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VIRUS ALERT
Prayer for an End to Torture
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 11:01 AM Subject: MNYRCAT - Take
Action in Support of NY State Legislation to End Torture
Greetings,
Legislation has been introduced in the New York
State Assembly and the New York State Senate (Gottfried-Duane Bill [A-6665-B &
S-4495-A]) to bar health care
professionals from participating in torture or improper treatment of prisoners, and provide a means by which health care professionals
responsible for the care of prisoners or detainees can refuse an order to directly or indirectly participate in torture and
to insist on providing professionally responsible care and treatment. (Official memo in support
of the legislation is attached as is a fact sheet.)
Two Actions: - Sign the Petition in Support of this Legislation at http://actnow-phr.org/campaign/stoptortureny Note for Persons Not in New York State: They do have a link
for you to participate in this effort as well.
- Invite
Judicatory Bodies, or Committees within Judicatory Bodies, to Endorse This Legislation. Consider, as well, any professional
organizations to which you belong that might wish to issue such an endorsement (Hospital Chaplains, Chaplains of Correctional
Facilities, etc.) Please
go to this link to see the list of current endorsers and to read what they have said: http://whenhealersharm.org/pass-ny-anti-torture-bill/ Endorsements can be sent to Fran Geteles Shapiro at fran@franandbill.net
Thank you for taking action on this important issue!
Save the Date: June 24th
at 6:30 p.m. MNYRCAT Interfaith Public Witness and Service in Anticipation of the U.N. International Day in Support of the
Survivors and Victims of Torture. If you would like to be part of the group shaping that public witness and our
service, please be in contact with me.
Mark Hallinan, S.J. MNYRCAT Steering Committee
Rev. Mark C. Hallinan, S.J. Asst. for Social Ministries Society of Jesus, N.Y. Province 39 East 83rd Street New York, N.Y. 10028 212-774-5500 Fax: 212-794-1036 hallinan@nysj.org
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Catholic teaching about the dignity of life calls
us to oppose torture, unjustwar, and the use of the death penalty; to prevent genocide
and attacks against noncombatants; to oppose racism; and to overcome poverty and suffering. Nations are called to protect
the right to life by seeking effective ways to combat evil and terror without resorting to armed conflicts except as a last
resort, always seeking first to resolve disputes by peaceful means. We revere the lives of children in the womb, the lives
of persons dying in war and from starvation, and indeed the lives of all human beings as children of God.
~ Faithful Citizenship USCCB
Building the Moral Consensus That Torture is Always Wrong
The Metro New York Religious Campaign Against Torture (MNYRCAT) is joining forces with the National Religious Campaign
Against Torture (NRCAT) to help build the consensus within faith communities that torture is always wrong. NRCAT has produced
an 18 minute video, Ending U.S. Sponsored Torture Forever: A Study for People of Faith,
that builds the case for why torture is, without exception, morally indefensible and harmful to our national interests.
The DVD includes a study guide. If your congregation or organization would be interested in screening this DVD, and perhaps
having a member of MNYRCAT present for the screening, please contact Rev. Mark Hallinan, S.J. at hallinan@nysj.org or 212-774-5500. Thank you! Rev. Mark C. Hallinan, S.J. Asst. for Social Ministries Society of Jesus, N.Y. Province 39 East 83rd Street New York, N.Y. 10028 212-774-5500 Fax:
212-794-1036 hallinan@nysj.org
TASSC International Newsletter
August 2009 | | | Join Our List |  | | |
| 2009 TASSC Survivor Gathering
Calls Out: "Torture Never Again!"
For the 12th consecutive year, the Torture Abolition
and Survivor Support Coalition (TASSC International) gathered in the halls of Congress and the streets of Washington DC
to call out to the U.S. government and governments of the world: "Torture Never Again!" the theme of this year's
gathering.
More than 75 survivors of torture from 27 different countries - including the United States - gathered from
June 24-28 to act together for an end to torture throughout the world. Survivors called for truth, justice and accountability
in their testimony before the Congressional Human Rights Commission, just days before Attorney General Eric Holder announced
his intention to name a special prosecutor to investigate the use of torture during the Bush Administration. |
| TASSC Testifies Before
the Congressional Human Rights Commission | |
On June 25, TASSC joined human rights advocates from a dozen organizations at a noon rally to call on Attorney
General Eric Holder to name a special prosecutor to investigate the justification and practice of torture by the United
States during the Bush administration.
Later that day, Demissie Abebe, from Ethiopia, and Sr. Dianna Ortiz,
OSU, from the United States - current and past Executive Directors of TASSC - joined two other survivors to testify before
the Congressional Human Rights Commission, chaired by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA). Mr. Abebe declared:
"Only when the most powerful are prosecuted for torture will
those coming after be dissuaded from practicing this crime against humanity."
Click Here To Read More:
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| UN International
Day in Support of Victims of Torture | | |
On June 26, to commemorate
the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, more than 100 people gathered at the Columbus Law
School on the Catholic University of America campus to hear survivors from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East
testify.
The first panel, "Torture in Our Backyard," set the tone for the day as human rights lawyers and
human rights activists - including School of the Americas Watch founder Fr. Roy Bourgeois and TASSC lawyer and activist Jennifer
Harbury - called on the Obama administration to investigate and hold accountable officials of the Bush administration who
ordered, justified, and practiced torture in clear violation of both U.S. and international law.
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| TASSC
24-Hour Vigil in Front of the White House | |
| The
Survivor Gathering concluded with the annual 24-hour vigil in Lafayette Park, directly in front of the White House. Two
to three hundred survivors and their supporters gathered to honor the victims of torture, and to speak the truth, as survivors
and supporters, that torture is a crime against humanity.
Human rights, solidarity activists, lawyers, and cultural workers
joined survivors of torture from around the world to celebrate, commemorate, protest and to challenge the Obama administration
to live up to the promise of a break from the violence and abuse of the past, holding accountable those who tortured, and
offering hope to future generations for a world based on justice, human dignity, and the eradication of torture.
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| | | | TASSC International | 4121 Harewood Road, NE, Ste. B | Washington | DC | 20017 | 
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| Dear CCR
Supporter, I'm writing to you today about a matter of critical importance. The U.S. Senate is in the process of debating
the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2010. The NDAA currently includes a provision that bans the use of private
military contractors from conducting interrogations of detainees. Also, an amendment to the bill could require the video
recording of all interrogations. The White House is opposed to the provision that bans the use of private
contractors from conducting interrogations and is also opposed to any amendment requiring video recording. There is
a possibility that these elements could be stripped from the bill. Tell the Senate to keep them in. For the past five years, CCR has served as co-counsel in the fight to hold CACI International and L-3 Services (formerly
Titan Corporation) - two U.S. corporations which provided interrogation services to the U.S. military in Iraq - accountable for grave human rights abuses. The plaintiffs in our lawsuits are survivors of torture they endured at Abu
Ghraib and other prisons in Iraq. Among other brutal acts, our plaintiffs were subjected to rape, sexual assault and forced
nudity, were repeatedly beaten, and forced to hold stress positions for long periods of time. CACI and L-3 have argued they
cannot be held accountable for these clearly illegal activities because of their status as government contractors.
We agree with the senators who included Section 823 in the NDAA that banning contractors from conducting interrogations is
a step in the right direction. Furthermore, the video recording of all interrogations would help ensure that human rights
abuse and other illegal acts do not take place during interrogations. While the elements pertaining to interrogations
are positive developments, the NDAA could undermine our efforts to end the use of military commissions. CCR has long maintained
that the use of military commissions is absolutely unacceptable in a democracy. The NDAA currently includes provisions that
would change the laws regarding the use of military commissions, changes that the Obama administration appears to welcome,
stating the changes will "make the commissions an effective and fair system of justice." Congress should
not refine a broken and unjust system - they should repeal the Military Commissions Act of 2006 Join us and write your senators today and send a clear message that private contractors should be banned from conducting
interrogations, that all interrogations should be recorded, and that military commissions have no place in our justice system. Yours truly, Bill Quigley
Legal Director | |
| | | | | This email was sent to the address:
peacelongbeach@optonline.net. Click here to unsubscribe from CCR Emails. | | | | Center for Constitutional
Rights ll 666 Broadway 7th floor NY, NY 10012 ll 212-614-6464 ll www.ccrjustice.org | | | | | | 
MNYRCAT June 26th (Friday) – Public Witness at 2:30 p.m. at Union Square – Interfaith
Service at 3:30 p.m. at 15th Street Friends Meeting House Please don’t forget the MNYRCAT witness against
torture on June 26th. We will be gathering at Union Square on the 26th at 2:30 p.m. near the Gandhi
statute to stand in witness against torture and to call for a Commission of Inquiry. We’ll have volunteers collecting
signatures on a petition calling for a Commission of Inquiry. At 3 p.m. we’ll process over to the 15th Street
Friends Meeting House for our inter-faith service of prayer. Please join us on Friday,
June 26th at 2:30 p.m. for the public witness to be followed at 3:30 p.m. with the interfaith service. Flyer attached.
Thank you!!
Mark Hallinan, S.J. For MNYRCAT
Rev. Mark C. Hallinan, S.J. Asst. for Social Ministries Society of Jesus, N.Y. Province 39 East 83rd Street New York, N.Y. 10028 212-774-5500
Declaration of Principles for
a Presidential Executive Order on Prisoner Treatment, Torture
and Cruelty Though
we come from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life, we agree that the use ofrture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
against prisoners is immoral, unwise, and un-American. In our effort to secure ourselves, we have resorted to tactics which
do not work, which endanger US personnel abroad, which discourage political, military, and intelligence cooperation from our
allies, and which ultimately do not enhance our security. Our President must lead us by our core principles. We must be better
than our enemies, and our treatment of prisoners captured in the battle against terrorism must reflect our character and values
as Americans. Therefore, we believe the President of the United States should issue an Executive Order
that provides as follows:The “Golden Rule.” We
will not authorize or use any methods of interrogation that we would not find acceptable if used against Americans, be they
civilians or soldiers.We will not authorize or use any methods of interrogation
that we would not find acceptable if used against Americans, be they civilians or soldiers.
One national standard. We will have one national standard for all US personnel and agencies
for the interrogation and treatment of prisoners. Currently, the best expression of that standard is the US Army Field Manual,
which will be used until any other interrogation technique has been approved based on the Golden Rule principle. We will not authorize or use any methods of interrogation that we would not find acceptable if used
against Americans, be they civilians or soldiers. One national standard. We will have one national standard for all US personnel and agencies for the interrogation and
treatment of prisoners. Currently, the best expression of that standard is the US Army Field Manual, which will be used until
any other interrogation technique has been approved based on the Golden Rule principle. The “Golden Rule.” We will not authorize or use
any methods of interrogation that we would not find acceptable if used against Americans, be they civilians or soldiers.
We will not authorize or use any methods of interrogation that we would not find acceptable
if used against Americans, be they civilians or soldiers. One national standard. We will have one national standard for all US personnel and agencies for the interrogation and
treatment of prisoners. Currently, the best expression of that standard is the US Army Field Manual, which will be used until
any other interrogation technique has been approved based on the Golden Rule principle. We will not authorize or use any methods of interrogation that we would not find acceptable if used
against Americans, be they civilians or soldiers. One national standard. We will have one national standard for all US personnel and agencies for the interrogation and
treatment of prisoners. Currently, the best expression of that standard is the US Army Field Manual, which will be used until
any other interrogation technique has been approved based on the Golden Rule principle.
We will in no circumstance hold persons in secret prisons or engage in disappearances. In allcases,
prisoners will have the opportunity to prove their innocence in ways that fully conform to American principles of fairness.
We will acknowledge all prisoners to our courts or the International Red Cross.
We will in no circumstance hold persons in secret prisons or engage in disappearances. In all cases, prisoners will have the
opportunity to prove their innocence in ways that fully conform to American principles of fairness. Duty
to protect. We acknowledge our historical commitment to end the use of torture and cruelty
in the world. The US will not transfer any person to countries that use torture or cruel, inhuman,or degrading treatment. We will acknowledge all prisoners to our courts or the International Red Cross.
We will in no circumstance hold persons in secret prisons or engage in disappearances. In all cases, prisoners will have the
opportunity to prove their innocence in ways that fully conform to American principles of fairness. Duty
to protect. We acknowledge our historical commitment to end the use of torture and cruelty
in the world. The US will not transfer any person to countries that use torture or cruel, inhuman,or degrading treatment. The US will not transfer any person to countries that use torture or
cruel, inhuman,or degrading treatment.We acknowledge our historical commitment
to end the use of torture and cruelty in the world. The US will not transfer any person to countries that use torture or cruel,
inhuman,or degrading treatment. Checks and balances. Congress and the courts play an invaluable role in protecting the values and institutions of our
nation and must have and will have access to the information they need to be fully informed about our detention and interrogation
policies. All US personnel—whether soldiers or intelligence
staff—deserve the certainty that they are implementing policy that complies fully with the law. Henceforth all US officials
who authorize, implement, or fail in their duty to prevent the use of torture and ill treatment of prisoners will be held
accountable, regardless of rank or position. All US personnel—whether
soldiers or intelligence staff—deserve the certainty that they are implementing policy that complies fully with the
law. Henceforth all US officials who authorize, implement, or fail in their duty to prevent the use of torture and ill treatment
of prisoners will be held accountable, regardless of rank or position. www.nrcat.org www.evangelicalsforhumanrights.org www.cvt.org Please mail completed petitions to: National Religious Campaign Against Torture 316 F Street NE, Suite 200 Washington,
DC 20002 American Voices for American Values www.campaigntobantorture.org/ Name
Zip Code Email Address
Quotes from
our Catholic faith tradition on which to reflect:
"Torture violates the basic dignity of the human person that all religions, in
their highest ideals, hold dear. It degrades everyone involved--policymakers, perpetrators and victims. It contradicts
our nation's most cherished values. Any policies that permit torture and inhumane treatment are shocking and morally
intolerable. Nothing less is at stake in the torture abuse crisis than the soul." USCCB, June, 2007
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The thought
of Jesus being stripped, beaten and derided, until his final agony on the cross should always prompt a Christian to protest
against similar treatment of their fellow beings. Of their own accord, disciples of Christ will reject torture, which
nothing can justify, which causes humiliation and suffering to the victim and degrades the tormentor." John Paul
II ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Torture
which uses physical or moral violence to extract confessions, punish the guilty, frighten opponents, or satisfy hatred is
contrary to respect for the person and for human dignity." The Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2297
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "In times past, cruel practices were commonly use by legitimate governments to
maintain law and order.... In recent times it has become evident that these cruel practices were neither necessary for
public order, nor in conformity with the legitimate rights of the human person. On the contrary, these practices led
to ones even more degrading. It is necessary to work for their abolition. We must pray for the victims and their
tormentors." The Catechism of the
Catholic Church, #2298
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