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Religious leaders
ask Obama for official torture inquiry ► See op-ed by Dr. Kinnamon and Rabbi Steve Gutow Washington, June 12, 2009 -- More than 150 religious leaders representing the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) gathered in front of the White House Thursday to urge the Obama Administration to form a commission of inquiry to investigate the government's past use of torture.
Noting the presence of Jews and Muslims in the crowd, Kinnamon said, "The faith communities that gather here are genuinely diverse, and yet on this we agree: torture is intrinsically evil, having a corrosive effect on the whole of society. Our nation's moral standing has been compromised, and our commitment to the rule of law undermined by the practice of torture authorized in the past by American leaders." Other NCC leaders present at the demonstration were the NCC President, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, and President Elect, the Rev. Peg Chemberlin. In addition, several heads of NCC member communions were present to join in the call for a commission of inquiry on the U.S. use of torture. Archbishop Aykazian, legate of the Armenian Church in America, offered a prayer and a blessing of water. The Rev. John Thomas, general
minister and president of the United Church of Christ, decried the use of
torture. The Rev. Richard Killmer, executive director of NRCAT, said he was pleased with the opportunity to address the issue directly with the Obama administration. “We were pleased ... to discuss our strong support for the establishment of an independent, non-partisan Commission of Inquiry to investigate the development and implementation of a program of torture by the United States in the years after 9/11," Killmer said. "Unfortunately, as is known publicly, President Obama does not currently support the establishment of an investigative Commission. However, the officials with whom we met heard our concerns and welcomed our input. This is not the end of this process; it is merely the beginning. As events continue to unfold, we will advocate for a Commission of Inquiry that can uncover all of the facts. We cannot simply bury our past for as the Bible says, ‘the truth shall make us free.’” President Obama has expressed a preference for concealing many of the details of past practices, citing the threats to American prestige and the dangers to women and men in uniform if the full story is told. "It is sometimes said," Kinnamon observed, "that a full inquiry will lower the prestige of the U.S. worldwide; but we believe to the contrary that the stature of this nation will be uplifted if we face our past with integrity." Kinnamon implored the President to "rethink your decision about a commission of inquiry. Listen to the voice of these faith communities. Listen to the experience of sisters and brothers around the world. Create an independent, non-partisan commission in order that evil is revealed for what it is and finally rejected by this nation." The religious leaders gave White House officials a letter to the President, signed by 51of their colleagues. The text of the letter follows:
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"The churches that make up the
National Council of Churches do not agree on all things," said the Rev. Dr.
Michael Kinnamon, NCC General Secretary, addressing the interfaith gathering
in front of the White House, "but on this we
agree: all human life is precious because it bears the image of God.
Torture, by reducing victims to the status of despised objects, denies this
preciousness, debasing tortured and torturers alike."
Rabbi
Steve Gutow, president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, strongly
condemned torture. "Torture stands as a sin on a par with genocide and mass
murder," he said.