NEW ORLEANS (FinalCall.com)--The Hip Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) announced the formation of Musicians United to Win Without War, a national coalition dedicated to preventing war in Iraq. The new coalition joined the broader Win Without War organization at a Feb. 27 news conference in New York to formally express their position.

"Millions of youth and supporters of hip hop will become more vocal in expressing their opposition to war. President George Bush and the established media underestimate the resolve of people of good will. People of peace want it established through justice. There can be no peace after an unjust war. There is no justification for this war, and the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s Saviours’ Day address certainly resonates with the reflective objectives of his message," Min. Benjamin F. Muhammad, president of HSAN, told The Final Call.

At the news conference, fashion and entertainment mogul Russell Simmons, chairman of HSAN, urged the Bush administration to take the higher road of diplomacy and prayer and to listen to the millions of voices that continue to express their angst against an unjust pursuit.

"Iraq’s been contained for 12 years. Hundreds of thousands don’t have to die. Stand up, demonstrate, and have your voice heard," he told the audience.

Lou Reed, David Byrne, Roseanne Cash and Tom Andrews, the national spokesperson for Win Without War, group expressed their confidence in HSAN’s ability to mobilize and empower the young voices of the nation and expects they will represent "a significant and pivotal increase in momentum for the anti-war movement."

"There can be no peace with the hideous slaughter of innocent men, women and children," said Min. Benjamin.

Through their website www.moveon.org, Musicians United to Win Without War, intends to centralize the dissemination and sharing of all information pertaining to strengthening the anti-war movement.

—Eric Ture Muhammad