Open Letter from Nobel Peace Laureate
Mairead Corrigan Maguire

It is with the greatest sadness that the people of the World watched the tragedy of the horrific events of Tuesday 11th September, 2001, in America.

The day of this atrocity will remain in all our memories; it has moved many millions of people to tears of shock and sadness.

We share in the American peoples' grief during this time of need, and send our condolences to all.

We understand the depth of feelings of loss and pain but we would appeal that there be no retaliation. Violence serves no purpose. Violence solves no problems. Retaliation would mean the further deaths of many more people. This would, in turn, add to an increasing sense of fear, anxiety, and hopelessness, being felt around the world.

As the human family we need HOPE, and this can come from the people of the World, when they rise above their immediate feelings of pain and anger at such inhumanity, and in a calmer atmosphere allow reason to guide their decisions. In this way 'wisdom' can find a response to this terrible atrocity which does not add to the terrible death and destruction already perpetrated on our fellow brothers and sister in the United States.

In this the new millennium, the human family has an opportunity to move away from the old responses of 'an eye for an eye' and deal with their problems in a collective and civilised manner, befitted the great goodness that lives in every human heart.

Mairead Corrigan Maguire (Nobel Peace Laureate)
Northern Ireland