Guantanamo Guards Embraced Islam: Algerian MP

[DuctapeFatwa]

A prominent Algerian lawmaker said a number of Americans guarding the 660 alleged Al-Qaeda and Taliban detainees being held by the United States in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have embraced Islam.

Hassan Aribi, who also chairs his country’s committee on the Guantanamo issue, mediated with Pentagon officials the release of 18 detainees from the heavily-guarded detention camp. He said the negotiations, made in Washington before the beginning of the Iraq war, resulted in the release of eight Algerians and ten other detainees, from several nationalities.

"They told me that the American guards were very sympathetic with them to the extent of buying the detainees’ needs of their pocket money," the Algerian lawmaker told a seminar in Cairo.

He asserted that the freed detainees confirmed to him that some of their American guards have converted to Islam as a result of daily interaction with Muslim prisoners for the past two years.

http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2003-09/25/article09.shtml

[mddemo]

1. american troops

just goes to show what ive always known the average GI is basically a good person. Personally i would have probs befriending the prsoners there, but thats just me. (dig at myself there)

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. "probs befriending the prsoners there"??....

Just curious, but how many of those prisoners do you really think are Al Qaeda and/or militant Taliban?

If you guess anywhere between 10% to 15%, you'll probably be correct. Any guesses why we imprisoned the rest of those people with no recourse to any legal assistance?

[mddemo]

3. prisoners

its real simple, anytime ive had pows, ive fed them, treated their wounds, but i always remember they are the enemy. as i said its the way i work, you may not agree with it, but i find it helps keep you alive.

[salin]

4. hard to judge

having never lived the experience. But as long as one at least treated these POWs as humans, with some dignity, who can fault that? Until our decision to create a new classification outside of the Geneva Conventions, our treatment of POWs has not been questioned internationally - as reports suggest (can't speak directly from experience as you can) that we have treated prisoners humanely.

Suspicions and worries have been raised both domestically, and internationally, that the creation of a category that was not POW was just rummies way of avoiding the Geneva convention.

Whether or not the story is true in terms of conversions, the reports of the treatment suggests that the traditions of treating prisoners as humans rather than subhuman captives (which has sadly happened to many POWs over the years - at the hands of various countries).

[Djinn]

5. But they're NOT POW's remember

They're "battlefield detainees" Rummy Bush and Co were very clear about that.

[mddemo]

6. battlefield detainees

ive also had battlefield detainees in africa, usually mercs. As far as i can see technically i would categorize the gitmo guys as outside of the conventions. They are lucky in a way as most militarys in the world would be within their rights to execute them on the spot. not that im advocating that, but thems the rules.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Thanks for this article

I can't imagine a life made unworthier by actually treating people with respect, even if it means listening to what they say, and thinking about it.

The fact some guards have been impressed by the personal conduct, spirit of the detainees to the point they want to know more about their religion is absolutely fascinating.