The Trials of Being the Only Imam at Guantánamo Bay
For Vice, Oscar Rickett profiles James Yee, a former Muslim military chaplain who served at Guantánamo Bay from November 2002 to September 2003. Yee became a confidante for many detainees who felt persecuted for being Muslim. “Really it didn’t matter whether the individuals in Guantánamo were actual terrorists or not. My role was based primarily on the function of a chaplain, which is to make sure that prisoners have their accommodation to religious freedom,” Yee said. After formally mentioning his concerns about how prisoners were being treated, Yee was arrested on espionage charges, which were later downgraded to “mishandling classified documents.” Ultimately all charges against him were dropped, and he was honorably discharged.