More than 60 Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders have signed a call to the American government and the religious authorities in Iran to open direct negotiations and stop planning for war. The statement, “A Pax on Both Our Houses” (“pax” is Latin for “peace”) says the war in Iraq demonstrates how war wastes lives and resources, and violates human rights. The statement was released Wednesday in Des Moines, to remind the presidential candidates and reporters now crisscrossing Iowa that many religious constituencies are still focused on foreign policy, organizers said. The full text of the statement is available on interfaithpeacecommittee.org.