Before I knock out, I just wanted to share something... I attended a talk in the evening by an amazing individual, Dennis Edney QC the lawyer of Omar Khadr (representing for 10 years), an innocent prisoner who was arrested aged 15 in Afghanistan, tortured at Bagram, and held in Guantánamo. He briefly explained some of the torture techniques inflicted on Omar such as forcing him in a crucifixion pose, chained up as his wounds leaked blood and having his head smashed against the wall until he collapsed. He would be interrogated for 9 hours straight with the only evidence being a statement he made 3 years after the incident...whilst under torture and recovering from being shot at twice in the back. Upon meeting him Omar would not say a word, he was mute for an entire week until Dennis Edney took out a photograph of his own son to show him, which he felt as he had never touched paper in over a year. It was only then that Omar began talking to Dennis showing him how some of his wounds came about. Dennis Edney mentioned in the talk how Omar reminded him of A small beautiful bird that had been broken and how the faith of the other inmates made them withstand all the torture they were going and still going through... instantly reminding me of the souls which are inside green birds that have lamps, which are hanging below the Throne (of Allah), and they wander about in Paradise wherever they wish... After the talk ended, I managed to ask him a couple questions and he explained his fustration at how passive civil society especially the muslim community has become... where are the protests ? We need to hold our governments accountable, boycott the politicians until they are advocating what we want and that is an end to the mass injustice and corruption. To use the law as a partner to liberty and not its enemy and to remove this rhetoric and politics of fear which they keep playing on. Wallahi I was just so shocked to see how he spoke about our duty as human beings to speak out against injustice and do whatever we can whether it be through advocacy, awareness, campaigning etc whatever we can to help our fellow human beings from such monsterous injustice inflicted upon them... again subhanallah his words echoed to me the ayah... O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well- acquainted with all that ye do His last words to me were, fear is what makes us vulnerable... we have nothing to fear but fear itself...
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 04:03:04 +0000