Theology, International Law, and Torture

In the post-9/11 environment, the American Muslim community has finallyrealized that it can no longer keep the rest of American society at arm’s lengthwhile seeking to establish its own infrastructure and ensuring its continuity asa distinct community. One example of this community’s increased participationin American civil society is its new-found interest in interfaith dialogue.With such reasoning in mind, the Muslim community has partnered with variousfaith communities to create the National Religious Campaign againstTorture (NRCAT), which was launched during the “Theology, InternationalLaw, and Torture: A Conference on Human Rights and Religious Commitment”conference sponsored by Princeton Theological Seminary, 13-15 January2006, in Princeton, New Jersey.Religious leaders from across the nation, as well as Mohamed Elsanousi(director, Communication and Community Outreach, Islamic Society ofNorth America [ISNA]) Mohammed Shafiq (executive director, Center forInterfaith Studies and Dialogue, Nazareth College, and imam, IslamicCenter of Rochester); and Azhar Azeez (member, ISNA Executive Council and director, Islamic Association of Carrollton) as representatives of ISNA,worked together at this conference to build a powerful, spiritually basedcoalition. Over 160 eminent religious and academic figures, authors, journalists,retired government and military officers, human rights activists, andlawyers spoke ...