Wednesday, 01-25-2006

Human Rights and Terrorism

James Yee, a Chinese American, was a West Point graduate and captain in the U.S. Army before he became the subject of an intense investigation by the U.S. Government. After converting from Christianity to Islam in the mid-1990s, Yee underwent religious training and study in Syria. In November 2002 Yee was stationed as a Muslim cleric at Guantanamo Bay, ministering to the Muslim detainees. In September 2003, returning home for a standard two-week vacation with his family, Yee was arrested, blindfolded, and thrown into solitary confinement. He was charged with sedition, aiding the enemy, espionage, and failure to obey a general order, and then transferred to a Naval brig in South Carolina.

According to Yee, at no point did the government declare what country they believed Yee was spying for, or even what organization he might be involved with, but when a military source leaked information of his arrest to the press, the media began to ravage the story. Soon, Yee was vilified as a traitor to his nation and widely considered to be a mole inside the Army. When the official charges against Yee were released, they stated he “mishandled classified information by taking it home and transporting it without proper security containers or covers” -- a minor offence.

James Yee’s new book, For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire, depicts his journey of faith and service to his country. Please join the World Affairs Council in welcoming James Yee to speak on the overarching theme of Human Rights and Terrorism, and on the damage religious profiling can cause in our world today. There will be a book signing following the formal presentation and Q&A session at 8:30pm.

Sponsor: University Book Store

Co-presenters: ACLU of Washington, Arab American Community Coalition (AACC), League of Women Voters, World Peace through Law Section - Washington State Bar Association