Guantanamo Reflections From Jodie Evans-CODEPINK Co-Founder

Guantanamo Delegation Including CODEPINK Co-Founders Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, former prisoner Asif Iqbal, mother of current Guantanamo prisoner Zohra Zewawi and and brother Taher Deghayes, mother and of 9/11 victim Adele Welty, constitutional lawyer Bill Goodman, peace mom Cindy Sheehan, and retired US Colonel Ann Wright.

Our time in Guantanamo was at once horrible and beautiful. The hospitality and appreciation by the Cuban people, yet the shame they have to endure because GTMO is on their soil. The inspiring testimonies by Asif Iqbal, Taher Deghayes, Bill Goodman, Ann Wright, Adele Welty brought the audience to tears over and over again. Tears and disbelief. On January 11th we marched to the gates of the prison, gates we could not pass. We read the names of the prisoners, heard testimony of the torture and abuse they have endured and built an alter of flowers on the fence. Hardest of all was climbing a hill nearby and looking down at Guantanamo with Zahar, Omar’s mother. He has been there for over 4 years, she hasn’t seen or spoken to him. We looked down and could see where he was, it felt so close and yet to her all she could feel with the wrenching pain of what he was enduring and her own desire to at least hear his voice. How could I be standing on this hill, looking at this base that held her son without cause for so long and not be able to take her in to see him? How could I live in a country that does this to anyone? How can this actually be happening? How do the soldiers who work in the base, listen to the news, not call us and say please come and say hello to your son? What has become of us?