Muin al-Din Jamal al-Din Abd Al-Sattar: The Stateless Prisoner

Summary

Muin al-Din Jamal al-Din Abd al-Sattar (50) was born to a stateless Rohingya family. Growing up across the Gulf, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, he dedicated his early life to religious teaching and supporting his family. He was arrested while in his 20s and has spent the better part of his adult life incarcerated at Guantánamo Bay, without charge or trial. Muin remains detained despite being cleared for transfer in 2010. As a stateless Rohingya, no country has agreed to accept him. His detention remains indefinite.

Background

Muin al-Din Jamal al-Din Abd al-Sattar - also known by the alias Omar al-Faruq - was born in 1975 in Dubai to a Rohingya Burmese family. His parents fled persecution in Myanmar, and like so many Rohingya, he was born without citizenship. A stateless Muslim, Muin grew up navigating the margins of society in the Gulf, and later in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

In his early twenties, Muin moved into religious work - teaching at mosques, studying Islam, and trying to support his family. But in the early 2000s, as the USA launched its global ‘War on Terror’, his stateless identity and religious background made him a target.

Arrest and imprisonment

In 2001, he was arrested in Pakistan and transferred to Guantánamo Bay in 2002. Like many detainees, he was never charged. US officials alleged vague associations with Al Qaeda, but presented no hard evidence, no trial, and no means to challenge his detention in court. Muin is s one of the many prisoners subjected to torture in Guantánamo. His treatment represents the brutal excesses of the War on Terror, where men like Muin were stripped of their rights, identities, and dignity without trial or evidence. Described by former cellmates as introspective, often reciting the Qura’an and poetry to cope with isolation, he spent his time teaching other prisoners – something for which he was targeted by interrogators and punished. Muin has since spent over 24 years imprisoned - his youth stolen; his life suspended. His detention remains indefinite and he suffers from long-term effects of sensory deprivation and isolation.

Statelessness

According to Human Rights Watch, Muin was cleared for transfer in January 2010, as a result of the Guantánamo Review Task Force created by former US President Barack Obama. However, 15 years on, Muin remains incarcerated. As a stateless Rohingya, he has no country, and no state is willing to take him in if he is released. He has also never been represented by a lawyer.

Hopes and dreams

In private letters smuggled out, Muin writes of missing his mother’s gentle smile and longing to teach his nephews. Known for his calm demeanor, deep faith, and generosity - once opening his home to feed dozens during Ramadan, he enjoys reciting classical poetry and writing letters in elegant Arabic script. Muin is quoted as saying, “I’ve spent more of my life inside Guantánamo than outside of it. They say I am forgotten. But I still pray, I still dream. I only ever wanted to teach, to live in peace.”

Call to Action

Statelessness should not mean endless suffering. We urge Muslim-majority nations and international bodies to resettle Muin al-Din Jamal al-Din Abd al-Sattar with dignity and care. He must not die in Guantánamo.