The following request for action is from our colleagues at the National Religious Campaign Against Torture

At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24, Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights of the Judiciary Committee, will hold a hearing about the possibility of closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The hearing will examine the national security, fiscal and human rights implications of continuing to detain prisoners at Guantanamo indefinitely, and will explore how Guantanamo undermines U.S. moral authority. 

The situation at Guantanamo is dire. To express the religious community’s serious concerns about the situation, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture is asking its supporters to engage in the “Fast to Close Guantanamo” from 12 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 23, through 12 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 24, or within some other timeframe that aligns with your religious observances and traditions.

Most detainees in Guantanamo have never been tried, convicted or even charged with a crime. For years, more than half of them have been imprisoned despite being cleared for release or transfer. Many of these detainees, in a nonviolent protest of their seemingly permanent detention, have been on a hunger strike for almost five months. The U.S. government has responded by force feeding more that 40 of the hunger strikers.

It is important for your elected officials to hear from you - email President Obama and your members of Congress to ask that the detainees be transferred, released or tried as quickly as possible.

We are asking you to join the efforts to close Guantanamo by doing several things:

  • Participate in the “Fast to Close Guantanamo” – fasting from 12 p.m. EDT/ 9 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, July 23 through 12 p.m. EDT/ 9 a.m. PDT on Wednesday, July 24. Let us know that you will join the fast through this sign-up form.
  • Take a photo of yourself holding a sign declaring why you support closing Guantanamo, such as “I am fasting to close Guantanamo.” After you take a photo, please share it on this Facebook event page, Twitter, and/or send it to us by email. On both Twitter and Facebook, please help us spread the word by incorporating the hashtag #Fast2CloseGitmo (recently, Facebook added the ability to use hashtags too).
  • Send an email to the President and your members of Congress asking them to close Guantanamo.

This is a critical time. Please join us in this effort of the religious community to close Guantanamo.

Thank you for your commitment to end U.S.-sponsored torture forever.

Linda Gustitus, President
Rev. Richard L. Killmer, Executive Director