Students assembled in the lower level of the BCC on Thursday to watch a nationwide teach-in on the happenings in Guantanamo Bay.
The teach-in spanned the entire day and consisted of a simulcast of expert speakers from various universities and organizations around the U.S., most of whom have personal experience within the detention center.
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., speakers discussed the history of the prison and why inflicting torture on the prisoners is inconsistent with U.S. democratic ideals.
The writ of habeas corpus, for example, states that all detainees have the right to a hearing.
The teach-in also focused on what speakers said was the hypocrisy of the U.S. government and the ruthlessness of President Bush for allowing the situation to continue.
“It is shocking and distasteful even having to discuss this matter,” said Rev. George Hunsinger, a professor at the Princeton Theological Seminary.
Hunsinger described the torture experienced by detainees and questioned the morality of it.
“It is an unsurpassable assault on the dignity of the human person. It defames the creator and promotes evil, which is the essence of torture,” he said. “It is national dictatorship and spiritual death.”
Guantanamo Bay is a U.S. detention center that confines people who have been suspicious of terrorist activity.
At the detention center, they are interrogated in hopes of uncovering information that can be useful to U.S. intelligence agencies. However, torture is the means by which information is discovered.
Detainees are housed in small cells and remain in isolation for many hours each day with only the Koran to keep them company.
The speakers also criticized President Bush for his use of several euphemisms to justify the actions or “alternative means of interrogation” by the interrogators.
They also questioned the accuracy of information disclosed through torture.
The issue of religion was also addressed, as nearly all of these prisoners are Muslims. After 9/11, many Americans assumed that all terrorists are of Middle Eastern decent.
Many suspects hail from Islamic communities.
James Yee, a chaplain accused of espionage at Guantanamo, said, “people don’t have a thorough understanding of Islam and its culture,” adding that Muslim-American translators might be treated the same as prisoners because of their similar religious practices.
Joshua Colangelo-Bryan, esq., a lawyer who was sent to the detention center, also shared his experience.
“I was told the ones being held here were the worst; they were the best-trained to kill Americans and the most vicious,” said Colangelo-Bryan.
He related the story of one of his clients, Jumah Abdel, who has been tortured and has made several unsuccessful attempts to commit suicide as a result.
The issue of suicide is another one of concern at Guantanamo as it is prevalent among the prisoners.
A panel of Fairfield faculty speakers and a student debate about the center at Guantanamo Bay also contributed to the teach-in. Pro-Guantanamo Bay speakers addressed the fact that America does face terrorist threats and the people being detained do pose a threat to U.S. security.
They criticized the speakers for bad-mouthing the government, asserting that U.S. security is most important.
“I thought the teach-in was a good opportunity to get a well-rounded perspective of the situation at Guantanamo. I was enlightened,” said Jennifer White ’09.
“The detainees are being treated relatively well considering how our men and women are treated overseas. However, the U.S. media is slanted, and I feel the focus on Guantanamo Bay is a little much,” said Trish Konefal ’09.
“There are human rights protestors in America who are willing to picket when the detainees receive their breakfast an hour late,” Konefal said. I think there are greater issues dealing with the well-being of our men and women.”
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