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August 14, 2009 |
"Situation is an affront to our humanity: We will not give up until peace comes to Darfur"
Statement of DR. BILL FRIST;Nashville, TN - Today, former U.S. Senator Bill Frist, M.D. announced that he will fast by drinking only water on August 14, August 19 and August 21.
Senator Frist "I fast to send a message to fellow leaders, fasters and activists that we must definitively address the cause of the ongoing violence and persecution in Darfur. It is an affront to our compassion, our decency and our very humanity that the government of Sudan has put racism, political and financial interests ahead of its people. I want the refugees in Darfur to know they are not forgotten and that we will not give up until we see peace come to our Sudanese brothers, sisters and children."
On April 27, 2009, I began to fast of water only, in solidarity with the people of Darfur and as a personal expression of outrago continue for three weeks but after 12 days my blood sugar levels dropped to life threatening levels and as I had promised my children, I ended the fast.
But CEO of Virgin Airlines, Sir Richard Branson stepped up and fasted for three days. Since then a chain of concerned people in 33 countries around the world have kept the fast going for 110 days.
Senator Frist follows a line of other high profile fasters including Peter Gabriel, Carly Simon,and Jon Foreman, Congresspersons Donald Payne, Maxine Waters, John Lewis, Donna Edwards, Gwen Moore and others.
Bill Frist's blog posts will be available at www.fastdarfur.org. Senator Frist is a longtime advocate for globhealth care and economic development in low-income countries, medical mission work in Sudan. He introduced and broke a deadlocked congress to negotiate and finalize the Sudan Peace Act to be signed into law October 21, 2002. As Senate Majority Leader, he brought the bill to the floor that called the atrocities of Darfur "genocide," against the wishes of the administration.In addition, Senator Frist leads annual medical mission trips to Africa and is chair of Save the Children's "Survive to Five Campaign" as well as the Nashville-based Hope Through Healing Hands (www.hopethroughhealinghands.