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Dec. 10 is Human Rights Day

(Dec 2, 2011) Hana is a 35-year-old mother from Ethiopia who is studying to become a nurse. She is also a survivor of torture who has not seen her two children since fleeing her country three years ago. After a long and treacherous journey, she has found refuge in the U.S. and is an active member of TASSC, a survivor support group.

Today Hana has hope, but she longs for the day when she will be reunited with her family. Honor the courage and hope of people like Hana by celebrating Human Rights Day in your congregation.

On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The nations of the world and several faith groups now celebrate December 10 as Human Rights Day.

ISNA is firmly committed to upholding human rights, and is a founding member of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), an organization committed to ending U.S. sponsored and U.S. enabled torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

Human rights is an Islamic value enshrined in the Quran, such that all people, regardless of religion, gender, race, or creed are given human rights by God which we are required to protect.  "We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation"(Q,17:70).

In honor of Human Rights Day, ISNA urges community members to take action to protect human rights everywhere (see below for resources). We urge mosques and Islamic centers to integrate the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into their khutbas and lectures this week and next week.

"Although we should incorporate these values into our lives every day, it is also important to join with our interfaith community members in solidarity on this day to remind the world that a religious person of any faith will not stand for torture," stated ISNA Director of Community Outreach Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi.

JOIN HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: Find more information about Human Rights Day and access useful resources for your community, including sample khutbas.

PUT AN END TO SOLITARY CONFINEMENT: Help ISNA and NRCAT add 2,011 more names to NRCAT's statement against solitary confinement by the end of 2011. Experts estimate that at least 36,000 people in the U.S. criminal justice system are currently held in solitary confinement, a condition in which they are confined alone in an 8' x10' windowless cell for 22-23 hours per day and often leads to long-term mental effects and desecrates their dignity.

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