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November 17, 2005 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 27203 least $70 million to get re-elected and the pose of torture is to remove a person’s pride, there as well as several soldiers who were re- money suffocated the election. That is not humiliate that person, or make his or her life sponsible for the deaths of Afghani prisoners democracy. Every one of those dollars should so painful that the person does or says what- under their protection in that other theater form the seeds of a revolt. of war. He is the mayor in a time of National Alz- ever the interrogator wants. Torture ‘works’ by What is most disturbing, though, is that heimer’s, and New York, too, is stricken. We attempting to deprive a human being of will, the documents that have been made public have Bloomberg silent on a war. And once in spirit and personal dignity. The humanity of as these cases move forward demonstrate this State we had as senators at the same the perpetrators, as well as the victims, is in- that the use of torture and other cruel, inhu- time, Robert F. Kennedy and Jacob Javits. evitably compromised by the use of torture.’’ man and degrading treatment had been ap- Look at the citizenry here accepting as ‘‘We are particularly appalled by the inflic- proved at the highest levels of the Adminis- United States senators, Clinton and Schu- tion of sexual humiliation on prisoners under tration, that commanders in the field have mer, who both supported the war. The coin United States custody. Jewish tradition up- permitted much of this behavior, that direc- has cheapened and no outcry is heard. holds a high standard of personal modesty. In- tives from the Department of Defense appear How can Mike Bloomberg be the mayor of to advocate the use of torture and other this city and not try to put his voice and deed the Bible’s term for prohibited sexual be- abuses, and that even today the position of weight into saving lives? havior is to ‘uncover the nakedness’ of an- the Administration is that the members of Bloomberg follows the smirking, deadly other. However, even non-sexual acts that AI-Qaeda and other terrorist groups are not lies of a president who had people getting overpower people and attempt to break their covered by the Geneva Conventions. Recent killed for what? For oil, for Dear Old Dad, will and diminish their dignity are acts of hu- reports from the Red Cross and from FBI for a racist disdain for a guy in an alley with miliation that Jewish tradition abhors.’’ agents, for example, raise new concerns a rag on his head. Bush saw the rag but never The Rabbinic Letter specifically calls on the about American treatment of detainees at noticed the gun the guy carried. U.S. Government to state in unequivocal Guantanamo. Last night, Julio Cesar Tejada, the dead We are not addressing the technical legal Marine’s father, stood in the swarms of peo- terms that the use of any tactics of physical arguments that characterize this discussion. ple going past his building at 602 W. 180th St. abuse, the deprivation of food, water, sleep, Rather, we want to express our moral con- He is 53 and stocky, with short black hair disorientation, religious degradation or pur- cerns about the human situation—concerns and a pleasant face. On the sidewalk next to posive humiliations of a prisoner is prohibited. that stem from the heart of America’s val- him was the small, permanent grotto to his This must be the basis understanding for the ues, the essence of democracy, and the soul son. A photo. Flowers. Candles. Prayers in treatment of any captive, whether or not he or of Jewish tradition. Spanish and English. she originates from a country or belongs to a We understand that the most fundamental ‘‘How has it been?’’ he said. He patted his group that is a signatory to the Geneva con- ethical principle, which results from our be- chest. ‘‘My heart fell apart. I cannot work. I lief in God as Creator of the world and Par- spend all the days going to the doctor.’’ ventions.’’ ent of all humanity, is that every human ‘‘The wife?’’ Despite the statements of President Bush being is seen as reflecting the Image of God. He shook his head. ‘‘It is very bad for her.’’ that ‘‘We don’t torture,’’ the American People Torture shatters and defiles God’s Image. He said he had to get the Con Edison bill know that we do. Not only have we seen the The purpose of torture is to remove a per- paid. ‘‘They turn off the lights if you don’t.’’ pictures of the handcuffed, naked prisoners at son’s pride, humiliate that person, or make At the corner, a young woman, a college Abu Ghraib and male prisoners being sexually his or her life so painful that the person does student, asked him about Bloomberg humiliated; not only have we been stained by or says whatever the interrogator wants. clinging to the war. Now I mentioned the the image of the Hooded Man attached to Torture ‘‘works’’ by attempting to deprive a speech at his son’s funeral. human being of will, spirit, and personal dig- Julio shook his head. ‘‘I was too mixed up wires at Guantanamo; not only has the Inter- nity. The humanity of the perpetrators, as at the funeral.’’ national Committee of the Red Cross reported well as the victims, is inevitably com- He said then he was going to vote. that we subject detainees to torture; now we promised by the use of torture. ‘‘For whom?’’ learn we have a system of secret prisons run Jewish tradition calls for humane treat- He shook his head. ‘‘I don’t know ’til I get by the F.B.I. in which we keep detainees that ment even of one’s adversaries. In the Book there.’’ have been disappeared. We don’t know who of Exodus (23:4), the Bible teaches, ‘‘When f they are or what has been done to them. you encounter an enemy’s ox or donkey, you An article by M. Gregg Bloche, a law pro- must take it back to him.’’ Here the reli- TORTURE SHATTERS AND fessor at Georgetown University who is also a gious test is, strikingly, not how one would DEFILES GOD’S IMAGE treat a friend, but how one relates to one’s visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and enemy. Jonathan H. Marks, a barrister in London, as Classical Rabbinic texts are rigorous in HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL well as a bioethics fellow at Georgetown and prohibiting acts of humiliation. In Jewish OF NEW YORK Johns Hopkins, revealed that mostly tort law, an additional penalty is assessed IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES unredacted F.B.I. email shows that interroga- against one who has physically injured an- other person when it is found that the victim Wednesday, November 16, 2005 tion techniques used on detainees at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo were from the SAVE also suffered, humiliation (boshet), while Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to program invented by the Red Army and used being wounded. Even verbal humiliation is said to be the equivalent of shedding blood. ask that we enter into the CONGRESSIONAL on Americans captured in Korea and in Viet- We are particularly appalled by the inflic- RECORD a letter written under the auspices of nam. These interrogation techniques are used tion of sexual humiliation on prisoners under Rabbis for Human Rights North America in only to break the will and spirit of a prisoner United States custody. Jewish tradition up- February 2005 (corresponding to the Hebrew so as to get false confessions from them. In holds a high standard of personal modesty. Year Adar 5765) to President Bush and Mem- these techniques, truth is beside the point. Indeed the Bible’s term for prohibited sexual bers of Congress entitled: Rabbinic Letter I support the McCain amendment. That behavior is to ‘‘uncover the nakedness’’ of Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, amendment embodies everything the Rabbinic another. However, even non-sexual acts that and Degrading Treatment of Detainees. I wish Letter calls for and everything that people of overpower people and attempt to break their will and diminish their dignity are acts of to enter into the RECORD as well the names of faith everywhere call for. It calls for America to humiliation that Jewish tradition abhors. It all the signatories to the letter. renew its character and banish the stain is significant that nowhere in the 3000-year This letter was written of behalf of Rabbis caused by the Bush embrace of torture. long corpus of Jewish law is there any allow- for Human Rights of North America and was FEBRUARY 2005. ance for acts of physical coercion in interro- written ‘‘out of a deep sense of concern about DEAR PRESIDENT BUSH AND MEMBERS OF gations. the erosion of American’s longstanding com- CONGRESS: On behalf of Rabbis for Human Consider the ruling of the Supreme Court mitment that torture is absolutely reprehen- Rights North America, we write out of a of Israel, which outlawed the use of torture sible.’’ deep sense of concern about the erosion of in interrogations, despite the fact that ter- ‘‘We understand that the most fundamental America’s longstanding commitment that rorist organizations have Israel’s annihila- torture is absolutely reprehensible. tion as their express goal, carry out attacks ethical principle, which results from our belief All of us have been shocked by the pub- that murder scores of men, women, and chil- in God as Creator of the World and Parent of lished pictures of the behavior of some dren, and do not distinguish between civilian all humanity, is that every human being is American soldiers at Abu Ghraib.

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