Religious leaders urge executive order banning torture

WASHINGTON (ABP)—A multi-faith coalition of more than 200 religious organizations is calling on President-elect Barack Obama to sign an executive order banning torture as one of his first acts in office.

“This is an opportunity where one individual could with one stroke of the pen really change U.S. history,” said Linda Gustitus, president of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture . An executive order by Obama “could turn the page on a very, very dark chapter and end U.S.-sponsored torture,” she added.

Nearly 60 delegations of people in 27 states and the District of Columbia contacted about 70 district and state congressional offices in a National Day of Witness on torture. They asked members of Congress to support a statement declaring the use of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment against prisoners as “immoral, unwise, and un-American.”

“The use of torture by the United States in recent years and our refusal to renounce its use has diminished us as a nation—not only in the eyes of our own citizens, but certainly in the eyes of the world,” said John Thomas, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ.

Squandered international goodwill 

“We have squandered the international goodwill that was bestowed upon us after 9/11, and we have in many ways forfeited our role as a moral leader in the community of nations.”

Thomas insisted “there would be no clearer signal of our intention to reclaim the religious and moral values that have historically informed our nation’s character” for Obama to issue such a declaration.

The coalition, formed in 2006, supports a “Golden Rule” approach to torture, where the United States does not authorize or use any methods of interrogation that Americans would find unacceptable if used against U.S. soldiers or civilians.

It also calls for one national standard about torture. The U.S. Army Field Manual, for example, sets one standard for interrogation techniques, but the CIA is not bound by the same limitations.

Hold officials accountable 

The coalition opposes holding terrorism suspects in secret prisons or transferring them to countries that use torture and calls on the government to hold U.S. officials who authorize, implement or fail to prevent torture accountable, regardless of their rank or position.

Leaders said use of torture since 9/11 has hurt the United States not only on moral grounds, but also has damaged the nation’s credibility when criticizing other countries that violate human rights.

“It’s time for the United States to get back on the right side of history, time for us to hear the hopes of our global friends and answer those hopes with action,” Thomas said. “It’s time for a fresh start with a new administration, time for the new president of the United States  to join us and say clearly ‘no’ to torture.”

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., issued the first statement by a member of Congress in support of the effort.

“Torture tarnishes our nation’s values and damages our credibility,” Holt said. “While an executive order will not remove the need for legislation on the issue, it is a way for President-elect Obama to put an immediate halt to our government’s use of torture during interrogations and to put an end to the practice of secret detentions. By exercising his authority and acting quickly, he will begin to restore our moral leadership on the issue and repair some of the harm that has been done to our international reputation.”