NATIONAL RELIGIOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST TORTURE
For Immediate Release – March 3, 2009
Prominent Religious Leaders Call for “Commission of Inquiry” on Torture as Senator Leahy Launches Hearings to Establish
“Truth” Commission
National Religious Campaign Against Torture to submit statement to Leahy along with testimony for hearing
Contact: Steve Fox, Fenton Communications, 202-822-5200 or
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Rev. Richard Killmer, NRCAT, at 202-547-1920 (cell 207-450-7242) or
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WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) released a statement calling for an impartial, nonpartisan, and independent “Commission of Inquiry” to investigate U.S.-sponsored torture and to ascertain the extent to which Bush administration interrogation practices constituted "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment." The statement has been signed by nearly two dozen prominent religious leaders, representing a broad array of religious denominations. Signatories include Rev. Dr. John H. Thomas, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ; Dr. Ingrid Mattson, President, Islamic Society of North America; Rev. Dr. David Gushee, President, Evangelicals for Human Rights; and Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religious Action Center, Union of Reform Judaism.
The statement reads in part:
“The United States must never again engage in torture. Torture is immoral, illegal and counterproductive. It causes profound and lasting harm, especially to its victims but also to its perpetrators. It contradicts our nation’s deepest values and corrupts the moral fabric of our society. […] As people of faith, we know that brokenness can be healed – both in individual lives and in the life of the nation. All religions believe that redemption is possible. Learning the truth can set us on a path toward national healing and renewal.”
The full statement, along with the names of the 23 religious leaders who have signed it, is included at the end of this email.
The release of this statement comes as momentum is building for an investigation into the Bush administration’s program of “enhanced interrogation.” Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), is holding a Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, March 4, to explore establishing a “Truth” Commission, which would carry out a comprehensive investigation into the approval of and use of torture by the U.S. government. The Commission would include significant use of public testimony and would ultimately issue a report on its findings.
NRCAT, which is providing written testimony for Senator Leahy’s hearing, strongly supports the establishment of an independent, non-partisan Commission of Inquiry, with the power to subpoena witnesses, to investigate the roles elements of our government played in the torture of detainees.
“The American people have been kept in the dark about this nation’s involvement in torture for long enough,” said Rev. Richard Killmer, executive director of NRCAT. “If we hope to heal the nation’s soul, we must conduct a public inquiry into the actions of the last eight years. This is not a time to hide from our past. We must investigate and report on the torture policies and practices of the past and then develop safeguards to assure that torture never happens again.”
For more information about NRCAT’s campaign for a Commission of Inquiry
Visit www.tortureisamoralissue.org
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The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a growing membership organization committed to ending U.S.-sponsored torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Since its formation in January 2006, more than 250 religious groups have joined NRCAT, including representatives from the Roman Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Unitarian, Quaker, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Baha’i, Buddhist, and Sikh communities. Members include national denominations and faith groups, regional organizations and local congregations
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The following is the text of the NRCAT statement calling for a Commission of Inquiry to investigate U.S.-sponsored torture:
U.S.-Sponsored Torture: A Call for a Commission of Inquiry
The United States must never again engage in torture. Torture is immoral, illegal and counterproductive. It causes profound and lasting harm, especially to its victims but also to its perpetrators. It contradicts our nation’s deepest values and corrupts the moral fabric of our society.
We call for an impartial, nonpartisan, and independent Commission of Inquiry. Its purpose should be to gather all the facts and make recommendations. It should ascertain the extent to which our interrogation practices have constituted torture and "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment". Understanding the causes, nature and scope of U.S.-sponsored torture is essential for preventing it in the future and eliminating it from our system without loopholes. U.S. law will determine the extent of any criminal culpability.
As people of faith, we know that brokenness can be healed – both in individual lives and in the life of the nation. All religions believe that redemption is possible. Learning the truth can set us on a path toward national healing and renewal.
The United States must never again allow itself to be driven by blinding fears and bitter resentments in responding to national tragedy. The use of torture only serves to undermine our security in a dangerous world.
Nothing less than the soul of our nation is at stake in confronting U.S.-sponsored torture and completely renouncing its use. Let the U.S. reaffirm its values by establishing a Commission of Inquiry.
HEADS OF FAITH GROUPS ENDORSING THE CALL FOR A COMMISSION
Rev. Dr. John H. Thomas
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ
Dr. Ingrid Mattson
President
Islamic Society of North America
Rabbi David Saperstein
Director, Religious Action
Center of Reform Judaism
Rev. Dr. David Gushee
President
Evangelicals for Human Rights
Rabbi Gerry Serotta
Chair
Rabbis for Human Rights – North America
Very Rev. Thomas Picton, CSsR
President
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Rev. Dr. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson
General Secretary
Reformed Church in America
Jim Winkler
General Secretary
United Methodist Church
General Board of Church and Society
Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos
Chancellor
Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago
Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins
General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey
Minister for Mission and Ecumenism
Alliance of Baptists
Suhag Shukla
Managing Director
Hindu American Foundation
Rev. William G. Sinkford
President
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Rabbi Brian Walt
Executive Director
Rabbis for Human Rights – North America
Archbishop Nicolae Condrea
Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas
Rev. Gradye Parsons
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Presbyterian Church, USA
Bishop Gregory Vaughn Palmer
President, the Council of Bishops
United Methodist Church
Rabbi Toba Spitzer
President
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon
General Secretary
National Council of Churches
Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed
National Director, Interfaith and
Community Alliances
Islamic Society of North America
Charlie Clements
President and CEO
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Joe Volk
Executive Secretary
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Dr. Anahat Kaur Sandhu
Secretary General
World Sikh Council - America Region
