Take Action! Ask Congress to establish a committee to investigate American use of torture.

On January 22, we scored a major victory in the war against torture when President Obama signed his Executive Order ensuring lawful interrogations. Despite this major step, much remains to be done. We need to ensure that torture never happens again. We need stronger safeguards against torture and accountability for those who permitted acts of torture. The first step is to understand what happened in our nation since 9/11: who ordered acts of torture, who was tortured, and what exactly was done to them.

RHR-NA has joined with the National Religious Campaign Against Torture in calling for an independent, non-partisan, impartial Commission of Inquiry to study American policy regarding the detention of prisoners since 9/11. There is already movement in both the House and in the Senate Judiciary Committee to establish this kind of Commission, but the details of the Commission (especially its indepdence) are critical. More than 24 religious leaders have endorsed the Statement for Commission of Inquiry, and we call on our members to endorse it as well.

Please endorse the statement by clicking here. You can also urge your Representative to end torture by co-sponsoring HR. 104, a bill by Representative Conyers that would establish a Commission of Inquiry. The NRCAT page also contains petition versions of these actions that you can distribute in your congregations, as well as an FAQ about a Commission, written testimony given to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the need for a Commission, and the names of the heads of major faith organizations who have endorsed the Statement.

There have been some important discussions of current developments in the work to uncover American torture policy since 9/11. On Slate.com, Dahlia Lithwick analyzes why the Obama administration is reluctant to review Bush-era records. At Salon.com, Gary Kamiya breaks down and refutes John Yoo's defenses for his OLC memos, and experts discuss the need for a truly independent Commission.