This past week has brought many unhappy moments in how the American government plans to treat immigrants, including refugees from war-torn corners of the world. One of the unhappier moments was the debate about the efficacy and morality of American-sponsored torture.
While there are many politicians and government officials who reacted with vocal disgust at the thought of torture as an accepted practice, that the debate even still exists is both frightening and inapposite to all that CAIR Coalition works towards.
Many of the clients CAIR Coalition serves are survivors of torture. They fled to this country seeking a safe haven. As they fight their deportation, seeking any way to avoid returning to more torture, our staff sits with them and hears their stories. Stories of police beatings and forced starvation and death threats and body mutilation. These stories serve as the underpinning of asylum claims. The stories are also burned into our memories.
Our work with immigrants with all types of past trauma, whether state-sponsored torture or sexual abuse at the hands of a parent, leaves us saddened and weeping. We fight for these clients and we fight for ourselves. Before any American says that torture is a good, we invite them to come speak to us about our clients. They will walk away knowing that being a beacon of safety for immigrants fleeing torture is the true American ideal.
CAIR Coalition is opposed to any torture, foreign or domestic. To make your voice heard or learn more, visit Amnesty International at http://www.amnestyusa.org/.
