Ask an ex-Guantanamo prisoner a question.

[Myrddraal]

Unfortunately the last thread on the subjet derailed, but I made the following offer:

I will be attending a talk by an ex Guantanamo prisoner in the comming weeks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moazzam_Begg

After his talk there should be opportunity for questions, anybody got any questions they'd like me to ask?

The offer is still open, even though the thread is closed...

[KukriKhan]

I saw your offer in the other thread, and appreciate it. I've been trying to think of a good question to ask, other than "So, I guess you hate the colour orange now?". :)

Seriously, I'll work on it.

[Fragony]

I want to know what he thinks about the movie 'road to guantanamo' if he has seen it.

[LittleGrizzly]

I noticed the offer as well but im trying to think up some good questions

What (if any) mistreatment did he suffer ? and was the mistreatment due to individuals or the system ? has he been offered an apology or reasons for his detainment ? and has he been offered any compensation ? and if not will he seek any ?

[Rodion Romanovich]

Questions:
- "has any doctor agreed to make a statement that you have obtained permanent injuries physically and/or mentally from the treatment? If not, why?"
- "did you receive any monetary compensation, as prisoners who are released after being wrongfully accused, by the US government when you were released?"

[Adrian II]

Question: Are you still selling books that glorify islamist suicide missions, call Jews 'pigs and monkeys', and discuss the best way to kill homosexuals?

Question: Do you feel that your personal beliefs are such that you have the moral right to criticise the U.S. government for any of its policies?

[Mete Han]

Unfortunately the last thread on the subjet derailed, but I made the following offer:

I will be attending a talk by an ex Guantanamo prisoner in the comming weeks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moazzam_Begg

After his talk there should be opportunity for questions, anybody got any questions they'd like me to ask?

The offer is still open, even though the thread is closed...

in what kind of context will this meeting take place?

[Boyar Son]

"You probably didnt do it, but Iknow, that you know who did! so who did it?"

[Tribesman]

I will be attending a talk by an ex Guantanamo prisoner in the comming weeks.

Rhuhel Ahmed was in town for a protest and talk , the muppets who were running it were hilarious , not ony did they choose to have the initial meeting/protest at a statue of some English fella who was an Irish terrorist who was killed by the Irish government , they chose as a venue for the second part of the meeting a pub that is frequented by very dodgy people from the 6 and local wannabe fenians.
Now whatever the merits of protesting about the crap that is Gitmo , you have to ask are the organisers of the protests pretty brainless .

edit : damn I wish I had gone to it now , Ahmed didn't turn up but there was a counter protest by Fianna Fail and Rupublican Sinn Fein , a nice arguement between the RSF scum and the GAAW with the Galway anti-war fella giving it the "were were you at Gibralter" line which is funny for an anti war fella , but then when you consider who he is it really explains the choice of pub for the second part of the meeting .
Bloody hell I knew it was gonna be funny , but if I had known it was gonna be priceless I would have gone .

[master of the puppets]

I've got a good one.

Question: You truly believe that the United State's "war on terror" is really a war on Islam with malicious intent. But how would you explain the Sunni and Shia war that has ensued in iraq, fewer Muslims are being killed by U.S. forces than are being killed by other Muslims.

[Marcellus]

I will be attending a talk by an ex Guantanamo prisoner in the comming weeks.

Is this the talk he's giving at the Oxford Union or a different one?

[KukriKhan]

Q: You have spent most of your life in the lands of the infidel, more than 3 years in the depths of their hellholes. When the struggle is over, and Islam has triumphed, will you counsel mercy for your former oppressors, or retribution?

[Vladimir]

What do you want on your tombstone?

[Myrddraal]

Is this the talk he's giving at the Oxford Union or a different one?

The other place. He does the speakers rounds. Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep em coming. Obviously I can't monopolise the question asking, but the more suggestions the better.

PS: I'd feel a bit apprehensive standing up and saying "You have spent most of your life in the lands of the infidel" although a question along those lines might be good:

"If the coalition forces were to withdraw from Iraq and Afganistan today, would you speak out for reconciliation between the West and Islam, or retribution for those seen as oppressors?"

EDIT: Although that's perhaps too much of a leading question. Perhaps:

"If the coalition forces were to withdraw from Iraq and Afganistan, would you continue to speak publicly, and if so, what about?"

OR

"Can you envisage a situation in which you did a tour of speaking, encouraging reconciliation between Islam and the west?"

[Caius]

What was your opinion of the US gov after and before you were in that jail of the hard name?

[FactionHeir]

How about:

Are the reports of torture at guatanamo true?

[Myrddraal]

Are the reports of torture at guatanamo true?

He's almost certain to say they are in his talk.

[Vladimir]

He's almost certain to say they are in his talk.

His personal definition of torture would be nice since lately its been highly subjective.

[KukriKhan]

PS: I'd feel a bit apprehensive standing up and saying "You have spent most of your life in the lands of the infidel" although a question along those lines might be good:...

Sure, I understand. The 'set-up' and question is designed to get him a bit wrong-footed, in the hope that he'll tell his true feelings/thoughts, not some canned answer he's contrived on the speaker circuit. The real, underlying question is: "Is it your intention to kill or convert non-Muslims, or hammer out a peaceful co-existance?".

However the question is posed, his answer would be revealing.

But you may not be in a position to be so forthright.

[Goofball]

My questions:

1) Was Elvis there?

2) Who killed Kennedy?

3) Do your parents know you're gay?

[I of the Storm]

I'd attach to a similar question already asked here:

"In case you've been mistreated in the sense of beating/humiliation/sleep deprivation and similar things, were these things - to the best of your knowledge - done on individual initiative by the personnel there or were they institutionalized?"

[Myrddraal]

That would have been a good question. The talk was last night. I only just got one question in (the last question he took actually) and I asked him about the film 21st Century Crusaders. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to ask more but I think he answered some of your questions in his talk. More later.

[Myrddraal]

What (if any) mistreatment did he suffer ? and was the mistreatment due to individuals or the system ? has he been offered an apology or reasons for his detainment ? and has he been offered any compensation ? and if not will he seek any ?

In his talk he said he had been beaten. His hands tied to something above his head, with a bag over his head.

He also said he'd been made to watch others being beaten.

He said that at one point he was shown photos of his wife while a woman screamed in a room nearby.

Question: Are you still selling books that glorify islamist suicide missions, call Jews 'pigs and monkeys', and discuss the best way to kill homosexuals?

He was selling a book called "Enemy Combatent" after the talk. I don't know if that's what you're referring to.

Question: You truly believe that the United State's "war on terror" is really a war on Islam with malicious intent. But how would you explain the Sunni and Shia war that has ensued in iraq, fewer Muslims are being killed by U.S. forces than are being killed by other Muslims.

He indirectly answered this when I asked him about the film, 21st Century Crusaders. In that film he was asked if he thought the war on terror was a war on Islam. Apparently when detained in Bagram the cells were named (by the soldiers there) after attacks or wars envolving the US. Some of them he could understand as relating to Al Qaeda. However, he said that some of the cells were named after countries in which there had been wars (I'm really sorry my memory fails me, I can't remember which) which had been Muslim, but not tied with Al Qaeda. He argues that since these places had cells named after them, but Bosnia, Chechnya did not implies that the soldiers there were after revenge for all the terrorism commited by Muslims, and not terrorists in general.

Q: You have spent most of your life in the lands of the infidel, more than 3 years in the depths of their hellholes. When the struggle is over, and Islam has triumphed, will you counsel mercy for your former oppressors, or retribution?

Actually most of his talk was about reconciliation. He talked about the Alienation occuring between the west and Islam, the lack of communication. He pointed out the dressing of detainees in orange as an example of dehumanisation. He also pointed out that the only reason the press would talk to him was that he spoke English. There was no effort on the part of western media to seek out Guantanamo detainees who only spoke Arabic.

Are the reports of torture at guatanamo true?

He says he wasn't tortured at Guantanamo. He was beaten when in Bagram, and that he was always threatened with being sent to Egypt, where the worst torture was promised.

[Vladimir]

He says he wasn't tortured at Guantanamo.

*gasp* LIES!!!

Seriously though, thanks for the insight.

[KrooK]

"What were you going to destroy before US Army catched and imprisoned you?
a) Watican
b) Eifel Tower
c) Golden Gate Bridge"

[Banquo's Ghost]

"What were you going to destroy before US Army catched and imprisoned you?
a) Watican

A pun worthy of Gregoshi!

[Myrddraal]

The US army didn't catch him. He was arrested by the Pakistanis, who handed him over to the US.

[Caius]

Cant we see the whole interview or something?

[Myrddraal]

Well this wasn't an interview which was posted online. This was a talk I attended in person. If you've got any questions I'll do my best, but I can't remember the whole talk word for word.