Haunted by Guantanamo

Jumah al Dossari was held in Guantanamo for 5 1/2 years after being swept up in the post-911 dragnet instituted in Afghanistan. He was never charged, an innocent man sent to no-man's land for seven years by a fellow detainee attempting to better his own situation by telling tales about others. It is a compelling story.

TeacherKen has a thoughtful post about al Dossari's story and highlights this point in a challenge to all of us to consider our response:

To me, now reading his words, he is a large-spirited man called Jumah al Dossari, whose final words to us are these:

When I was watching "United 93," I thought of the soldier who had offered me compassion in Guantanamo. Her words reminded me that we all share common values, and only by holding on to them can we ensure that there is mercy and brotherhood in the world. After more than five years in Guantanamo, I can think of nothing more important.

And unless we accept the importance of those words, we cannot hope, as usually do at the end of my diaries, for meaningful peace.

I am disgusted, ashamed, and worse.  And yet the generous spirit of this man that our nation abused, who is but one of many who so suffered, challenges me beyond that disgust and shame.

And so even as I demand full disclosure, however unlikely that might be, I am required to something else:  a similar level of generousness of spirit.  That includes in my attitudes towards those in power who were too cowardly to confront the evil for which they were responsible.  

If we are responsible to do all we can to eliminate evil wherever we encounter it, must not we begin with ourselves, our own nation, so that we not be so arrogant as to do more evil in our own claims to righteous anger?