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Is America?s ?war on terrorism? really a war against extremism and on behalf of democracy, or is it instead a war on Islam? Americans insist that their concern is political, not religious, but there are good reasons to believe that even if this is true, the rhetoric and conduct of Americans is turning the war on terrorism into a war on Islam. Why else are Muslims targeted because of their religion?

Why else is religion used as a weapon and tool of abuse?

Title: For God And Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire
Author: James Yee
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1586483692

Pro:
? Reveals inside information on the misdeeds of the American government
? Demonstrates how much damage religious bigotry can cause

Con:
? Some questions still remain
? Yee seems naive - terrorists don?t all look like monsters; religion isn?t always good and peaceful

Description:
? Account by James Yee of his time in Guantanamo Bay as Muslim chaplain
? Describes how and why he was accused of treason, arrested, and eventually set free
? Argues that the American government is approaching the war on terrorism like a war on Islam

Book Review

James Yee is a convert to Islam and West Point graduate who was appointed as the military chaplain to the inmates at Guantanamo Bay. One of the first Muslim chaplains in the U.S. Army, he had an unusual and difficult job to do ? but after less than 10 months and numerous awards for his service, he was arrested, put in a Navy prison, and subjected to some of the same treatment he witnessed (and objected to) in Cuba.

Yee was charged with spying and threatened with the death penalty, but he refused to give in and the government was forced to abandon these charges. Even their attempt to accuse him of adultery and having computer pornography failed ? his record was wiped clean and he resigned from the military he loved so much. Still a subject of suspicion and investigation, he speaks out in the book For God And Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire.

When he arrived at Guantanamo, Yee found a great deal of hostility towards Muslims ? but because he saw this hostility as based on ignorance, he believe that this merely proved how much he was needed there. He didn?t just want to serve the spiritual needs of the detainees, he wanted to educate American military personnel about the nature of Islam, the needs of Muslims, and therefore how to do their job better.

This, unfortunately, was precisely what got him into trouble: by treating the detainees with dignity and respect, by talking about Islam in a positive way, and by leading religious services with other Muslim personnel, he was viewed as ?one of them,? an enemy. Because the detainees were Muslim, American soldiers took extra steps to do things that would violate Islamic rules of conduct.

Because they were Muslim, soldiers deliberately mishandled Qurans ? even denying prisoners' requests not to have Qurans in their cells in order to ensure that there were none present to mishandle. Because they were Muslim, extra effort was made to ensure that they would have to be naked in front of strangers and be mishandled by strangers ? especially by female soldiers. Because they were Muslim, interrogators draped them with Israeli flags or forced them to sit in Satanic circles.

Because James Yee was Muslim, he was treated with suspicion and hostility by other soldiers. Soldiers ignored his orders and behaved in ways that should have resulted in serious disciplinary action, yet nothing was done. After all, what does it matter if a Muslim?s orders are ignored? A Muslim isn?t a ?real? soldier, much less a ?real? officer, right? Government investigators even showed his wife pictures of him with female soldiers and accused him of adultery ? she nearly committed suicide, and according to him, his marriage has been irreparably damaged.

Much of this can be laid at the feet of General Geoffrey Miller, the man in charge at Gauntanamo and who seems to have held a personal vendetta against Yee and all Muslims.

Miller?s own radical Christian beliefs likely played a role in this; unfortunately, it was Yee who faced criminal charges rather than Miller. Yee is the one who had to eventually resign when Miller, along with quite a few other senior officers, should be dishonorably discharged. Apparently Yee adhered to all regulations for military chaplains, but the Chief of Chaplains was too much of a coward to stand up for him.

I read this book in a single sitting ? the story is engaging and fast-paced. I?ve rarely ever been so angry at reading a book, though, because the story is so thoroughly disgusting. It may be that Yee was a bit naive about the nature of the detainees, most of whom are likely innocent, but some of whom may not be. The fact that they appeared intelligent and kind to him doesn?t mean that they don?t accept a violent ideology. Yee is mistaken in believing that ?real? Muslims can?t be violent terrorists. Yee also declines to say whether he is guilty of the adultery and pornography charges or not. None of this, however, justifies what was done to him. He says that the credibility of America?s military leaders has been undermined; I say that it?s been thoroughly destroyed.