mortality rate is the fourth worst in the world – one of every four children dies before reaching the age of five.  Seventy percent of the population is malnourished.  Only one in seven has access to improved drinking water and lives in an area with basic sanitation. 

Since 1980, Afghanistan has experienced the world’s largest refugee population.  During the Soviet invasion and occupation, six million Afghans fled the country and two million were displaced internally.  Today nearly four million remain external refugees and one million remain internal refugees.  As winter approaches and the bombs inevitably produce "collateral damage," the political future of the country is highly uncertain.  Even before the U.S.-led military campaign against al Qaeda and the Taliban, relief agencies estimated that as many as seven million Afghans faced the threat of starvation unless massive efforts on their behalf were forthcoming. 

The vast majority of Afghans are Muslims, for whom the holy month of Ramadan begins on November 16.  Around the world, more than one billion Muslims are expected to honor the revelations of Allah to the prophet Mohammed which became the Qur'an (Koran), the holy book of Islam, by fasting from sunrise to sunset and by almsgiving. 

As an expression of solidarity with the suffering people of Afghanistan, you and your family, your church or synagogue, school or organization, are invited to pray for peace and fast during Ramadan -- November 16 to December 17 -- in whatever ways are appropriate and meaningful to you, according to your own faith tradition or conscience. 

Although some may want to give up lunch every day, this may not be healthy or possible for others.  The point is not to add to the world's suffering, but to discipline ourselves to remember the involuntary hunger of so many Afghans and to let that remembrance be an occasion for prayers for peace and hope in their long-suffering land.  Individuals may elect to observe the daylight fast one day a week, abstain from desserts and snacks for the month, or abstain from meat one day a week or throughout Ramadan. 

Donations (perhaps money saved by virtue of your fast) may be sent to Catholic Relief Services (http://www.catholicrelief.org), Oxfam America (http://www.oxfam.org), or any other organization you know to be working effectively on behalf of the Afghan people.

Although this particular invitation originates at Creighton University and in the Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha, the initiators neither want to "own" the idea nor manage it.  Although we would be glad to hear from anyone who has joined the fast, we do not ask for "signatures" nor do we plan to track the number of participants. 

Participants in the Omaha area are invited to a daily weekday time of prayer and reflection at 12:30 pm in lower St. John's Church on the Creighton campus and to share prayer and a simple meal, courtesy of the parish, at 6 pm on the three Thursdays between Thanksgiving and December 17 (Nov. 29, Dec 6 and 13)

We are hopeful that this invitation and all responses to it represent an authentic movement of the Spirit.  We are hopeful that if you feel moved to participate, you will also feel moved to extend the invitation, by word of mouth, the internet, or any other form of communication available to you.

In solidarity and peace,

• Fr. Bert Thelen, S.J., St. John's Church (bthelen@creighton.edu)
• Fr. Richard Hauser, S.J., Rector, Jesuit Community
• Mubeen Khan, President, Muslim Student Association
• Maria Teresa Gaston, Creighton Center for Service & Justice
• Roger Bergman, Justice & Peace Studies Program (rbjps@creighton.edu)

This statement and any updates can be accessed at http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/justice-cu-links.html

For a statement from the U.S. Catholic bishops on September 11 and its aftermath, go to http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/sept11.htm

For the perspective of Jim Wallis of the Sojourners community in Washington, D.C., on the current crisis, including interfaith resources for prayer and reflection during Ramadan, go to  http://www.sojo.net/haltthebombing.