Discrimination of Muslims

Hamdi et al. v. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, et al. could prove the undoing of the Bush administration’s legal defense of the abuses at Guantanamo Bay. In this case, four British citizens are suing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as well as a host of Army and Air Force Generals and policy apparatchiks for allegedly authorizing the use of torture in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. The four were captured in Afghanistan, either by Americans or America’s ally, the Northern Alliance, and transported to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba where they were held for over two years. Their status there was not as enemy combatant, which guaranteed them certain protections under the Geneva Convention, but rather as

"I asked several people, several times, where I could find a copy of the standard operating procedures, or even rules and regulations,’ says Frederick. ‘And nobody would ever provide me with any or let me know where they were. The only thing they would do is just give me a pat on the back and say everything will be all right" (60 Minutes, Abuse at Abu Ghraib) This is Sergeant Chip Frederick, one of the soldiers that has been convicted of conspiracy, dereliction of duty, maltreatment of detainees, assault, and indecent acts. He served 8 years in military prison, in Washington D.C. Even though Sgt. Frederick plead guilty, he claimed that no one involved in the scandal was properly trained, and did not know the standard Geneva Conventions. “We had no support, no training whatsoever. And I kept asking my

Guantanamo Bay in Cuba houses some of the most dangerous people. The people being held have ranged in committing various crimes. What makes Guantanamo Bay well known is how the time period a detainee has spent in prison without a trial. While in prison for an extensive period of time, a detainee is bound to receive discipline for not following the guards. There are often a variety of different methods that the guards use to teach discipline to the detainees. All who follow Guantanamo Bay as institution often criticizes the measures taken. What makes Guantanamo Bay an ironic place to start this journey is because Guantanamo Bay is at the center of attention to a very important, controversial law passed in 2006. The controversial law was

Yaser Esam Hamdi is an American citizen born in Louisiana in 1980. In 2001, Hamdi was captured by the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan and turned over to the United States as an enemy combatant. The United States government detained and interrogated Hamdi in Afghanistan until they moved him to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The U.S. government found out that Hamdi was an American citizen and transferred him to a brig in Norfolk, Virginia and then later to a brig in Charleston, South Carolina. The government labeled Hamdi as an enemy combatant and said that justified the holding of Hamdi indefinitely without any formal charges. The injury suffered by Hamdi is that he has been interrogated and being held in prison indefinitely with no formal charge. Along with that, Hamdi had not been granted any of his rights as an American citizen. In June 2002, Esam Fouad Hamdi, Yaser Hamdi’s father filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in a federal district court. The district court appointed a public defender to Hamdi and ordered for him to have access to Hamdi, so the government appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals. The U.S. Court of Appeals sided with the government stating that the district court had failed to respect the government’s security. The case then went back to the district court, where the decision was that the evidence set forth by the government was not enough to detain Hamdi. The district court then reversed its ruling because

You wake up in a dimly-lit room laying down, your back flat on a cold table, facing unfamiliar men standing over you. You attempt to move, but your arms and legs are strapped down leaving you completely defenseless. Panicking, you begin to scream, but your screams are cut short as a wet cloth is laid over your face. You feel water being poured over the cloth and you begin choking; you can’t breathe; you are drowning. You are being waterboarded. What you just experienced was one of many common interrogation techniques used to pry information from suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay naval base. These techniques,

This paper will explore three separate cases, providing facts about the apprehension and detention of enemy combatants, assessing the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, and will explain whether any rights were denied or granted in contrast with each other. Anyone engaging in aggressive or hostile behavior towards a country is held to several political and constitutional legalities as explored in the three following cases.

ISSUE(S): Does Yaser Hamdi have standing as a United States citizen to contest his detention once labeled as an “enemy combatant?”

In today’s time people have notice the spread of violence and constitutional controversy across the United States. People are beginning to feel betrayed by the political leaders we like to call the government. Discrimination is a problem that many people come across in everyday life. Discrimination is an action that denies social participation or human rights to categories of people based on prejudice. The most known types of the discrimination people face today include race, religion and sexual orientation. (U.S Employment) Race discrimination includes someone treating another unfairly because he/she is of a certain race.

In the US Constitution, the first amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” However, this law is being ignored when it comes to Muslim women in the US. Muslim women in the US, just like everyone else, have the right to practice their religion and have every right to be treated respectfully and not be discriminated or harassed because of their religion or their gender. Many muslim women practice the hijab and wear loose fitting clothes because it is a sign of modesty, distinction and to not call attention upon themselves (McCloud 51). However, in the past few decades discrimination has been occurring against them due to their lifestyle and the way they

The contemporary world of Islam faces an uphill battle defending itself from modern day misconceptions and the forced involvement with geopolitics. Islam struggles with the western world’s perception of the religion and cultural understanding. Modern day Muslims will have to overcome insurmountable hurdles in an attempt to rebuild the diversity and complexity within the Islam faith. Islam is in a constant battle with Western Civilization and its forced power and ideology on the Middle East. The current religious struggle between the Middle East and the West derives from thousands of years of bloodshed and conflict between the worlds three major religions; Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Blood that was shed during a period of holy wars and the ever expanding ruling powers such as Greece and Rome. The candle of hatred burns in modern times with the presences of radical extremist groups like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda that continue to ignite hatred towards the West by manipulating the Qur’an and preaching concepts that conflict with the laws of Islam.

Being a Muslim in an American country is a struggle and ever since, 9/11 effects took a turn for Muslims. Ever since Trump was elected president, the discrimination against Muslims has grown stronger. People need to be educated about Muslim culture and eliminate the perception that every Muslim is a “terrorist”. The community I am looking towards on the University of Kentucky campus is the MSA. The MSA is the Muslim student association and their goal is to promote Islam and teach us all about how peaceful is their religion. After looking in depth the bigger question I will be looking at is what is life like for Muslims post 9/11 (Macroaggression)?

The repercussions of subjecting a person, especially an innocent one, to certain harmful coercion techniques are serious. Individuals that have been put through torture techniques are often faced with deep psychological and, not to mention, physical health issues as a result of their experiences. One notable case that demonstrates the effects of torture on the mind is the case of Omar Khadr. Khadr, who is now 23, was imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay at the age of fifteen. Khadr is a Canadian citizen who was born in Toronto. Ethnically, he is Egyptian and Palestinian. Born into a family that was heavily involved in terrorism and fundamentalism, he had seen and taken part in some questionable activities, albeit, oblivious as he lacked a good moral compass due to his young age and his upbringing. During a four-hour firefight with militants in Afghanistan, American soldiers

Being a Muslim in America country is a struggle, and ever since 9/11, things have taken a turn for Muslims. When Trump was elected president, the discrimination against Muslims has grown stronger. People need to be educated about Muslim culture and eliminate the perception that every Muslim is a “terrorist.” The community I am looking towards on the University of Kentucky campus is the MSA. The MSA is the Muslim Student Association and their goal is to promote Islam and teach us all about the peaceful nature of the religion. Throughout my paper these 5 sources that I researched played a major role in the Muslim community. My first source was a video called Muslim leaders speak out after mosque fire. My second source was an article called Young

Guantanamo Bay, though started with good intentions, only highlights America’s negative side. Marine Major General Michael Lehnert, who played a significant role in the opening of Guantanamo, has drastically changed his opinion and said that it, “Validates every negative perception of the U.S.” (Sutton 1). One example of this occurred in 2006, when President Bush justified the use of “physical coercion” (torture) during interrogations (Fetini 1). Some of these torture methods include isolation, beatings, sleep deprivation, and general abuse. Other tactics such as disrespect for Islamic symbols or sexual provocation are used to encourage stress in detainees (Bloche 1). These immoral methods led to an international outcry. It was later remarked that the Cuban territory upon which Guantanamo is located is being used as a “concentration camp” of sorts (Fetini 1). Guantanamo and its unethical values are being recognized by nations around the world, displaying America in a bad light.

In the United States, one of the major methods in obtaining crucial information has been through the use of Guantanamo Bay. While many have condemned of the torture that is believed to occur there, not only does Guantanamo Bay comply with national and international standards, but it also complies with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions (Meese 1) which states