The air of the interview and the room changes, becoming icy, as do the facial expressions and responses of Ruhal Ahmed, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee (who was released after several years of detainment with no charges), upon hearing Brandon Neely, a former Guantanamo Bay guard, confess to one of his crimes against a detainee. (Neely is sitting towards Ahmed’s left in the interview).
Neely confesses that he unjustly physically abused and injured an “older, older detainee” for jerking when he was forced down on his knees so that his handcuffs and goggles could be removed. Neely later found out that the detainee jerked because he thought he was about to be executed, as he had had family members executed in the same manner in his country.
Neely’s confession seems to have triggered emotions and memories of past experiences at the hands of guards during his detainment in Guantanamo Bay within Ahmed, who becomes withdrawn for the rest of the interview, providing short, undetailed answers despite the interviewer’s probing.
Torture and interrogation methods used on the detainees (whose ages have ranged from nine years old to ninety eight years old) in interrogation periods of over twenty consecutive hours include (but are NOT limited to) (categories do overlap):
Humiliation, mainly religious, cultural, and sexual –
being raped, made to watch other prisoners being humiliated and raped, urinated on by soldiers/guards, having menstrual blood wiped on detainees’ faces, bodies, and beards, used as a “human mop” to wipe up faeces, urine and other bodily excretions, forced nudity (during which the guards take photos to keep as trophies), being forced to watch guards and interrogators engage in sexual acts, forcibly straddled and felt up by scantily dressed female guards, forced to wear feminine clothes, forced to participate in indecent acts with other detainees and both male and female guards, having facial hair shaved, having to witness guards throw Qur’ans down to the ground and in toilets, being mocked by guards while praying, guards and interrogators employing prayer (which is a compulsory component of Islam and must be performed five times a day at specific times) as a privilege, being prevented from praying, not being allowed clean clothes, being force fed during Ramadhaan (the month in which Muslims are required to fast for a portion of the day), guards withholding blankets as they are employed as a privilege
Psychological abuse –
being taunted with the prospect of home, familial reunion, and good food, sleep deprivation, hours of interrogations, use of phobias as torture, sensory bombardment, sensory deprivation, isolation, music torture, mock executions, having to hear guards and interrogators’ threats directed at family members, especially towards female family members
Physical abuse -
being made to walk on barbed wire and shards of glass, having hot liquids poured over the head and body, being subject to electric shocks, burns (inflicted by cigarettes), long and short shackling for hours on end, stress positions, beatings, violent dogs, waterboarding, abdomen strikes
Environmental and blatant health manipulation -
extreme cold, cold cell (hypothermia), being force fed, forced injections
(Side note – respect to Neely for owning up to his crimes and apologising. Ahmed and Neely have become good friends since this interview).
(via three-thir-teen)
“privileged kids go to counseling, poor kids go to jail.” — judge mathis, speaking the truth (via warriorsrise)
(Source: thatprettyoddfeminist, via amongtheblessed)
A man in Wellington, New Zealand protests against Israeli actions in the Occupied Territories.
(via palestiiinee)
Hazrat Muhammad s.aw said:
“Ali is with Haq (truth) and Haq is with Ali - O Allah turn Haqq in the same direction in which Ali turns.”
”Ali is with Quran and Quran is with Ali”.
- Amir al-Muminin (Ameerul Momineen) - The Commander of the Faithful
- Imamul Muttaqeen - The Guide of the Pious and God fearing people
- Mazharul Ajaib - The Manifest of wonders
- Madeenatul Ilm - The Gateway of the City of Knowledge
- Saiyyidul Ausiya - The Chief of deputies of the Holy Prophet
- Imamul Auliya - The Guide of the Saints
- Asadullahul Ghaleb - The Ever Triumphant Lion of Allah
- Lisaanullah - The Tongue of Allah,Yadullah - The Hand of Allah
- Wajhullah - The Face of Allah,
- Valiullah - The Friend of Allah,Abu Turab - The Father of the Soil/Earth
- Faateh-e-Khaiber - The Conqueror of Khaiber,
- Abul Aimmah - The Father of the Holy Imams
- Haidar-e-Karrar - The Charging Lion
- YA ALI YA ALI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YA ALI MADAD!
(via ahlulbayt-fi-qalbi)
Family members mourn the death of three male relatives, in Baghdad, Iraq Thursday, April 10, 2003. The three – a father, his teenage son, and another male relative – were shot and killed by U.S. Marines Wednesday night, April 9, after the car they were driving allegedly did not stop while passing a building occupied by U.S. Marines. The victims’ relatives were waiting for their return, and did not know about the incident until relatives towed the car, containing the three bodies, to the family’s home on Thursday. (AP Photo/Carolyn Cole, Los Angeles Times)
(via adoseofrevolution)
Judge sends honor student to jail for missing school
A Houston-area teenager has been jailed and fined for missing school by a judge who hopes to make an example of her. 17-year-old Diane Tran is working two jobs while taking advanced placement and dual credit courses at Willis High School in Willis, Texas. Some mornings, she is simply too exhausted to make it to school on time. Some days she misses classes altogether.
She was warned by Judge Lanny Moriarty in April not to miss any more school. When she missed school again last week, he sentenced her to 24 hours behind bars and a $100 fine.
“If you let one of ‘em run loose, what are you gon’ do with the rest of ‘em, let them go too?” the judge offered as justification.
reporter from Houston’s KHOU relayed to the judge that Tran is working to support an older brother who attends Texas A&M University and a younger sister. Her parents divorced “out of the blue” last year and both moved away, her mother to Georgia, leaving the high schooler on her own in Willis. She is working part time at a wedding venue and full time at a dry cleaning business just to stay afloat.
When confronted with the facts in the case, Judge Moriarty admitted to KHOU that he could perhaps have been more lenient, but that the hadn’t given any thought to reversing the sentence.
Wow, that’s messed up.
NATO Air Strike Kills 8 Afghan Civilians Including 6 Children
A NATO air strike killed a family of eight, including six children, when it hit their home in eastern Afghanistan, local officials said on Sunday.
Saturday night’s incident in Paktia province threatens to further sour already shaky ties between President Hamid Karzai and his Western backers and will likely enrage Afghan civilians weary of years of bloodshed.
“Eight people, a man, his wife and six of their children, are dead,” local government spokesman Rohullah Samoon told AFP.
“It was an air strike conducted by NATO. This man had no connection to the Taliban or any other terrorist group.”
A senior security official in Kabul confirmed the strike and deaths.
Am I surprised? No.
(via younisd)
"Show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant." - Quran Al Kareem (7:199)
“Feed the hungry and visit a sick person, and free the captive, if he be unjustly confined. Assist any person oppressed, whether Muslim or non-Muslim.” - Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
"The best reply to a fool is silence." - Imam Ali (AS)
Anti-Zionism is not Anti-Semitism.
Fatima - Iraqi
