Babar and Talha Sentencing: A Welcome Anomaly
Asim Qureshi, who knew Talha and Babar personally, writes that their sentences earlier this month went against the grain of what we have come to expect from the War on Terror. In June 2011, CAGE released a report, Too Blunt for Just Outcomes, on the disproportionate sentences that are meted out to Muslim terrorism suspects in the US. The report very much concentrated on §3A1.4 of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, permitting a judge to apply an extra length to the sentence in a criminal case, even where there was no actual allegation of terrorism. Over the years we saw this terrorism…
Martin to Moazzam: from one Birmingham to another
Read this article by Asim Qureshi on the Cage UK site here
Some deaths are more equal than others
Asim Qureshi, who met one of the Woolwich attackers, writes about how the case reveals much about how we value human life. With the Woolwich trial now over, there are some important questions that need to be asked in relation to the value our societies give to lives lost both in the East and the West. The way in which we understand war crimes during the conduct of hostilities needs to also be addressed. For the last twelve years, I have advocated for a greater respect for the standards laid out in the Geneva Conventions and the humanitarian considerations expressed…
The Matter will be Debated in the House
Note; Please click here for an urgent updated Action Alert by the Free Babar Ahmed campaign. When considering the impact that not debating the Ahmad petition could potentially have, we should bear the words of Prime Minister Cameron in mind, that the matter should be debated, "whether we like it or not". In a House of Commons debate around the government's e-petitions initiative, UK Prime Minister David Cameron chose to speak of it in terms that related to empowering the public. On 11 August 2011, the Prime Minister said, "One of the points of the new e-petitions website is to make sure…
Khalid Shaikh Muhammad – the modern day Shylock?
I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. [Shylock,…
Asim Qureshi
Human Rights lawyer and co-Director of Cageprisoners.
Linking Qur’anic and modern conflicts – the Poetry of the Taliban
“We Afghans are very emotional people. Even if these songs go against who I am and what I work for, I still feel something in my chest every time I hear those words being sung.” Felix Kuehn and Alex Strick van Linschoten’s latest contribution to the discussion revolving around the nature and role of the Taliban takes the form of a book of poetry which features work of the Taliban pre and post 11 September 2001. The above quote which they use near the beginning of their introduction, comes from an anti-Taliban government official, who recognises the emotion and sentiment…
Hypocrisy Continues to Fuel the Fires
Within the space of 18 days, the second West sponsored dictator in the Middle East succumbed to the will of his people. Comments filtered in from world leaders that this was a victory for the Egyptian people and how they wished that it would lead to a democratic rule. It was inevitable that the ‘d’ word would rear its head. However western governments should not mistake what has taken place here, this has not been about democracy – but rather about dignity for the people. For too long have the Middle East has been spared criticisms of its…
Know Your Rights: What to do when MI5 come knocking on your door
Since the start of the War on Terror, there has been consistent harassment of the Muslim community – and several non-Muslims too – by security agencies in the UK and abroad. There are many who will tell stories of how they were questioned by MI5, MI6, Special Branch and even the SAS while they were being tortured and mistreated by various security agencies abroad. Unfortunately in those circumstances, those people had absolutely no ability to exercise their rights in any way – for those who were complicit in their abuse, should have been the ones to protect them. For those…
Fool me Once, Shame on You; Fool me Twice, Shame on Me
On the 9th anniversary of Guantanamo Bay, the world is left wondering if we have not been deceived by the Obama administration’s promise to close the detention camps. That promise came two years ago, and since that time, Barack Hussain Obama has often referred to the closure of the base in the past tense, “I closed Guantanamo”. It turns out that for many around the world, the desire to believe that Obama would bring real change was all too strong. 10 years of Bush had left the world with a real sense of change. Unfortunately the detention camps still remain…