Even though there was torrential rain on Friday afternoon, more than one hundred persons gathered in Foley Square to stand together in opposition to torture and to call for the closing of the national shame that is Guantanamo. As our moderator, Rev. Donna Schaper, said to me afterwards, “It is great that we got even more persons than last year, but sad that we still have to have this vigil.”

MNYRCAT’s planning group for this event was not huge, but everyone took a role and together we pulled off a very beautiful vigil. It was what we hoped it would be – a prayerful experience in which we expressed how all our faiths are one in denouncing torture as an affront to human dignity and a blot on this nation’s reputation. I’ve attached photographs taken of the event. Thank you Jim Bridges and Adem Carroll for these photographs.

*Writing Detainees – *If you, or your congregation, would like to write to a detainee, please contact Neena Das – nmdasnyc@yahoo.com

*Grant Opportunity –* The National Religious Campaign Against Torture is soliciting grant proposals from state and regional religious organizations for the purpose of educating and organizing constituents in their area on the issue of torture with the goal of expanding capacity for action. Priority is given to broad-based, interfaith efforts. MNYRCAT will most likely make a grant application, but you may be part of a group that would also like to submit a grant proposal. For more information, please go to: http://www.nrcat.org/storage/nrcat/documents/nrcat_rfp_for_regional_grants.doc

Thank you to all who worked in advance on this event, who helped facilitate the event itself on the 11^th , and who were present to bear witness.

Call Senator Clinton’s Office (212-688-6262) and Senator Schumer’s Office (212-486-4430) and send the message that when the Senate reconvenes later this month, we want them to take the lead in seeing that all United States government agencies, including the C.I.A., conform to the policies of the Army Field Manual in the interrogation of prisoners. The House included this mandate in their version of the Iraq funding bill last year, but the Senate blocked it. Now the Senate should take the lead in demanding that all government agencies conform to the Army Field Manual.

Here is what Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Michael McConnell, told author Lawrence Wright in an article in this week’s New Yorker regarding waterboarding:

/“If I had water draining into my nose, oh God, I just can’t imagine how painful! Whether it’s torture by anybody else’s definition, for me it would be torture.”/

He also said the legal test for torture should be “pretty simple”: “/Is it excruciatingly painful to the point of forcing someone to say something because of the pain?”/

Isn’t it time that our government stop the dissembling and admit to what we all know is true? The United States engaged in torture in the form of waterboarding and the United States needs to renounce torture in law and in fact.

Mark Hallinan, S.J. For the Steering Committee Asst. for Social Ministries Society of Jesus, N.Y. Province