The Scottish comedian, Frankie Boyle, who in December donated £50,000 he won in his libel claim against the British newspaper, Daily Mirror to Shaker Aamer’s legal fund, went on hunger strike as part of “The Stand Fast For Justice” campaign to highlight the plight of the detainee from London. Aamer is one of dozens of inmates in Guantanamo Bay refusing food in protest over their treatment in detention. Shaker Aamer has been on hunger strike in Guantanamo Bay for more than 150 days. According to the “Stand For Justice” website, people from around the world have promised around 1,200 days hunger striking on the prisoners’ behalf.
Shaker Aamer was arrested in Afghanistan in 2001 and has been held at the prison in Guantanamo Bay without any charge or trial. At the time of his arrest he had three children Johina (4), Michael (3) and Saif (1) and his wife was expecting his fourth child, Faris. They are now 15, 14, 12 and 11 respectively. Faris, who was born after his father has been arrested, has not seen his father yet and the same goes to Aamer, who has never seen his son. Poor Aamer, unfortunately, fell a “catch” for the bounty hunters, who were paid a sum of $15,000 for each catch. Otherwise he had no connection with either Taleban or Al-Qaeda and was never involved in any terrorist activities.
An emotion stricken US President Barack Obama on hearing the not guilty verdict of Zimmerman had said: “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago!” However, we do not see such outpouring of such feelings over the plight of hapless Guantanamo prisoners who have been languishing there for a decade with no fault of their own. Obama presides over a country that uses the words like ‘freedom” so liberally to wage wars all around the world and the same country that also detains people for fears even without a trial or a charge being laid, not for days, weeks or months but for 12 long years. — S.H. Moulana, Riyadh
The forgotten father of four
