For God and Country
(From the front jacket):
James Yee’s astonishing memoir tells how
a patriotic West Point graduate found himself faced with capital charges, subjected to abusive treatment, and imprisoned in
solitary confinement--without any basis in truth.
James Yee grew up in New Jersey and, like his
brothers and their father before them, wanted to make his career in the service of his country. He decided to take up the
invitation to enter the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps as one of the first Muslim chaplains. His story provides an utterly gripping
inside view of the operation at Guantanamo Bay, where Chaplain Yee was assigned in 2003. His duties required him to minister
to the prisoners there, and he came to know their situation perhaps better than anyone else. His reward was to be called a
Chinese Taliban, and be persecuted by anonymous briefings to the media and by a parade of accusation and innuendo. None of
it was ever substantiated; all the charges against him would be dropped, but only after his career was ruined and his reputation
attacked.
It’s a story that shows the dark side of
an unregulated and overzealous war on terror, in which danger is anticipated everywhere and a true American patriot becomes
indistinguishable from a shadowy enemy. Instead of being honored for his unique contribution, Yee was condemned. The reputation
of America as a fair and just country has suffered with him.
James Yee lives in Washington.
Aimee
Molloy is a freelance journalist living in New York City.
---------------------------------------------------
From the back
jacket:
“There are other things about this
place that will be a little harder to take,” he [Chaplain Hamza, Yee’s
predecessor] said, turning toward me in his seat and growing more serious. “I don't want to discourage you on
your first night, but you need to be prepared. This is not a friendly environment for Muslims, and I don’t just mean
for the prisoners.” He told me that this assignment had been one of the most difficult that he had ever endured, and
not because of the long hours or the disorganization, but because of the anti-Muslim hostility. “You need to watch your
back,” he said. He explained that when he arrived at Guantanamo three months earlier, the Command Sergeant Major had
warned him to be careful, implying that many people who worked in interrogations often took a special interest in Muslim personnel,
and the chaplains in particular. “It was helpful information,” he said, “and it’s worth passing along.”
He opened his door. “You'll be fine, but
be aware.”
$24.00/$32.50 Canada
ISBN 1-58648-369-2
