English
Français
MONTREAL – October 6th, 2009 – The Raelian Movement and its leader Maitreya Rael, applaud the Canadian government, which is in the process of adopting a law allowing army deserters, from the US or elsewhere, to reside in Canada.
When he learned of the news, Maitreya Rael commented: “It is a wonderful decision that supports the right of non-violent individuals to refuse to be soldiers and their right to live for peace and non-violence. This makes Canada an example for the rest of the world. All other countries should do the same!”
The Raelian Movement, which is deeply pacific and teaches absolute non-violence, has since the beginning been following the case of American deserters who have refused to serve in the Iraq war. This time last year, the Council of Canadian Bishops asked the Canadian government and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to intervene and stop the deportation of 200 ex American soldiers who took refuge on Canadian soil.
Marc Rivard, the president of the Canadian Council of Raelian Bishops, asked then: “Since, from the beginning, Canada had been opposed to the war in Iraq, qualifying it as illegal and unjustified, how could the Canadian authorities expel from the country foreign ex-soldiers who, after all, hold the same position as the Canadian government towards this war?”
With the introduction of this law which will authorize deserters to stay in Canada if their refusal to serve is founded on moral, political or religious arguments, Maitreya Rael asked that this news be broadcast as widely as possible. He stressed that “If these provisions are accepted by the Canadian government, we will have to promote them to all soldiers, so that they know they have a possibility to leave the army. If one day a vast majority of soldiers do the same, it will be the end of war”.
Note that the Raelian Movement is against all forms of war and advocates dialogue as the only means for resolving conflicts. For Maitreya Rael, no cause justifies the death of a single human being.