BOOK INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW
Guantánamo Voices: True Accounts from the World’s Most Infamous Prison
provides first person accounts of those involved in the “island outside of the law,” according to the American Civil Liberties Union. The prison housed more than 700 prisoners, majority of whom are Muslim men from countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. The graphic novel explores the inequities of the legal system that were used to wrongfully capture, torture, and imprison men without due process. Sandra Day O’Connor said that “a state of war is not a blank check for the president,” which explains exactly how the Guantánamo Bay prison was run by the Bush administration. This illustrated anthology provides an oral history of the personal accounts of prisoners, humanizing their narrative, which had been silenced and vilified for many years, as well as the accounts of lawyers, service members, and human rights activists who tried to speak out against the injustices of Guantánamo. This book paints a picture of the constant struggle between speaking up for what is right and the risk of losing everything.
Guantánamo Voices
is a graphic novel that questions the strategies of the American government, with a focus on the real ideals of the American democratic system. After reading this book, one is left to question the value of habeus corpus and the lack of adhering to the rule of law if those who are on trial are from a different culture or ethnic/racial background.
Supporting the national Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in reading informational text for high school curriculums,
Guantánamo Voices
is an appropriate selection for grades 11–12 and early college level in language arts, social studies, or humanities classes. The following prompts provide for a critical analysis of
Guantánamo Voices
using the CCSS for Informational Text.
STANDARDS AND SKILLS
KEY IDEAS AND DETAILS
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.3
Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
CRAFT AND STRUCTURE
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.5
Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences,paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.
EDITED BY
SaRAH MIRK
INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEA
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.6
Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented indiverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
“ One person can make a difference, even if it takes 40 years.”—Fred Korematsu
PREREADING ACTIVITIES
Guantánamo Bay prison has been a highly debated human rights issue for more than 18 years. The graphic novel opens with the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Geneva Conventions, Article 103 that exemplifies the skewed legal system used to interrogate and detain the prisoners on the island. The majority of the prisoners were Muslims from countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq that have been at war with the United States for many years. Ask students to analyze the amendment and the article to discuss if the two can be modified or ignored during times of war. Create a poll that can be used as the starting point for their discussion.Sara Mirk explains: “What had I imagined Camp X-Ray would become? A memorial? We Americans never want to face our dark parts, much less enshrine them in our history.” Students can use this quote to center their ideas as they read the graphic novel so they can determine if Guantánamo Bay can be considered “dark parts” of American history. What other events can be classified as “dark parts” that have mired the history of this country, and has the government taken an effort to rectify the past? Create a place for students to compare their research.The introduction written by Omar El Akkad describes the connection between Guantánamo Bay and other political actions implemented by the United States government. Have students debate if Guantánamo created a blueprint to implement the various government policies discussed, such as detention of youth at the southern border and the use of drones to kill suspected terror operatives.Omar El Akkad describes the various forms of violence war brings, but he emphasizes the violence of “forgetting.” Ask students why that would be more dangerous than other forms of violence. Have students investigate the “violence of forgetting” the past atrocities committed at Native Americans, Blacks, and Japanese Americans and how that influenced the teaching of American history.A timeline and statistics are provided to demonstrate the magnitude of the prison. Use these elements to have students write an e-mail or a tweet to their local representative to discuss why the funds being used can be diverted for other necessary projects.
Guantánamo Voices
explicitly points out the racism practiced against the prisoners due to them being from Muslim majority countries. The policies passed after the 9/11 attacks had a large impact on Muslim communities worldwide. Have students try to conduct an oral history with someone from their local Muslim community on how 9/11 changed their ability to practice religion without fear. Please see the supplemental reading section for additional resources to support these discussions.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
CHAPTER 1:
Welcome to Guantánamo
As you read this chapter, list and analyze the contradictions and how those are examples of the island’s disassociation from reality. Analyze the images on page 7. What can you infer about the type of environment the government was trying to create on the island?Is the reporter correct in comparing the prison to the Japanese internment and the detention of migrant children?
CHAPTER 2:
Mark Fallon: Former Chief of Middle East Counterintelligence Operations for Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
Mark Fallon explains his personal view that torture is “immoral, torture is not just ineffective, it’s counterproductive. It provides bad information” and that his methods are honey not vinegar. Examine his tactic: Do you think they work with all terror groups?Should there be different methods of trying suspects based on their citizenship?How did the Nuremberg trials differ from the trials of 9/11 suspects?Do you believe Fallon was successful in challenging unlawful orders?Language played a role in the ongoing secret orders. Examine the language used to justify the actions of the Bush administration and discuss if you believe those actions were justifiable.
CHAPTER 3:
Matthew Diaz: Former Navy Judge Advocate General Corps Officer (Lawyer) and 20-Year Veteran: 8.5 Years Army, 12 Years Navy.
How did Matthew Diaz’s early life determine his career choices?Describe the court case
Rasul v. Bush
. How did the Bush administration work around
Rasul v. Bush
? How did the administration’s work around make work more difficult for lawyers and activists at the prison?Diaz says, “People that did make waves or did push back, they didn’t stay there [Guantánamo] long. They’d be sent back to the States, they wouldn’t rise in the ranks.” Is speaking up or pushing back worth risking your job or livelihood?Did Matthew Diaz do the right thing for his country? What risks did he take? Were his losses worth it in the end?.
CHAPTER 4:
Moazzam Begg: Educator and Guantánamo Prisoner 558, February 2003 to January 2005
What “suspicious” activity was used against Begg that led to his detainment?How did habeus corpus help Begg’s case? How was he able to assist other prisoners?
CHAPTER 5:
Thomas Wilner: Attorney Representing Guantánamo Prisoners
Did bounties racially profile Arab men with no impunity?Kuwait is a strong American ally: How can America justify detaining Kuwaiti citizens without due process?What is an amicus curiae brief and how did it help prisoners at Guantánamo prison?“The saying . . . was to do the hard right against the easy wrong. You figure out what’s right and you stand for it.” Does this always end in success? What are the risks one takes when taking such a stance?
CHAPTER 6:
Colonel Morris Davis: Twenty-Five-Year Air Force Veteran and Chief Prosecutor for the Guantánamo Bay Military Commissions, September 2005 to October 2007
What was Colonel Davis’s goal for becoming lead prosecutor for Guantánamo prisoners?Why did Colonel Davis resign?Australian David Hicks was charged with war crimes then later released. Did the race of the prisoner play a factor? Explain.
CHAPTER 7:
Mansoor Adayfi, Guantánamo Prisoner 441, February 2002 to July 2016
What did the animals symbolize to prisoner Adayfi?How did the animals help the prisoners during their time on the island?
CHAPTER 8:
Alka Pradhan: Human Rights Lawyer and Attorney for Guantánamo Prisoners
Examine what Pradhan’s father-in-law is saying on page 140. From what you have read thus far, do you agree with his statements?What are the dangers of being labeled an “enemy combatant”?How does that give the American government power over prisoners even if they are not convicted?How was Emad’s story one of misidentity? What did Emad do to try to take control of his “fate”?
CHAPTER 9:
Shelby Sullivan-Bennis: Attorney for Guantánamo Prisoners
What are Periodic Review Board hearings?Why did a prisoner refer to Sullivan-Bennis as a “black box”? How did the following people influence
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