A time comes when silence is betrayal . . . We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak. For we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness so close around us.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Washington Region Religious Campaign Against Torture
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The Washington Region Religious Campaign Against Torture
A Short History
Recent documentation showing that the United States is engaging in torture as a matter of policy has alarmed many people. Torture is abhorrent to all systems of morality. As persons of faith, we believe that we must witness against this evil and work to end it.
Thus, in December, congregants from River Road Unitarian Church organized three interfaith anti-torture vigils, across the street from the residence of Vice President Cheney. His residence seemed appropriate as the site of protest since Mr. Cheney has been one of the foremost proponents of torture in this administration.
In January, three individuals who had participated in the vigils attended a conference in Princeton, NJ, a kickoff event for the newly formed National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT). Following this conference, a small group of people in the Washington region, representing various faiths, gathered to explore the idea of forming a local group that would be affiliated with NRCAT. There was great enthusiasm for this idea, and thus a new group was born.
All agreed that the purpose of the Washington Region Religious Campaign Against Torture (WRRCAT) is to put an end to all U.S.-sponsored and U.S.-supported torture. Specifically, we call for:
- An end to all U.S. torture of prisoners
- An end to U.S. outsourcing of torture ("renditions")
- All secret prisons to be closed
- An independent commission to investigate human rights abuses at U.S. installations like Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan.
We are working to organize the religious community in the Washington region around these goals. We have accomplished the following activities since our first meeting in February:
- Held another anti-torture vigil, on April 14, attended by approximately 75 persons
- Obtained the endorsement and participation of representatives from 18 religious congregations in the Washington, D.C. region
- Issued a religious call to action at a one-day conference in June
- Developed a Web site
- Planned another vigil for June 26, in collaboration with the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition
Our expectation is that WRRCAT will continue to grow and will become a powerful voice helping to force an end to the practice of torture.