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Dear Representative/Senator ____________,
As you may know, since February 2003, the Sudanese government has orchestrated a campaign of racial extermination against the ethnically-distinct black African population of Darfur. The Sudanese military and the Janjaweed militias it arms have killed as many as 400,000 black Darfurians. They have bombed and burned villages throughout the region, displacing almost 3.5 million people who now cling to life as homeless refugees. They have raped and assaulted countless women, including pregnant mothers who have subsequently lost their unborn babies. They have tortured and killed men, often in front of their families.
The violence is far from over: thousands of people continue to die each month in Darfur.
We, the undersigned members of your constituency, stand with the 80 percent of Americans who believe the U.S. should be doing more to end the genocide in Darfur. We stand with the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said that, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” And we stand with President George W. Bush, who declared in his Second Inaugural Address that, “All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.”
Our top priority is protecting the lives of innocent civilians. Darfurians are religious leaders, community leaders, businesspeople, laborers, teachers, and students—just like those of us who have signed this letter and others like it all across America this summer. We urge you to take decisive action to ensure their safety, health and freedom by:
- Approving adequate funding for Darfur in the Fiscal Year 2007 funding process.
- Passing the strongest possible version of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act
- Retaining the Clinton Amendment (amendment 4361) within the Defense Authorization bill (S. 2766).
As you can see, there are concrete actions you can take to help protect civilians from murder, rape and displacement. We encourage you to take them.
Sincerely,
_____________________________
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