Why won’t anyone
speak up about the torture?

Speaking of Religion
The Rev. Dr. Tim Griffin

You will know them by their fruits. — Matthew 7:16
I think it is safe to say that every religious tradition has a version of Jesus’ formula above. It is a simple principle really. If you want to know what someone truly believes, look at what they do rather than what they say.
For example, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups contend that they are God’s servants, but their actions make it clear that their allegiance lies elsewhere.
Similarly, there is much empty talk from both parties during this campaign about their religious commitments. But what do our national commitments tell us about our commitment to our faith?
During the second week of August, a number of events came to light that should have troubled us. First, on Aug. 7, England demanded the release of five prisoners who had been taken from English soil and who are being held at Guantanamo Bay. The prisoners in question have not been charged with any crime, and they have not been afforded due process. Isn’t it incredible that our primary ally needs to make such a demand and that even that ally condemns the existence of a place like Guantanamo Bay.
On Aug. 8, New Yorker magazine ran a story on the so-called "Black Sites." These are the secret prisons where "high-value" terror suspects have been taken, held and allegedly tortured by the CIA and other American operatives. According to the New Yorker, the Red Cross has sent a report to the administration condemning its use of these "Black Sites" and the treatment of those held at these sites.
In particular, this report is alleged to condemn the use of torture and other inhumane treatment by the United States, in violation of the Geneva Convention, not to mention human decency. In fact, the story indicates that the inhumane treatment of these detainees has even had negative impact upon those who engaged in the torture.
Isn’t it incredible that the world’s leading humanitarian organization is now citing the United States for torture and violations of human rights?
On Aug. 9, the Canadian government released new information concerning the rendition of a Canadian citizen, Maher Arar. He was suspected of terrorist involvement by the United States. While awaiting a connecting flight at JFK Airport, Arar was abducted by the CIA and sent to Syria, where he was tortured for a year before it was finally determined that he has no terrorist connections and that he had never engaged in terrorist activity.
Upon his release, Arar sought restitution for the wrongs committed against him by our government. However his case, Arar v Ashcroft, was dismissed for reasons of national security and foreign policy. Isn’t it incredible that a nation such as ours, at one time admired the world over for its justice system and its fair treatment, has refused to acknowledge the wrongs they did to Arar? To date we have even refused to apologize for violating his human rights. Currently his appeal by the Center for Constitutional Rights is being considered by the Second Circuit.
Also on Aug. 9, President George W. Bush indicated that he would like to close Guantanamo Bay, but he cannot, he says, because many of the countries from which detainees were abducted refuse to allow them to return.
Isn’t it incredible that we hold these people without charge for years, but we refuse to give them due process, and we refuse to provide them with sanctuary after destroying their lives?
Even more incredible, in this year when presidential campaigns are underway, we do not hear candidates or the American public demanding that we begin to live up to our principles as a nation. One often hears that the United States is among the most principled and religious nations in the world. In fact, like President Bush, most presidential candidates from each party say their religious faith is a source of strength and guidance in their life.
But as we noted above, it is what one does and not what one professes that is important. And given this nation’s systematic violations of fundamental human rights and the relative silence of our candidates and the electorate about these violations, are their claims about the importance of their religious faith credible?
For that matter, are our claims to being people of faith credible when we allow these things to continue without protest? ••
Father Tim Griffin is priest-in-charge at the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, at 1946 Welsh Road, in Bustleton.