FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 10, 2015
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North Carolina Evangelicals Ask Burr to Shed Light on CIA's Torture Program
WASHINGTON - Today, in a petition delivered to the Washington D.C. office of Senator Richard Burr, Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, nearly 35,000 North Carolinian evangelical Christians called on Senator Burr to increase transparency about U.S. intelligence operations and stop attempting to bury the Senate Intelligence Committee's Torture Report.
Faith leaders across the country had advocated for years for the release of the Torture Report, and saw it as the first step toward confronting the truth about the CIA's use of torture and ensuring that the United States never goes down that dark path again. When Senator Burr became chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2015, he tried to reverse course. Less than two months after the Executive Summary of the Torture Report was made public, Sen. Burr wrote to the Administration to ask that it return all copies of the full Torture Report to the Committee. His goal has been to ensure that the full Torture Report is never made public. The petition, delivered by several faith leaders this morning, urged Sen. Burr to stop blocking the nation's process of healing and reconciliation.
Dr. Robert U. Ferguson, Jr., lead pastor of Emerywood Baptist Church in High Point, North Carolina, noted that Christians led this petition effort because "As followers of Christ, our lives are formed by Biblical values. We believe that the voice of the church should be heard in any and all national conversations, especially those that involve the way that we treat our enemies — a subject close to the heart of Jesus. Further, transparency in government lies at the heart of democracy. Without transparency, our elected representatives would be free to ignore the values of the church and the voice of the people."
Rev. Richard Cizik, President of the New Evangelical Partnership, a sponsor of the petition, added, "It's simply wrong, and contrary to the spirit of open and democratic government, for Senator Richard Burr to try to hide the truth about torture. Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike know that the 'The truth will set you free.' To try to hide the truth makes a person sick, and it's the same for a country. Better to get it out into the open, and let the sun shine in – then the healing will begin."
Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, a sponsor of the petition, said, "This isn't just about open government. It's about democracy and the rule of law. North Carolina's Senator Richard Burr is attempting to bury the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on the CIA's torture and interrogation programs. At a time when the American people need to know whether any laws were violated, Sen. Burr doesn't even want the Pentagon to have the report. Democracy depends on the people knowing what their government is doing."
Christina Cowger, Director of North Carolina Stop Torture Now, a grassroots coalition affiliated with NRCAT, said, "For 3 years, Senator Burr has been receiving emails, post cards and phone calls from thousands of Tar Heels who want him to take action against torture. North Carolinians want the full torture report released now, because it likely contains more information about how our state has been used for the CIA's appalling torture and secret-detention program."
The text of the petition reads:
"Our leaders are elected to uphold our nation's values and laws and call us to our better angels. That's why it is so disappointing that rather than using his position as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee to promote oversight and transparency, Sen. Richard Burr is attempting to bury an important report on the CIA's interrogation and torture programs. As Christians, we call on Sen. Burr to end government secrecy and give the American people the information necessary for an informed democracy."
The petition can be found online here.
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a membership organization committed to ending U.S.-sponsored torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Since its formation in January 2006, more than 300 religious organizations have joined NRCAT, including representatives from the Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Unitarian Universalist, Quaker, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Baha'i, Buddhist, and Sikh communities. Members include national denominations and faith groups, regional organizations and local congregations.
NRCAT.org @NRCATtweets facebook.com/nrcat
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