The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, on Wednesday submitted written testimony for a Senate hearing on the implications of closing the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
CAIR‘s testimony reiterates the organization’s longstanding opposition to indefinite detention of Guantanamo detainees without charge or trial and outlines why lack of due process is a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution and damages American moral authority and international relations.
Some of CAIR‘s recommendations include:
- the immediate release or civilian trial of all remaining detainees at Guantanamo;
- the immediate release and resettlement of the 86 prisoners already cleared for release; and,
- the immediate stop to the force-feeding of Guantanamo prisoners on hunger-strike, in conjunction with an independent medical professional review and monitor of all hunger-striking prisoners.
“The indefinite detention of prisoners at Guantanamo bay without trial or charge violates the Constitution and disregards long-standing American traditions of respect for due process and the rule of law,” said CAIR Government Affairs Manager Robert McCaw. “In the president’s own words, Guantanamo has become a ‘symbol around the world for an America that flouts the rule of law.’”
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.