Mumia's Statement as presented hundreds of thousands in Washington and San Francisco at the Oct. 26 internationalANSWER rally against war on Iraq No war for oil! On a Move! Long live John Africa. I thank you for gathering in Washington and in San Francisco, against the gathering forces of war. The one thing I would like to stress is this: War is not inevitable. The media echo chambers of corporate greed may wish you to think that, but that is just to sap your will and deaden your purpose. If you, the real people of this nation, its students, its workers, its housewives and its children, really believe that war is inevitable, then you wouldn't be here today. Also you would be admitting that you really don't believe in democracy, for if the people don't want war, then who are all the politicians really representing? If they don't represent the will and the wishes of the people, then who do they represent? If you organize, if you build forces among the people, the politicians won't be able to ignore you. They won't be able to act as if you don't exist. So build those forces against a bloody war for oil. You know, we have been here before. Way back in 1972 Iraqi Gen. Ahmed Hasan al-Bakr nationalized Iraq's oil. Nixon approved the arming of the Kurds in Northern Iraq and promptly placed Iraq on America's list of nations that sponsor terrorism. Three years later Iraq's vice president, a man named Saddam Hussein, made a deal with the Shah of Iran for control over the Shatt al-Arab waterway in the gulf. Once the U.S. puppet, the shah, had his way opened to the Persian Gulf, America ceased all support to the Kurds. They were once again on their own. America cared about one thing, oil. The same thing they care about now. This war has nothing to do with democracy, nothing to do with human rights, nothing to do with the oppression of the Kurds, and everything to do with oil. So say no to Exxon, to British Petroleum, to Harkin Oil, to blood for oil and to war for oil. Thank you all. On a Move. Long live John Africa. Free the Move 9. This is Mumia Abu-Jamal. Text (c) copyright 2024 by Mumia Abu-Jamal. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the author. ****************************************************** Mumia Abu-Jamal is the author of three books: 'Live from Death Row', 'Death Blossoms', and 'All Things Censored'. Write to Mumia directly at: Mumia Abu-Jamal AM 8335 SCI-Greene 175 Progress Drive Waynesburg, PA 15370