http://www.guardian.co.uk/guantanamo/story/0,13743,1646014,00.html
Note the disturbing parallel between the Nazi camp guards humilation of Jews
by the desecration of the trappings of their religion (e.g. forcing them to
wear underclothing made from cut up prayer shawls etc) and the Guantamo
regime:
"When they handed out Korans to us in Bagram I remember seeing the Americans
passing them through the airlocks and throwing them onto the ground. People
might think that well, its just a book, but if you believe like you do as a
Muslim that this is the unadulterated revealed speech of God and it is the
most sacred thing that a Muslim would have in his house. To see them do that
for me brought about a sense of complete desperation,"
Of course, such dehumanisation and contempt for your captives is necessary
if you'r egoing to have to shovel them into a gas oven one day..
"And it was of course part of the dehumanising process again. And one of the
guards there of that unit told me when I used to have discussions with them,
that when we see you people we can't look at you as human beings. Our psyche
does not allow us to do that - because if we did we wouldn't treat you this
way. It's easy for us to dehumanise you. First of all most of you guys don't
speak the same language. Secondly, you look different. Thirdly, you're
dressed different. Fourthly, you're in cages and we're out here with the
guns.
The people who claim to be the upholders and defenders of freedom are
debating now whether it is legitimate to use torture. After all of what the
world has been through arguing against the fact. And if it does in one way
or another become legitimised, either mental torture or physical or
psychological, which has been clearly used by several countries, then I
think the world will spiral into something that nobody will be able to
control."
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