do you really think its wise closing these prisions? these prisoners arent theyre cos theyre muslims there theyre cos the goverment had reasons to put them theye.. inshalla soon they will be found not guilty and released ever way theyre still theyre cos theyres no evidence to clear them..
Asalamu alaikum,
Of course it's wise to close them! Over 90% of the prisoners in Guantanamo are Muslim - so I think it's fair to assume that it does have something to do with Islam. I disagree with you that the government has reasons to put them there - not a single inmate currently in Guantanamo has ever been convicted of any criminal charge; so what reasons would the govt have for detaining them? Furthermore, hundreds have been released (after upto 4years in Guantanamo) without charge.
Yet, despite the lack of evidence to support allegations against the prisoners, the US govt widely labels them as terrorists and the
'worst of the worst' (as Shai'tan's dad George Bush put it). They are viewed in the media as threats to mankind without a single shred of evidence to prove any of these claims. Many of our brothers are also being kept in secret prisons, which clearly violate of International law.
I'm sure you're already aware of their treatment. They are kept in windowless steel cages for almost 24 hours, lights on all day, with little human contact; the only possession they have is a copy of the Qur'an. When they see their lawyers (which is rare) they are chained to the floor. Three have committed suicide and a number are currently on hunger strike and are being force-fed to stop them from dying. The vast majority of these inmates face the prospect of
indefinate detention without trial.
Sister/ Brother (apologies I don't know which you are), I wish things were simpler and our brothers could be found not guilty, as you suggested. But that can only happen when they're given a fair trial, which is unlikely given the inhumanity and brutality of the American administration.
If we want to make a difference to the lives of our brothers, I strongly feel we should get more involved with subjects like law, International law, political science, etc. We have millions of Muslims going into the medical and science fields, which is great, but is it really necessary to have 3 out of 5 Muslims going into science fields when there is a serious lack of Muslims in things that are shaping the situation of Muslims today?
The vast majority of lawyers working for Guantanamo inmates are non-Muslim. One non-Muslim lawyer even stated that it took him
two years to get
ten lawyers willing to help Guantanamo inmates. That's quite disturbing. As Muslims, it's our duty - not just Islamically - but also morally to help our brothers, after all, when a Muslim inmate in Guantanamo watches a copy of the Qur'an being thrown into the toilet by vicious prison guards, who can understand the stabbing pain in his heart more than a fellow Muslim? Who can offer him better consolation from hadith and Qur'an than his Brother in Islam?
I would urge people to go down the academic route to help the inmates, it will make more of a difference. Recently Bisher Al-Rawi (Iraqi national residing in the UK) was released after over 4 years in Guantanamo, his lawyer has worked on his case since 2004 and only met him 4 times in 3 years. Yet despite this, he secured Bisher's release. So it is possible to help our brothers. Anyone can make a difference, once you step out to help others with the best of intentions, Allah helps you acheive your goals. If we are well-informed, confident and fierce, no one can defeat us inshAllah.
Peace
