Torture Awareness Month Statement, 2009

RHR-NA applauds and salutes President Obama for issuing the historic executive order on January 22 banning all torture.   We praise the Holy One that the United States no longer condones or sponsors abusive interrogations.  We thank all of you for all your support and hard work for mobilizing public opinion against torture. 

Yet, the question of U.S. sponsored torture is not over and much work remains to be done.

We strongly believe in a full, independent investigation of U.S. interrogation policy since 9/11, with appropriate accountability for those who authorized acts of torture. The safeguards the United States had in place to prevent torture failed, and it is necessary to fully understand how this happened in order to ensure that it does not recur. It is critical to the restoration of American’s moral standing around the world that we make public all relevant information.

We at RHR-NA, along with many other religious and human rights organizations, continue to call for these steps:

1)  A Commission of Inquiry.
While we understand the President’s desire to move forward, undistracted by these questions, we do not believe that we as a nation can have closure until we understand exactly what occurred.   As Jews, we know that true teshuva means taking responsibility for what you have done, not just promising never to do it again. An investigation is not a partisan issue.   Even now, the White House and the Congress are using the cover of national security and “state secrets” to block critical information about torture from coming to light and to prevent the fair trials of those we have held imprisoned for so long.

Support NRCAT’s efforts for a Commission of Inquiry by clicking here.

2)  Legislative steps.  We must take these steps immediately to ensure that America does not again use torture on detainees.
•    Repeal the Military Commissions Act, which striped detainees of the right of habeaus corpus and permitted the use of evidence obtained via torture 
•    Enact a Golden Rule standard, uniform across the entire government, for interrogations, so that no entity can use a technique that would be considered an act of torture if used on Americans. This standard should be codified into law.
•    Videotape interrogations to provide a clear record, so that there would be no question that legal techniques had been used.
•    Congress must also act to sign into law directives undertaken by the President, including ending the practice of extraordinary rendition to countries where there is a strong likelihood of torture and ensuring ICRC access to detainees.

Click here for information from the National Religious Campaign Against Torture about currently pending legislation and actions you can take.

3)  Take action during Torture Awareness Month.  We must shift the moral and religious conversation to a universal condemnation of torture, regardless of whether or not it is effective. Even now, poll numbers show that more religious Americans tend to be more supportive of torture, not less. It is unclear whether these numbers hold true for the Jewish community, but certainly Jewish opposition to torture on moral grounds must continue to be taught in our communities.

The Torah teaches us that every person is created in God’s image. The rabbis add that to dishonor another person is to dishonor God, and that shaming another publicly is akin to killing them.

As a nation, we have much teshuvah still to do. This is why RHR-NA will continue to fight to prevent torture  in the United States and elsewhere and to obtain accountability. This chapter is not finished.

Click here for sermon talking points about parshat Korach and a Commission of Inquiry, for use on the Shabbat of June 26-27.

Thank you for the sacred work you have done to honor the image of God in every person and bring about an end to torture.

Kol tuv,

Rabbi Ellen Lippmann
Co-Chair

Rabbi Brian Walt
Executive Director

Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
Director of Education and Outreach