1/25/05 - James Yee Speaks at Sacramento City College

1/25/07 -James Yee Speaks at Sacramento Community College

By Dave Migliore

Earlier this evening I attended a presentation by former U.S. Army Muslim Chaplain James "Yousef" Yee at the Sacramento Community College. The college volunteer staff did a nice job in preparations of the venue and the sound quality was excellent. I look forward to attending future events as compelling, powerful and pertinent as what was presented by Chaplain Yee tonight.

As he proceeded to tell his story my first impression was that I was observing a man who was sincere in the execution of his service in selflessness. It was at first, chronologically, to serve his country - whereupon he graduated from the Military Academy at West Point. In the early 1990's he converted to Islam. He then resigned his commission with the Army and for about the next five years studied Islam and Arabic in Syria. In January of 2001 he subsequently re-enlisted with the Army to serve as an Army Muslim Chaplain. It sounded to me as if the Army was lucky to have one so qualfied.

Nine months later were the events of 9/11.

Chaplain Yee was then assigned to the American base at Guantanamo Bay. There he listened. He listened to one story after another of the abusive treatment suffered by the detainees being held there. He spoke of hunger strikes, suicide attempts, forced feeding, sensory deprivation, humiliation and religious desecration - sometimes to children as young as 12 years old. During his service there Chaplain Yee was awarded two distinguished service awards and was in line to receive a third, even higher, acclamation.

On September 10, 2003, while in route home on vacation, his travel plans called for a stop in Jacksonville, Florida. There, the FBI and Customs agents were waiting for him. He was arrested and taken into custody and accused of multiple capitol offenses - among them: sedition, aiding the enemy, spying, espionage and failure to obey a general order.

He found himself subjected to sensory deprivation, solitary confinement for 76 days, deprived of communications with his family and death threats stemming from the charges. The charges were baseless and all were subsequently dropped.

The United States government owes this man an apology.

His story is portrayed in his book "For God And Country - Faith and Patriotism Under Fire".

During the Question & Answer period of the evening I asked him:

With the Canadian government intercedeing on behalf of their citizens, and the British intelligence agency, MI-5, acting on behalf of their citizens and here in the U.S. we have the Center for Constitutional Rights (among others) -- what are the most effective means for countering what is occurring at Guantanamo Bay??

Chaplain Yee responded with a resounding: "Educate yourself!!"

He left us with the warning that if it could happen to him it could happen to any one of us.

Last week the Attorney General of the United States, Alberto Gonzales, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the right of habeas corpus (protection from unlawful restraint) is not guaranteed under the United States Constitution.

Friends, don't you be caught unawares.