Peace vigil at Faslane, (c) P McSherry
On Saturday 2 August, more than 100 people attended a peace vigil outside the HM Naval Base Clyde in Faslane, home to the UK’s nuclear-armed submarines.
The vigil was timed to mark the upcoming 80th anniversary of the atomic bombs being dropped on Japan.
The service was led by representatives from Scotland’s largest Christian churches and faith organisations and called for an end to all nuclear weapons
It is estimated that 140,000 people in Hiroshima were killed and at least 74,000 people died in Nagasaki in August 1945, leading to the Japanese government surrendering on 2 September of that year, ending the Second World War.
Iona Community representation at Faslane, (c) L Clelland/Iona Community
“Keep on raising the issue”
Among the Iona Community presence were former leader of the Iona Community and decades-long campaigners against nuclear war, John and Molly Harvey. John and Molly have been attending Faslane since 1968 when they were accompanied by a survivor of Hiroshima.
John said, “There have been times when it’s dropped below the radar. But you have to keep on raising the issue, keep on making the point. Otherwise people will forget, and they’ll think it’s fine.”
Current leader, Ruth Harvey, opened the service with these words:
“Being present here today, standing outside the gates of Faslane Naval Base, we are acutely aware of what this place symbolises. The perceived power of a deterrent, the potential to unleash devastation on humanity and on our common home, vast resources spent on weapons of mass destruction. We turn our attention to the power and goodness of God, the creator of all things, in whom we live and move and have our being. We give thanks for the gift of life, the gift of love and fellowship, and the gift of creation itself.”
No to nuclear weapons
The No To Nuclear Weapons peace gathering at the South Gate of the naval base on Saturday was organised by Justice & Peace Scotland.
Most Rev William Nolan, Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow and Bishop-President of Justice & Peace Scotland, Rt Rev Rosie Frew, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and Most Rev Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, led the event.
They were joined by representatives from the Quakers, the Iona Community, the United Reform Church and other faith organisations. All stood in solidarity to renew a shared commitment to the common good and the flourishing of creation.
The current generation of such warheads – held by nine nations – is understood to be 80 times more powerful than those dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
USA North East