On 1 June 2012, Belgian newspapers reported the arrest of Stéphanie Djato, a young lady wearing a niqab (face veil) after an identity check. It was added that she assaulted police officers and injured two of them before being released. A few days ago, she gave her own version of the story and described what happened in the police station’s storage room where she was held (here). A statement allegedly made by one of the policemen especially resonates: “We will show you things worse than Guantanamo! Here it is worse than Guantanamo!”
Indeed, the treatment to which she was subjected was clearly inspired by the way American soldiers would “process” detainees of the War on Terror.
The young lady explains what happened after she removed her face veil but refused to undress fully. Two female officers attempted to take off her clothes forcefully and started to beat her. Unable to do so, they then called two male officers who allegedly joined the beating sessions. She explains:
“They called in the help of a third male officer who was told to bring a pair of scissors. They threw me on the floor and the male officer sat on my buttocks and he started to cut my clothes: my jilbaab, niqab and underwear. So there I was on the floor with that cop on my back who tore my clothes with scissors and the rest he tore with his hands. Meanwhile, my face was being kicked and my body was being punched by the two policemen who stood beside me (...) At that point, a male cop came and he put handcuffs on me, with my hands behind my back. I had my hair tied in a knot, he snatched the rubber band out of my hair and he pulled me by my hair to put me on my feet. He pulled my hair and my handcuffs and I sat on my two knees.”
The abuses worsened when the young lady accidentally head butted one of the female agents in her attempt to avert the beatings of the police officers.
“The police really became wild and they threw me back on the floor and started to undress me completely, they started to cut my underwear and pulled off my pants. I was naked.”
These words disturbingly echoe those of Moazzam Begg, a British citizen who spent several years in Guantanamo without charge and who is currently directing Cageprisoners. In his autobiography, EnemyCombatant, he recalls his “processing” after he was handed over by the Pakistanis to US personnel.
“I was tripped onto the ground to the prone position again. This time I felt knees pushing hard against my ribs and legs, and crushing down on my skull simultaneously. I was pinned to the ground by this massive weight; I was not sure how many of them were on me – perhaps three. I couldn’t move an inch. I felt the shackles being undone from the ankles, and then I felt a cold, sharp metal object against my legs: they were using a knife to slice off my clothes, and I felt the cold even more, though the humiliation was worse. With the trousers off, the shackles were replaced against my bare skin. The process was repeated with the shirt – my arms were twisted behind my back, until reshackling was complete. I was pulled up to a standing position and the hood was removed.”
Asim Qureshi, commenting on the Zelikowtorturememo, has already explained how sexual humiliationhas become a part of the instruments of the War on Terror, by preying on Muslim sensitivities. Coupled with physical violence, psychological abuse aims at stripping off the individual not just from his clothes but also from his dignity and humanity.
These are exactly the feelings described by Stéphanie Djato:
“They have offended me, the Muslim women, Islam … There was a small piece of cloth hanging from my neck, the man who sat on me was pulling it back, he strangled me with that piece of my niqab. I had the impression I was dying, I was suffocating, I could not breathe, I was shaking and my eyes rolled back, I was panicking. I thought I would die. I screamed in panic, anxiety... I was so stressed that I shouted: “Stop, stop please, I’ll do what you want, but please stop, stop this torture I’m going to do what you want! You are going to kill me!”Then they replied: “You can die!” And then they were insulting me, they said things I can’t mention. At that point, I received so many blows that I fainted on the floor, I could not move, and I screamed so much that I couldn’t scream anymore …”
However, her plight did not end there. “When they realised that they had gone too far and they raised my pants back up and they covered me partially with a top that I had. They dragged me so I could get up and they dragged me by the police department in front of all their colleagues. The colleagues asked, “Who is this?” Which the police said: “This is a burqa, this is a burqa!” For me this was a triple humiliation because I was half naked and this was a big humiliation for me, because I felt how everyone stared at me, I felt dirty by their eyes that were focused on my body, this was a humiliation for me. They paraded me for five minutes or so across the police station. And they were screaming: “Look, look this is a burqa!” And to finish, they threw me in a cell for about 2 hours.”
She was eventually transferred to the nearest hospital, bare foot and half dressed, and immediately admitted into intensive care.
This case could be seen as an isolated and unfortunate incident, completely unrelated to the War on Terror. However, the reference to Guantanamo made by one of the police officers is indeed significant. Guantanamo has created a mentality which branches out beyond the detention camps and conflict zones. It has normalised the idea that Muslims can be treated under a separate regime. Legislation going against hundreds-year old legal tradition canbe adopted to restrict or annihilate their right to a fair trial or their freedom of religion alike. The implementation of these policies shall be ruthless for them to be taught a lesson with, at the end of the day, very little protest.
It is interesting that Stéphanie Djato was placed in a storage room and not in an office as she noticed. She was symbolically taken out of the normal system where no rule would apply, just like 779 men were kidnapped all around the world and brought to an Island where none of the existing laws would prevail.
If Guantanamo still needs to be physically closed down, the impalpable state of mind it has spread also needs to be reversed...
Three to four men against one women and they call themselves super powers and even after that she still manages to head butt and resist them. With their big guns and large numbers they threaten women, if they have the guts let them step onto the battle field man to man with swords in hand and lets see how long they last.......
Oh Allah, if I ever cross paths with these men on the battle field then keep my feet firm and allow me to show them what a true mujahid is Ameen.
Re: “We will show you things worse than Guantanamo” - Belgium (MUST READ!)
Just Sad, no words to describe this, May Allah(SWT) protect her from further evil. Ameen
http://www.youtube.com/user/robinb4life?feature=mhee
I will not calm down until I will put one cheek of a tyrant on the ground and the other under my feet, and for the poor and weak, I will put my cheek on the ground. - Umar ibn khattab(Ra)
Re: “We will show you things worse than Guantanamo” - Belgium (MUST READ!)
format_quote Originally Posted by glo
Amen, sis. Keep up the good work!
Thanks dear. I try. Anyways Allah gave me rich life and strong shoulders. Power to cry with wounded people and still believe we can change this world better to live together.
"Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyum (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists).".."[Al Qur'aan 3:2]
Re: “We will show you things worse than Guantanamo” - Belgium (MUST READ!)
May ALLAH punish severely those who touched her with wrong intention and those who laughed at her during this incident
I am not supporting the usage of "Like" and Smiley icons in this thread.... dont know why.. i feel the word "Like" doesnt mix well in all context.
Request the mods to disable the feature in this thread.. if possible.
Re: “We will show you things worse than Guantanamo” - Belgium (MUST READ!)
I feel for this sister and any person in humanity, Muslim or Non Muslim who's been treated in such a degrading and inhumane way. Its times like these where I'm truly ashamed to be a Muslim. In the time of our Nabi Peace Be Upon Him and the Sahaba, May Allah Be Pleased With Them All if such an incident occurred, they would send a whole army out to deal with the problem but nowadays all we do is talk but no action and whenever there is action its not according to Shariah.
These animals responsible for causing harm to this sister wouldn't last a split second in the time of our Nabi Peace Be Upon Him, its a stark difference to how it is now, like night and day.
Re: “We will show you things worse than Guantanamo” - Belgium (MUST READ!)
Asalamualaykum,
May Allah make it easier for this sister Ameen.SUbhanallah she has endured so much and May Allah give her the strength to go on and never lose hope ..May Allah give those people what they deserve Ameen
“The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs is afflicted, the whole body responds to it with sleeplessness and fever”.
Re: “We will show you things worse than Guantanamo” - Belgium (MUST READ!)
I don't know whether to be sad or angry... She chose to become Muslim (and good for her for following her heart, especially in these times). By that statement I mean: she followed where God directed her. She made the video to clarify what happened to her, expressly saying it was not to promote hatred or violence. If she was a part of my faith, I would call her a Saint! Despite her tragic encounter with the police, isn't she doing what Allah asks? (This is a serious question since I'm here to learn.) Let me ask a different way, would Allah, after her suffering, ask her to promote hate and violence?
I respect everyone's reaction to this incident, especially since I believe everyone's opinion/reaction counts. Personally, I'd like for the officer that made the "Gitmo" remark to spend the next month of work going to a mosque and learning about Islam so he won't say such ignorant things and act as an ignorant fool. It's one thing to be on guard for terrorists, but it's another thing entirely to disrespect and mistreat a woman because of her faith. One only has to look at the history of Jewish people... I believe it was because of their faith that they have survived as a religion for as long as they have.
Re: “We will show you things worse than Guantanamo” - Belgium (MUST READ!)
format_quote Originally Posted by dysphoricrocker
The worst feeling to have is that my brothers and sisters are being tortured and here i am posting this, sad, angry but unable to do anything except raise my hands to Allah.
If this were to happen during the time of Umar(RA) or Salahuddin (RH), the whole Muslim army would be on their way there. I guess it's just not like that anymore..
I know how you feel
all I can do is make dua but they're suffering isn't forever, instead it will be the oppressors suffering.
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