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Click here to read an article based on an interview with the guest, Umm Taha, a former Abu Ghraib female detainee.
After the session, you may view the whole dialogue in the recent sessions.
Answer
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Name
Muslimah
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Profession
Question
How do common Iraqis/community behave towards women who have been to Abu Ghraib? Is there support or are they banished from the community>? JazakAllah and May Allah strengthen the muslimeen of Iraq.
Answer
Well, it is obvious to you that we are living in a mess, but the most compelling question that the people asked was, "Did Americans abuse you [women]in the prison?” The only answer I said was that most of the prisoners were honorable people, and they were not to let the Americans touch them; they were all educated, and we were 20 educated women; we used to read the Quran every day and respect ourselves so as not to get raped. There was no sympathy from the Iraqi people.
Name
somaia
- Austria
Profession
student
Question
I am feeling so sorry about your experience in Abu Ghraib. I have one question: How many females you can estimate are there in Abu Ghraib?
Answer
During the 26 days I spent in Abu Ghraib, I saw three women; but after I left Abu Ghraib and was transferred to another prison called Al-Tasferat, I saw almost 20 women there; they had been detained for political reasons.
Name
Fatma
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Profession
Question
Dear Umm Taha, assalaamu alaykum.
Alhamdulillah that you are well and lived to tell all about the torture and other atrocities committed by those enemies of Islam who like to portray themselves as the civilized liberators of Iraq.
I have a simple question: Why don't you and other detainees prepare a law suit against the US government for what it has done to your country and to your fellow Iraqis? Why don't you sue those so-called Iraqis who brought this brutal and ugly occupation to your country? You can do that by uniting with other Iraqis, as well as people from around the world, especially Americans who are against their government and they are really thinking of suing it.
I wish you all the best and hope that Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) will restore your broken heart, and heal your grieving soul and bring you justice and peace. Aameen.
Answer
According to the American rules in Iraq, Americans are immune and protected, and we can't sue them. We are still looking for American lawyers who can defend the Iraqi women who were tortured by the US troops; yet we don't have money to afford the fees of American lawyers.
Name
Tyrone
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Profession
Question
Hi, Umm Taha.
Were you and other Iraqis females detainees raped at Abu Ghraid by American soldiers and Iraqis guards? It is reported that members of the United States
Congress were shown photographs of three American soldiers forcibly taking an Iraqi female detainee to an isolated spot and raping her collectively; Iraqi female detainees were forced at gun point to expose thier breasts and other private body parts, made to disrobe in front of American soldiers and then photograph. And also in the Taguba report an American MP (military policeman) was having sex with an Iraqi female detainee.
I just want to know from you if any of this happened to you and whether you saw or heared anything like that happening to other Iraqi female detainees at Abu Ghraib.
The American military do not want to release the photographs or videos of the Iraqi female detainees at Abu Ghraib because they know those are war crimes (rape) that are being committed. The United States said Serbia committed war crimes against the Bosnian muslim women by raping them, then the US soldiers committed war crimes against the Iraqi female detainees at Abu Ghraib and they should be punished liwewise.
Answer
No, we won't let them. This could happen in isolated places, not inside the prison. I haven't seen or heard of any of these bad things happen there to women. As to men -- male detainees, we saw them being tortured in different ways.
That is because America is against Allah, Mohammed, And Islam.
Name
Azhar
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Profession
Question
1. What are the circumtances for your detention?
2. The initial pictures of US soldiers "raping" Iraqi women were found to be bogus. Can you confirm the truthfulness of these allegations?
Answer
They were silly circumstances. There was no reason for detaining me. I wasn't accused of anything. They asked me about receiving Ba'thists in my house. They alleged that Ba'thists had been holding meetings in my house. I wasn't even a Ba'thist during Saddam's reign.
We haven't seen anything of that (rape).
Name
Annisa
- Indonesia
Profession
Question
Assalaamu'alaikum Warahmatullaahi wa barakatuh. May Allah bless you.
My great sympathy to you after all you've been through. I read a bit of the story about you and I'm very, very sad I can't help you. I only pray to Allah to give you strength to face the world.
How are you today?
What's the most difficult thing you face after being released? Is there any help from the Interim Iraqi Government to heal the wounds you have now?
Answer
I still have the prison in my mind and my feelings because we are still occupied. We don't know of any efforts exerted by the interim Iraqi government to heal any wounds.
Name
Naiem
- United Kingdom
Profession
Customer service adviser
Question
How long will the occupation be looting the wealth of the Muslim Ummah?
Answer
It is the task of the Arabs and Muslims to stop them from doing these things. We are looking for your help against occupation. We hope that you all, all around the world, speak out to support us.
Name
Muhammad Mazlan
- Malaysia
Profession
student
Question
Dear Umma Taha, Assalam Aleikum,
I am very sorry to hear about your experience in the Abu Ghraib prison. May Allah bless you with His mercy.
One question: What did you have to go through during your imprisonment in Abu Ghraib?
Assalam Aleikum
Answer
When we were isolated in a 1-meter sq. cell. I couldn’t see anyone. I could hear the screams of children detainees and the barking of dogs.
When I was on the second floor, I saw naked Iraqi male detainees being led to a bathroom, with black plastic bags on their heads; sometimes American soldiers kept them in the bathroom for two days.
Name
Umm_Jinan
- United States
Profession
Student
Question
As'salamu Alykum Umm Taha,
Alhumdulilah, that Allah has saved you from the prison of the kuffar. Alhumdulilah you got the chance to be tested by Allah, as the early Sahaba's did when Islam was at its early stages. May Allah give you patience. I read what happened to your family, Khair inshAllah.
My question, Umm Taha, for you: When you were alone the first 22 days in the "bathroom cell", how did you spend your minutes,hours and days? Reading Qura'an ? getting closer to Allah ? Was that the best taste of Imaan you tasted in years, even though you knew that at any time they might come and kill you ....
Can you describe to us your feelings, your Imaan... Did you see any dreams ?
Jazzaki Allah kol khair, Umm Taha.
Answer
I spent 26 days there. Time was passing very slowly. We were reading the Quran and asking God to save us from this disaster. Nothing made us able to survive all this period except iman (faith) and nothing else but iman.
Name
farhat
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Profession
Question
I am very sad about the situation and Iraq and try my best to pray for you. Do you forgive the people who detained you? How do you feel about Bush telling American citizens that he is establishing democracy in Iraq?
Answer
I will never forgive them. I hope that Allah will shake the ground beneath their feet. I just want to ask Buth, where is the democracy now?
