In Jesus' Love,
gdg
 ACTION ALERT |
Calling on Our Leaders to Stop Torture in America and Set an Ethical Example for the World
October 25, 2012
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed."
(Proverbs 31:8 NLT)
Hasn’t torture already been outlawed here in America? Well, yes and no. It is true that in 2009 President Obama signed Executive Order 13491, which banned the use of torture during detainee interrogation. This was a major step forward from America’s regrettable recent history of water-boarding detainees.
However, despite the positive changes, torture is still all around us. America still has not closed Guantanamo Bay, last year Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (Subtitle D, Counterterrorism), which allows for the indefinite detention of American citizens without charge or trial.
Torture and abuse in U.S. prisons, immigration detention centers, and other places of confinement is becoming more apparent every day. Recently, Shane Bauer, one of the three American hikers unlawfully imprisoned by Iran in 2009, wrote an eye-opening story about the shocking similarities he noticed between his time imprisoned in Iran and the conditions and abuse he saw in prisons he was investigating in California. His story is a current and sobering reminder that torture and abuse happens every day, both abroad and here in America.
As a denomination, the Church of the Brethren adopted a strong "Resolution Against Torture" at Annual Conference in 2010. The resolution clearly states that, "Torture is a blatant violation of the tenets of our faith, and it seeks to break the human spirit. In reality, it devastates both the one who is tortured and the one who tortures."
The Church of the Brethren continues to speak out against torture as a member of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), which brings together religious groups from all backgrounds with the goal of eliminating torture of every kind in all areas of the world. NRCAT is reaching out to us and other member organizations to gather signatures in support of their upcoming visit to the White House where they will present a petition calling on the President to join 63 other countries in signing the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT).
OPCAT sets up oversight bodies and other national mechanisms that prevent torture and abuse in places of confinement including: jails, prisons, mental health facilities, immigration detention centers, detainee centers like Guantanamo, and police stations. Independent monitoring of conditions is crucial to preventing torture because it is the most reliable way to ensure that policies are clearly followed.
We, the Church of the Brethren Advocacy & Peace Witness Office, believe in the importance of this effort and hope that our fellow members of the Church of the Brethren feel the same way. Human Rights Weekend (December 7th-9th) is rapidly approaching, and this issue is crucial to empowering the global human rights movement.
How you can take action:
Want more info? Visit NRCAT’s website
In God's peace,
Bryan Hanger Advocacy Assistant Church of the Brethren and National Council of Churches
Bryan Hanger was born and raised in Roanoke, Virginia and has attended Oak Grove Church of the Brethren all of his life. He graduated in May 2012 from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia with a degree in Political Science and after graduating applied for Brethren Volunteer Service. Bryan says, "After attending BVS orientation #299 with 24 other volunteers, I was lucky enough to be placed at the Advocacy and Peace Witness Office here in Washington DC. The area and job are both new to me, but I am excited to become a part of the District and look forward to advocating on behalf of the Church of the Brethren on important issues."
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