Last Friday I
stood in an orange jumpsuit and black hood, carrying a sign with the
name of a detainee who had died at Guantanamo. It was only for an
hour, but a profound hour to think about the men that are being held
in our name.
 |
| Photo by Ted Majdosz |
This Friday I
again joined a Close Guantanamo vigil over the lunch hour in
Washington, DC. Between the two Fridays, during a press conference
on Tuesday, April 30, President Obama restated his belief in the need
to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay.
I appreciate
President Obama responding to a question about the hunger strike at
Guantanamo that started in February and now reportedly includes 100
of the 166 detainees. It is a hunger strike born of the desperation
of men being held in indefinite detention, 86 of whom have been
cleared for transfer but Congress has put up roadblocks for the
transfers. While I appreciate President Obama’s recommitment,
which he had stated during last year’s campaign as well, I am
waiting to see words turn into action. The President has blamed
Congress for the roadblocks, but he signed the bills into law and has
not used the powers the Administration has to certify individuals for
transfer.
I have no doubt
that a number of the men held at Guantanamo are guilty of war crimes
and should be tried, but how long are we going to embarrass ourselves
and not transfer men who have been cleared for transfer? Every day
that the detention center stays open is another day of reminder of
the sins of torture that have taken place there.
So as tourists
walked by snapping pictures of the White House, I was present in
vigils to let President Obama know that we support his desire to see
Guantanamo closed and encourage action to back up his words. I was
with fellow colleagues with the National Religious Campaign Against
Torture (NRCAT), members of Witness Against Torture, Torture
Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition, Maryknoll Office for
Global Concerns, and more. On April 26, we were joined by Col. Morris
Davis (ret.), former Chief Prosecutor of the Guantanamo military
commissions. Col. Davis launched a Change.org
petition this week that now has over
125,000 signatures.
Later on Tuesday
after the President’s remarks in the press conference, 38 religious
leaders released a public letter
sent to the President and all members of Congress, describing the
desperate situation at Guantanamo and calling on President Obama and
Congress to back the President’s words with action by expeditiously
moving to close the Guantanamo detention center. My colleague Laura
Markle Downton read the letter, coordinated by NRCAT, at the vigil
this Friday. I shared the following prayer. It is not the lament
that has been just on the edge of my mind and unable to get into full
sentences, but I offer it for your prayer and reflection:
God of the open spaces like this plaza and God of the closed cells like at Guantanamo, we give thanks that you have created each person in your image, each person with dignity and worth.Amen.
We pray that you may help all people remember that each and every person is your beloved child.
When we fall short and do ill to each other, lift us up and let your justice reign.
On this day, here in front of the White House, a symbol of hope and freedom, we gather to call for the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, a symbol of torture and shame.
We gather in solidarity with those desperate enough to go on hunger strike to make their voices heard. May they know that many voices have lifted up for an end to indefinite detention and closure of Guantanmo.
We pray for President Obama, for strength of conviction and action to close Guantanamo. We pray for others in our government to undue this stain on our country. We pray for the guards and medical staff at Guantanamo, we pray for the detainees, especially those who have been cleared for transfer and languish in the unknown. We pray for the American people and we pray for ourselves, that we may not give in to fear – that through your help O God, we can see a closure of the Guantanamo detention facility.
---
T.C. Morrow is Director of Finance & Operations for the National ReligiousCampaign Against Torture and a member of Foundry UMC in Washington, DC.
No comments:
Post a Comment