New York Interfaith Leaders to Declare Opposition to Torture on International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

Who:  Metro New York Religious Campaign Against Torture (MNYRCAT)

What: Interfaith press conference, followed by interfaith service

Where: UN Chapel at the UN Church Center (across from the UN at First Avenue and 44th Street)

When: Thursday, June 26
· 6-7 p.m. - Interfaith Press Conference, featuring Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, and other religious leaders
· 7-8 p.m. - Interfaith Service at the UN Chapel, officiated by Rev. Bob Coleman, The Riverside Church

Under the banner of “Honor God: Stop Torture Now,” a coalition of New York’s interfaith leaders will declare their denomination’s opposition to torture. Organized by the Metro New York Religious Campaign Against Torture, and co-sponsored by the Interfaith Center of New York and the World Council of Churches, the event commemorates UN International Day in Support of Victims and Survivors of Torture and follows in the heels of the June 25th Declaration of Principles on a Presidential Executive Order announced by the bipartisan faith group, Evangelicals for Human Rights.

The United Nations has designated 26thJune as the International Day in Support of Victims and Survivors of Torture to emphasize the importance of the right to personal dignity and security of all individuals around the world, guaranteed within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  The United States is a signatory to the UN Convention Against Torture which was signed into law in October 1998.  The convention prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading of prisoners and forbids them to be returned or extradited to countries known to torture. MYNRCAT is part of a broader coalition of religious groups (the National Religious Campaign Against Torture) committed to restoring the US commitment to treat our prisoners humanely and ending US policies that permit torture.

Confirmed participants include: Bishop Jeremiah Park, United Methodist Church, New York Conference; Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid, Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood; Bhante Kondanna, Buddhist Community of New York; Rabbis for Human Rights-North America; Rev. Superintendent Michael Caine, United Church of Christ, NY Conference; Mr. George Horton, Director of the Department of Community and Social Development, Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of NY;

For more information contact: Rev. Mark Hallinan, S.J., 917-853-7137 or \n This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

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