June Is Torture Awareness Month
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
And the faith community is taking action.
Torture, in any form, completely rejects the idea that people inherently possess value and dignity. It is a direct denial that we were made for community, that certain rights are common to us all.
Torture is always a newsmaker but, lately, an extraordinary number of examples have filled our newspapers and flashed across our TV screens. In Africa alone, we've seen the persecution of political opponents in Zimbabwe, brutality against youth in Kenya and the rape of women in Darfur.
Closer to home, a recent report articulated the consequences of U.S. abuse against prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. The details of the report were graphic enough to make Americans wonder how these things could happen on their country's watch.
Thankfully, we're waking up to the horrors of torture. Voices are growing louder in a cry for justice and accountability. People of faith are leading the way.
As the moral agenda in our country has expanded to recognize issues like torture, influential faith leaders and brave citizens have joined forces. Making use of their resources and creativity, they've engaged this dreadful crisis.
Torture, and appropriate responses to it, have been discussed in diverse arenas from the blogosphere to the recent Compassion Forum. People of faith have entered the halls of power, imploring our government to consider the shame torture brings upon the country who practices it. This week, Evangelicals for Human Rights and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture announced a new effort, Campaign to Ban Torture (covered here in the New York Times) to petition President Bush to sign an order abolishing deplorable and offensive detainment and interrogation practices once and for all. You can join the bipartisan group of respected leaders that have signed their declaration here.
This month, approximately 300 congregations of multiple faiths have displayed anti-torture banners as a signal to their community and country that their values will not permit the practice of torture.
In September, people of faith will assemble to take an important next step in the fight against torture. The conference "A National Summit on Torture: Religious Faith, Torture, and our National Soul" will be held at Mercer University in Georgia. The interfaith gathering will discuss "how we return to a rejection of torture without exceptions."
No matter the method, the message is clear: a faith and values revolution is sweeping our country and torture is not one of those values. As much progress has been made, fighting the systemic use of torture will be a long, important struggle. Persistence will be key. We must remember the words of Dag Hammarskjold (1961 Nobel Peace Prize recipient) : "The only kind of dignity which is genuine is that which is not diminished by the indifference of others."
Engage with faith groups in your community that are addressing torture or start one of your own. Here are some resources for getting started:
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
Faith in Public Life's Mapping Faith
