For some in Britain, Guantanamo Bay is a recognizable phrase with little significance, perhaps relating to an action film or used colloquially – “this was the Guantanamo of placements.” Admittedly, until recently the phrase meant rather little to me. The explanations I heard on occasion throughout my youth were so dystopian and unimaginable my subconscious had obviously rendered it fiction. And on the other side of ignorance, you have those for whom prioritizing Guantanamo Bay doesn’t quite make the cut, falling behind the trials and tribulations of our everyday life.
In short, Guantanamo Bay is a military prison in Cuba set up by the Bush administration in the wake of 9/11 and the genesis of the ‘war on terror.’ It is used as an “island outside the law” to hold suspected terrorists and enemies of the US. It has been there for nearly two decades, but America first seized the land in 1898. Many of the detainees are innocent, did not have a fair trial and are subject to gross human rights abuses like torture and inhumane conditions. Forced feedings, humiliation, imprisonment in cages and sensory deprivation are said to be commonplace. Since 2002, around 800 men, mostly Muslims, have been held there, with 39 prisoners remaining. The camp truly represents the darkest capabilities of the human species.
Why does Cuba tolerate it?
Besides disbelief, you might be thinking ‘why does Cuba put up with it?’ Legally, Cuba was forced to grant the US a permanent lease to the land in 1903 but has since demanded the US return the base on a number of occasions. In essence, however, there is nothing they can do about it. Cuban armed forces simply do not have the power to drive out one of the biggest militaries in the world. The base is a constant reminder of America’s dark heart, imperialism, and abuse of unfettered power.
How can you help?
Like many global issues, (climate change, coronavirus, world hunger and government corruption- to name just a few), it can be disheartening to think about how on earth to go about tackling them. The trick is to take it bit by bit. Just by telling those around you about Guantanamo, you are spreading awareness. And for those that have time, going to a protest represents one more person insisting the UK government put pressure on the US to close Guantanamo. For released prisoners, for the families of detainees, it represents one more person’s support. You can sign petitions such as ‘Close Guantanamo’ and join societies like Amnesty International and Guantanamo Justice Campaign. You can write to your MP, urge Joe Biden or Boris Johnson, or encourage your local independent cinema to screen ‘The Mauritanian’ – a film about Guantanamo. Doing just one of these things makes a difference. In the words of historian and anarchist Howard Zinn, “small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can quietly become a power no government can suppress, a power that can transform the world.”
Read about how British resident Omar Deghayes survived Guantanamo
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jan/21/i-fought-to-survive-guantanamo
Watch this Vigil against Guantanamo in Brighton 2021
Come to see the Mauritanian at Lewes Depot
https://lewesdepot.org/film/the-mauritanian
Come to a vigil run by Lewes Amnesty and Brighton Uni Amnesty Society (6th Nov 2021)
Email: sarabirch50@hotmail.com
Come to a protest outside Parliament (8th Jan 2022)
Email: sarabirch50@hotmail.com