Gitmo 50: The Monument

“Do you have a moment?” Omar asked, peering his head inside my office door.

“For the man who, as I understand it, spared me a gouging from Hamdi? Course.”

“It pleases me, to be rid of him. He was angry. Always. We will not agree, on many things. But society is built upon the bones of disagreements. That wasn’t something he could agree to understand.”

“You’ve got my ear, but please, try to be quick about it.”

“Islam is peace. It pained me to make war, but I made it, with sadness in my heart. Because the injustice in this world could not stand. But for those of us here, our place in that war is ended. If the stone we pushed continues to roll, perhaps someday our cause will be won, but it is now beyond our power to influence the stone. As we can no longer make holy war, we must make holy peace. But for us to have peace, there must be justice.”

“Sounds like we’re starting on that vicious cycle. I can’t give you that justice.”

“I misspoke. The justice I seek is of a different kind. I’m asking not for justice in the whole world- that is something that only Allah can grant us. What I want is justice for my fallen brethren. A token, a statue, a memorial.”

“We’re not going to have a shrine to the martyrs in the middle of town. That war is over- at least for those here.”

“You misunderstand. When I say my fallen brethren, I mean those who have died in custody. Like Ramzi.”

“Aren’t they martyrs, too?” I asked.

“They’re men who died who didn’t need to. Remembering that has nothing to do with jihad.”

“So it’s a warning, then. But for who?”

“Everyone. People die, from neglect, from a lack of care, because we fail them. Because we have not made them understand their place with us in this world. People want for the security of a home. People desire recognition for their suffering. This would go a long way towards that recognition.”  

“So long as it’s modest, and its meaning is kept noncontroversial, I think we could swing that.” I held out my hand, and he shook it. “Why do I get a feeling you could talk an allergic man into putting his hand in a beehive?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Omar said.