To: The September 11th Families for the Peaceful Tomorrows ピースフル・トゥマローズへの手紙
September 10, 2005
To: The September 11th Families for the Peaceful Tomorrows
From: Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (HANWA)
Dear friends,
As the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 tragic event approaches, we would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy to you and your loved ones, although we are aware that no words can sufficiently convey our true feelings. We, the hibakusha and the citizens of Hiroshima, the original Ground Zero, share with you the philosophy of non-violence and non-revenge, which you have cultivated among you and with which you have given comfort and courage to so many suffering people around the world.
The principle to which you adhere is not easy to maintain. However, we stand by you in that effort and promise that we will not only remain committed to that principle ourselves, but we will also make every effort to promulgate it through this world full of wars, terrorism, the abuse of human rights, and myriad other forms of violence. The run-away tragedies in Afghanistan and Iraq eloquently illustrate that violence begets nothing but more violence.
In August, Hiroshima and Nagasaki commemorated the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombings. In collaboration with the citizens of Nagasaki, HANWA campaigned to have an opinion advertisement printed in The New York Times on April 29th, timed to coincide with the Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty of Nuclear Weapons at the UN. The message of that ad corresponds precisely to your philosophy of non-violence and non-revenge, namely, “No More Hiroshima! No More Nagasaki!”
The abolition of nuclear weapons is not simply the wish of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is the wish of the majority of people on earth. Nuclear weapons are the pinnacle of violence. They are the culmination of the spiral of violence. Thus, the vicious circles of violence and revenge must be interrupted if humanity aspires to live in peace and harmony. At present, the world appears to be drifting in exactly the opposite direction.
Dear friends, please rest assured that we are in loving solidarity with you. We are convinced that the majority of the people desire the peaceful tomorrows that you have so courageously embodied in your unremitting, tenacious championing of the principle of non-violence and non-revenge. You have generously offered the world its only hope of lasting peace and prosperity. We thank you, indeed, for your enduring contribution, and we are thinking of you at this time.
Sincerely Yours,
Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (HANWA)
Presidents: Mr. Goro Kawai, Ms. Haruko Moritaki, Mr. Mitsuo Okamoto, Ph.D.
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４年目を迎えた９・１１遺族の会「平和な明日のための９・１１家族の会」
（通称 ピースフル・トゥモローズ）にＨＡＮＷＡから連帯のメッセージを
送りました。共同代表の岡本三夫が執筆しています。