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regime. The conflict is the massive and catastrophic escalation of a long-simmering dispute between Arab nomads in the region and the largely agricultural population of African ethnicity. An estimated 50,000 have died in the past 18 months of conflict. The Arab militias, known as Jan-jawced, are supported by the Khartoum regime and are apparently initiating a genoddal attack in the guise of crushing a rebellion by the primarily black African farmers.
Human Rights Watch, an international body, has stated that the Sudanese government is directly involved in the attacks on three African ethnic groups inDarfur.
"Government forces oversaw and directly participated in massacres, summary executions of civilians - including women and children - burnings of towTis and villages, and the forcible depopulation of wide swathes of land long inhabited by the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa," HRW reported.
A U.S. State Department study, in conjunction with independent observers late last month in the nei^boring country of Chad, to which refugees have fled, indicated 60 per cent of the Sudanese refugees had witnessed the murder of a family
member and 20 per cent had witnessed a rape, according to the New York Times.
There are enough reports from different organizations, which are not partisan, which collectively communicate that the people tihere are facing a crisis of proportions," Weintraub said. "We already know that tens of thousands have died and that over one-and-a-half milUon people have been driven from their homes by this conflict.
"It is of a magnitude that requires the conscience of Canadians to be moved," he said.
CJC wants to motivate the federal government to take a strong position at the United Nations and to urge other countries to intervene on the issue. Individual Canadians should contact then* member of Pculiament, the foreign affairs minister and the prime minister, Weintraub said. The CJC Web site (www.cjc.ca) . has contact information for elected officials.
"We think there is always more that can be done and politicians are poUtical leadership that responds to concerns of Canadians," said Weintraub. "Our community would be surprised as to how responsive our poUtical leadership can be when they realize there is an issue that is of concern to the populace."
The leading role Congress appears to be taking on the Sudanese crisis stems in part from the special experience of Jewish history, said Weintraub.
"We ourselves know the tragedy and darimess of exile and genocide," he said. "I'm not saying the Jewish community has the only responsibility to speak out when ethnic and religious in-
tolerance is rampant in the worid, but there is no question that because of our experience we have greater empathy and certainly we don't want to [have] happen to others what happened to oiu: own people 60 years ago. IVagi-cally, we have that imique perspective. More importantly, we are not an island. We are connected and the Canadian Jewish
From left: Rabbi Reuben J. Poupko, spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel, Rabbi Chaim Sleinmetz, spiritual leader of Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem and president of the Rabbinical Council of Canada, Jeffrey K. Boro, President of Canadian Jewish Congress, Quebec Region, James P. Morgan, Sudanese refugee. Dean Michael Pitts, reverend of Christ's Church Cathedral, Ken GodinoftheSnowdon Baptist Church, Rev. Darryl Grey, Union United Baptist Church, and Bishop Andre Rivest, auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Montreal.
commimity has mandated Canadian Jewish Congress since its inception to be concerned about religious intolerance and racism wherever it may be. This is not an issue that we arc picking out of the air. It's an issue that goes to the heart of ethnic and racial intolerance, which we know something'about." □
Pat Johnson is a Vancouver journalist and commentator.
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