PRESS ADVISORY
June 19, 2013

Contact: Samantha Friedman, Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications
Office: (202) 265-3000 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

SATURDAY in COLUMBIA: Leaders of national faith-based organizations to keynote talk on torture as a moral issue

Columbia, Mo. – The leaders of two national organizations will speak in Columbia on Saturday, June 22, at the Islamic Center of Central Missouri, about why torture is a moral issue. Rev. Richard Kilmer, executive director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, and Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi, interfaith and community director at the Islamic Society of North America, will share their views on the critical reasons for ending U.S.-sponsored torture forever.

“There has been too much debate about the efficacy of torture,” Killmer noted. “Torture is immoral, and whether it is justified should not be up for debate. Torture tactics during the United States’ post-9/11 interrogation practices have been detrimental to U.S. security.”

Saturday’s talk will address NRCAT’s ongoing call for the Senate Intelligence Committee to release its 6,000-page report on CIA torture, which it adopted late last year, to the public, so all Americans have access to the facts about the harmful impact torture has had on U.S. security and the United States’ legacy abroad.

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture is a membership organization, established in 2006, with a membership of today of more than 320 diverse religious organizations committed to ending torture that is sponsored or enabled by the United States. Grounded in the core values of diverse religious traditions, members of NRCAT believe that torture, in any form, is illegal and should be abolished.

The Islamic Society of North America is a founding member of NRCAT. ISNA is an association of Muslim organizations and individuals that provides a common platform for presenting Islam, supporting Muslim communities, developing educational, social and outreach programs and fostering good relations with other religious communities, and civic and service organizations.

The event is free and open to the public, and press coverage is welcome. Representatives from each organization are available for interviews in advance of the presentation and at the dinner.

To arrange interviews or to RSVP to attend, please contact Samantha Friedman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (202) 265-3000. Speakers will take questions from guests during the discussion.

Event Details:

What: Ending U.S. Sponsored Torture Forever

Who:

• Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director, National Religious Campaign Against Torture
• Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi, Interfaith and Community Alliances Director, Islamic Society of North America

When: 6 p.m., Saturday, June 22, 2013

Where: Islamic Center of Central Missouri
201 South Fifth Street
Columbia, MO 65201

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