Statement of support for Moazzam Begg
25/02/14
We, the undersigned, show our support and solidarity for the former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Moazzam Begg, who has been arrested over allegations of terrorism. Until the allegations are tested and challenged in a court of law we reiterate the fundamental right of all to presumption of innocence.
Our experience with Moazzam Begg has been in his role as one of the foremost advocates against the abuses taking place in Guantanamo Bay, and as part of the wider programme of unlawful detentions and complicity in torture.
Moazzam has worked tirelessly with CAGE and other human rights organisations in order to work for the settlement of Guantanamo Bay detainees to third party countries.
For now we call upon the police to be vigilant in how Moazzam is treated in detention given the trauma he was subjected to while detained at Guantanamo Bay.
We extend our support to his family as well as his colleagues at CAGE.
Signatures
Muhammad Rabbani Managing Director, CAGE
Asim Qureshi  Director, Catalyst Worldwide Consulting
Sir Geoffrey Bindman Human Rights lawyer and Founder of Bindmans LLP
Victoria Brittain Journalist and author of Shadow Lives: The Forgotten Women of the War on Terror
Clive Stafford-Smith Director, Reprieve
Clare Algar  Executive Director, Reprieve
Cori Cryder  Strategic Director of Abuses in Counter Terrorism, Reprieve
Polly Rossdale   Deputy Director of Abuses in Counter Terrorism, Reprieve
Major Todd Peirce  Former US military attorney
Cheryl Bormann Attorney for Guantanamo Bay detainee
Captain Michael Schwartz US Military attorney
Lt Cmd Kevin Bogucki US Military attorney
Jim Harrington  Attorney for Guantanamo Bay detainee
Sami El-Haj Manager of Public Liberties and Human Rights, Al Jazeera and Former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Qatar
Jarallah al-Marri Former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Qatar
Tarek Dergoul   Former Guantanamo Bay detainee, UK
Omar Deghayes Former Guantanamo Bay detainee, UK
Bisher al-Rawi  Former Guantanamo Bay detainee, UK
Phil Shiner   Principal, Public Interest Lawyers
Mourad Dhina  Executive Director, Al Karama
Frances Webber  Vice-chair, Institute of Race Relations
Terry Holdbrooks  Former Guantanamo Bay guard
Prof Bill Bowering  Barrister and Lecturer at Birkbeck University of London
Prof Laleh Khalili Professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies
Prof David Miller Professor at the University of Bath
Saghir Hussain  Solicitor, HMA Solicitors
Eeva Heikkila  Barrister, 9 Bedford Row
Toby Cadman  Barrister, 9 Bedford Row
Christopher Stanley Legal Officer, Rights Watch UK
Daniel Carey  Solicitor, Deighton Peirce Glynn
Dr Ruth Blakely  Co-Director, The Rendition Project and University of Kent
Dr Sam Raphael Co-Director, The Rendition Project and Kingston University
Carla Ferstman  Director, Redress
Dr Scharlette Holdman Mitigation specialist
Dr Nisha Kapoor Lecturer, University of York
Dr Anas al Tikriti CEO, The Cordoba Foundation
Dilower Khan  President, Islamic Forum of Europe
Russell Fraser   Solicitor, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers
Malachy Killbride  Witness Against Torture
Wendy Pettifer  Solicitor, Hackney Law Centre
Paul Heron   Solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers
Cianan Good  Solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers
Adriana Edmeades Paralegal, Public Interest Lawyers
Beth Shiner  Trainee solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers
Emily McFadden  Trainee solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers
Leisha Shiner  Paralegal, Public Interest Lawyers
Paul McNab  Practice Manager, Public Interest Lawyers
Estella Schmid  Campaign Against Criminalising Communties (CAMPACC)
Les Levidow  Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC)
Anne Gray  Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC)
Patrick Carty  Justice Watch, Ireland
Coleen Rowley  Tackling Torture at the Top
Sonja Johnson  Tackling Torture at the Top
Gary King  Tackling Torture at the Top
Thomas Dickinson Tackling Torture at the Top
Mike Madden  Tackling Torture at the Top
Lindsey German  Stop the War Coalition
Abdullah Hasan  UKIM Masjid Khadija IADA
Azad Ali  Muslim Safety Forum
Dr Omer El-Hamdoon  Muslim Association of Britain
Sharhabeel Lone  Kentish Town Community Organisation
Dr Uthman Lateef  Khateeb & Researcher
Mohammad Sawalha  President, British Muslim Initiative, UK
Mohammed Kozbar  Islam Expo
Saleem Kidwai, OBE Â Muslim Council of Wales
Mrs Firdous Arif  Muslim Women’s Association UK
Dr Sheikh Hojjat Ramzy  Oxford Islamic Information Centre
Muhammad Jinani  Young Muslim Organisation UK
Sister Helen Prejean  Author of ‘Dead Man Walking’ and internationally known Social Activist
Rizwan Sabir  University of Bath, UK
John McLoughlin  UNISON
Bob Pitt  Editor, Islamophobia Watch
Abdullah Faliq  Chair, Enough Coalition Against Islamophobia
Fareena Alam  Social Activist
Professor Richard Jackson  The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, NZ
Arun Kundnani  Author of ‘The Muslims are Coming’ and ‘End of Tolerance’, US
Imam Shakeel Begg  Imam, Lewisham Islamic Centre, UK
Abdur Raheem Green  Co-Founder, Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK
Yusuf Chambers  Co-Founder, Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK
Saqib Sattar  Vice-Chairman,Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK
Saleem Chagtai  Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK
Hamza Andreas Tzortzis  Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK
Abdullah al-Andalusi  Spokesman, Muslim Debate Initiative, UK
Shaykh Abu Abdissalaam  Islamic Scholar, UK
Shaykh Shafiur Rahman  Islamic Scholar, UK
Shaykh Suliman Ghani  Islamic Scholar, UK
Shaykh Shams Muhammad  Islamic Scholar, Khalifa Foundation, UK
Zahed Ahmed  Khalil Foundation, UK
Imam Wasim Kempson  Imam, Al-Muntada al-Islami, UK
Omar Ali  President, FOSIS, UK
Ibrahim Ali  Vice-President of Student Affairs, FOSIS, UK
Mohammed Kozbar  Director, Finsbury Park Mosque, UK
Tafazal Mohammad  Managing Director, Muslim Youth Skills, UK
Arzu Merali  Islamic Human Rights Commission
Baher Azmy  Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA
Wells Dixon  Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA
Omar Farah  Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA
Shane Kadidal  Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA
Pardiss Kebriaei  Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA
Ben Hayes  Statewatch
John Pilger  Investigative Journalist
Mark Steel  Comedian
Joy Hurcombe  Chair, Save Shaker Aamer Campaign
Farooq Murad  Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain
Supporters from South AfricaÂ
Feroze Ahmed Boda (Advocate), Yusuf Dockrat (Advocate), Shabnem Mayet (Advocate), Yusuf Ismail (Attorney), Yousha Tayob (Attorney), Afzal Mosam (Advocate), Zaheer Adam (Attorney), Ziyad Patel (Attorney), Farhana Ismail (Attorney), Nasser Tayob (Attorney), Nadeem Mohammed (Attorney), Afzal Abba (Attorney), Ridwaan Boda (Attorney), Nazmeera Cassim (Psychiatrist), Muhammad Kajee (Advocate), Shehnaaz Rawat (Advocate), Ahmed Cajee (Advocate), Hassen Kajee (Advocate)
Statement of support from Terry Holdbrooks, former Guantanamo Bay guard
28/02/2014
I will always be grateful that Moazzam was in GTMO when I was there. He worked as an intermediary for the guards and detainees and continually helped keep the peace. His ability to reason with the most hate filled, brainwashed and socially inept of guards was a valuable asset for everyone. It would not matter if the guard was an outright white supremacist, Moazzam could reason with them, and in doing so, he helped to keep the peace in an environment prone to unpleasant circumstances.
Being that Moazzam was a peace keeper, he was someone I could always rely on for conversation, as well as information. Moazzam was forthright in sharing with me much of the intelligence the Army had not, and in doing so, he genuinely opened my eyes to the reality of what was going on in GTMO. People like Moazzam, and many others, helped me to see the grave mistake that the “war on terror” is, as well as showed me the sincere beauty in Islam, which the Army had told me was an inherent evil in the world.
It could be argued that Moazzam is a charismatic speaker and manipulator, but I would have to reply with what wrongs has he committed? America smacked him in the face and labelled him for the rest of his life, and he returned the deed with devoting his life to helping those who are in need. Americans seem to talk about the reverence they hold for Jesus, how he always turned the other cheek and then Americans themselves seem to be incapable of doing the same. Moazzam was more of an American in mind and spirit than the individuals who were working in GTMO. He is a representation of freedom, honesty, wisdom, and diligence. I can only pray that this farce the UK is currently perpetrating against him ends quickly, with peace.
(NOTE: CAGE represents cases of individuals based on the remit of our work. Supporting a case does not mean we agree with the views or actions of the individual. Content published on CAGE may not reflect the official position of our organisation.)