Moazzam Begg a Political Prisoner Again 70

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I first met Moazzam Begg in 2005 when he came to support my campaign in Blackburn against Jack Straw.  I was immediately struck by how gentle he is.  For somebody who has been through Guantanamo Bay and suffered torture and injustice, he is free of bitterness and rancour to a degree I find quite astonishing.  It is an extraordinary spiritual quality, comparable to that of Nelson Mandela.  He does not hate.  That impression has only been reinforced every time I see him, and comes over well in his book.

What the British state did to me for opposing their torture programme was bad enough, but nothing to what Moazzam suffered.  Yet he is much less embittered than I am.

The fall of Libya further revealed the terrible truth about the extraordinary rendition programme and undeniable evidence of British complicity in torture.  This included of course the appalling case of the Belhadj family, orchestrated by criminal torturers Jack Straw and Sir Mark Allen.  As Assad’s Syria was even more involved than Libya in the extraordinary rendition programme as a supplier of torture for the UK and US intelligence services, Moazzam sensibly concluded that evidence may now be available there to be recovered from the chaos.  He has been to Syria to that end.

Last week my friend Ray McGovern called on Moazzam and discussed Syria.  Ray briefed me on the conversation, and Moazzam’s take was one of great regret at the bloodshed and despair at the ferocity of inter-Muslim rifts.  It was the opposite of violent partisanship to support one side.

Moazzam Begg has not been arrested for terrorism in Syria.  He has been arrested to stop him digging for further evidence of complicity in torture by senior politicians and civil servants in the UK.

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70 thoughts on “Moazzam Begg a Political Prisoner Again”

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  • John Goss

    Dr David Nicholls, who has known him many years, has said the same thing about what a peaceloving man Moazzam Begg is. I have met him too and agree. I am so pleased you raised this important issue. As you say he has been arrested to quieten him over UK intelligence torture complicity.

    There is a campaign for his release. It really needs support. Only 5,000 or so signatures yet.

    Hope this link works:

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=310052299120102

  • fule

    [ Off topic, but am I alone in having thought, or assumed that there had been some sort an openly agreed, understood or bestowed amnesty in NI? Not quite an RSA Truth and Reconciliation, but that all sides had somehow understood, accepted or agreed that there would be waivers to help facilitate the talks. If the letters were issued to both sides in the conflict then surely both sides understood what was going on, or am I missing something here?]

  • John Goss

    “Theresa May

    Should you ever come to wonder, Theresa May,
    where they came from, it is me swinging in the sagging bags
    beneath your eyes, making them sag more and more each day.
    I have made my home in them, staked my claim, and if it nags
    your conscience, then it ought, for all the injury you’ve wrought
    on decent sober people, the ones you would forever lock away,
    Talha Ahsan, Babar Ahmed, Abu Qatada and others you have sought
    to bang in solitary, extradite, throw the key away: Theresa May.

    Here am I, punching above my weight in the punch-bags on your cheeks,
    but I don’t care, I’m making progress even though I’m shut away.
    It’s dark in this confinement, day and night, so if the wick it leaks
    you might wake up with runny eyes, please, please, defray
    from cursing me, I’m settled here, swinging in each hammock
    hanging from your bulwarks, like a pair of bollocks. I must say
    the spider-red conjunctiva becomes you, as I rock, rock, rock
    and roll, roll, roll, to and fro, swing and sway: Theresa May.

    On Sunday after mass, oh, yes, I am still there, and everywhere,
    I’ve staked my claim, remember? Parishioners come up and shake
    your hand, they hardly look at your new shoes, or latest hair,
    they are looking at your eyes, or rather bags, and by mistake
    may start to smirk, or even laugh, forgive them, they are there
    to watch my training session; when your wrinkled punch-bags quake
    or twitch, that’s what they’ve come to church to see, if they stare
    too long, consider it a sin, bang them away: Theresa May.

    Not having sons or daughters you missed out on how a mother loves
    her children. Your surrogates: nastiness and hatred, sagging with the years,
    screwed-up embittered twins are possessed by me. Pass me my gloves
    I’m going to box them into shape, give them thick lips and cauliflower ears,
    bloody noses, blackened rings around the eyes. Watch this drooping pair
    puff up like vol-au-vents, then get punched down. Another crow’s foot appears,
    your mirror tells it all. If your bags were paper I would somehow cause a tear,
    as it is in solitary I punch your bags twenty four hours a day: Theresa May.”

    Peter Pindar

  • Phil

    John Goss 26 Feb, 2014 – 1:48 pm
    “I want my country back to how it was before 9/11”

    Ah yes those wonderful days of old where people from the North were rich and the Queen would serve creamy teas to those who had nothing to do after church on a Sunday. When Gents were proper condescending and the lovely Ladies were still happy to have gotten to the top. When we only tortured black people in Africa. And the Irish of course. I remember the unions were unanimously anti war and the TSG had a good proportion of ethnic minorities in their ranks. When we still blamed 2 world wars on the Germans rather than the Prussians. When laughing at Manning (Bernard) was not sneered at by a metropolitan elite. Miniskirts! When pubs closed in the afternoon. When people like Craig Murray ran the place. You are so right John. 911 ruined everything. And I’m no idiot.

  • Arbed

    For folks who would like to see for themselves what Craig means by his description of Moazzam Begg’s character, here’s the full Episode 5 of Wikileaks’ The World Tomorrow series, in which Julian Assange interviewed Begg and Qureshi of the Cage Prisoners group (now renamed CAGE):

    http://assange.rt.com/begg-qureshi-episode-five/

    Here’s Moazzam Begg’s blog post on what he had uncovered about UK complicity in torture on his trip to Syria (originally published in early January, but re-published only 12 days ago):

    http://www.cageuk.org/article/real-reason-behind-confiscation-my-passport

    From CAGE’s press release about Moazzam’s arrest:

    “The timing coincides with the planned release of a CAGE report on Syria and a major news piece that was due to be televised soon. As with David Miranda it seems those who are engaged in exposing abuse of powers are targeted and smeared to prevent disclosure of vital evidence.”
    http://www.cageuk.org/press-release/press-release-moazzam-begg-arrested-uncovering-western-complicity-rendition-and-tortur

    Here’s Julian Assange on that planned CAGE report:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emfncWOhXw8

    Some very good points made in that last one.

  • Tabitha

    I saw Moazzam speak in Blackburn and was extremely moved by his extraordinary fortitude and forgiveness. His story of befriending a Guantanamo guard stayed with me: a lesson for everyone, that someone can come through that experience with such grace. So I also found this ‘arrest’ quite incredible, and the statement: “West Midlands police said naming Mr Begg did “not imply any guilt”” deeply troubling.

    Thanks for this post.

  • Techno

    Oh dear. I used to like Craig and felt generally supportive of his opinions, even when I don’t agree with them, but putting this chap on a pedestal with Nelson Mandela is a dealbreaker for me. Mr Murray has finally lost his marbles, and most of his fawning supporters in the comments never had them in the first place.

  • fedup

    The Achilles heel of Liberals is used to infiltrate and destroy all that stands in the way of the rabid fascists

    How Covert Agents Infiltrate the Internet to Manipulate, Deceive, and Destroy Reputations

    One of the many pressing stories that remains to be told from the Snowden archive is how western intelligence agencies are attempting to manipulate and control online discourse with extreme tactics of deception and reputation-destruction. It’s time to tell a chunk of that story, complete with the relevant documents.

  • Patricia Sheerin

    I never met Nelson Mandela but I have met Moazzam Begg and heard him speak at meetings on numerous occasions. My impression of him was much the same as those expressed above, particularly his lack of bitterness. He could have returned home, resumed family life and kept a low profile but instead he has campaigned tirelessly for others who remain in the same desperate situation as he was during his time in Guantanamo. The authorities – US captors and their spineless cohorts in the British secret service – no doubt thought that he would keep out of the public eye, not bargaining for the possibility that he might write a book and set up a campaigning organization. That is why Shaker Aamer is not being allowed to leave Guantanamo, despite being cleared for release several years ago, and that is why Moazzam will continue to be followed and harassed. And, although this is not a competition, Techno, he wouldn’t be seen dead with the likes of the Spice Girls hanging around his neck for a photo-shoot.

  • Anon

    AnnaP – “I really hate the UK now – it is a fascist state that truly scares me.”

    Dear god. The yoof of today really haven’t a clue.

  • craig Post author

    Techno

    I should be sorry if you went, having enjoyed your comments for many years. While there is little disagreement on this thread yet, in general to describe commenters as “fawning” is simply wrong – see the last thread for example. Those that know Moazzam Begg understand what I am trying to say. If you don’t know him, I cannot see why you would be so definitive I am wrong in comparing his quality of forgiveness to that of Nelson Mandela.

  • Mary

    Some of the questions on Twitter to the Foreign Secretary that were not answered.

    Jacques Hughes ‏@pangallion · 2 hrs
    @WilliamJHague How soon will #NATO be deploying weapons in #Ukraine pointed at Russia? #askFS

    Faisal Khan ‏@FKhan123 · 2 hrs
    @WilliamJHague Do u have an oversight over the activities of M16 #AskFS?

    Jacques Hughes ‏@pangallion · 2 hrs
    @WilliamJHague How soon will the IMF/World Bank start insisting #Ukraine sell of all its assets for cents on the dollar? #askFS

     Cliff Buckley ‏@Cliff_Buckley · 2 hrs
    @WilliamJHague If Yanukovich is in Russia is it likely that Putin would hand him over to face justice?
    from East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire

    LOL
    https://twitter.com/WilliamJHague

  • DoNNyDarKo

    Craig: How high up does the decision making go when it comes to the torture , rendition that Mr Begg is investigating?
    This is all very Gestapo and the methods have been more or less accepted by our public. I remember the Scottish Police shouting out loud when they found out what was going on at Prestwick, but that was nipped in the bud quickly.
    Or do the security services work pretty much independently of Govt. ? The more frightening I would think.

  • Je

    The murderers of Lee Rigby got 45 years and whole life today. An alledged murderer of FOUR British soldiers isn’t going to be prosecuted because of faulty paperwork. If he had been the maximum sentence would have been 2 years. The British soldier who murderered a Taliban soldier got 10 years. A third of the public said he should have got nothing. The one British soldier found guilty in the kicking to death of Baha Mousa got 1 year. The rest got off Scot free. As does Tony Blair and all his war criminal associates.

    None of that makes any sense – except as being heavily tainted by politics. The idea of an independent (of the government/media/public opinion) judiciary representing justice and nothing else… well British courts are very far from that.

  • technicolour

    Just for the record, tho am not sure it needs it, ‘Techno’ is not ‘Technicolour’.

  • Mary

    We are off topic Je but it is worth mentioning that in addition to the 200 odd letters giving immunity from prosecution sent under the watch of Hain, Brown and Blair, 38 have been sent out by the ConDems. A peace deal at any price.

    ‘Tory Attorney General Dominic Grieve yesterday insisted the letters did not guarantee anyone “immunity”.

    But he said today that the government did not intend to appeal the judge’s decision to let IRA suspect Downer walk free. He also revealed that dozens of similar letters had been sent out under the Coalition.

    He said: “My understanding is that since the present government came into office some 38 letters have been sent out.”

    Northern Ireland threat from First Minister: I will quit unless David Cameron investigates
    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/northern-ireland-threat-first-minister-3186731

    More and more problems pop up by the day for Cameron. Have you noticed that Clegg is completely out of the loop? He will have to find himself another job in the EU.

  • Malcolm Bush

    I was shocked to see the news on TV that Moazzam Begg and three others had been arrested. I believe we must try to understand the driving forces behind these decisions; which may be complex. This arrest of Moazzam Begg seems exceptionally silly; the others I do not know enough to say anything, much. Maybe the authorities have gone too far this time; although most of public see the world though the distorted vision of racialism, nationalism and cheap larger opinion. This forms a formidable barrier against any form of balanced view from the mass of the public. I have written a protest letter to the Home Office;it seemed better than doing nothing at all.

  • Tabitha

    Malcom Bush; “although most of public see the world though the distorted vision of racialism, nationalism and cheap larger opinion”

    Would disagree with that.

  • glenn_uk

    Tabitha: Sad to say, but I’m not sure I could disagree with Malcom Bush. Remember that The Mail and The Sun are the best selling newspapers in the UK. The great British Public might not agree with the nastier sentiments of those rags when push came to shove, but – generally speaking – they’re more than happy to go along with their drift.

  • Courtenay Barnett

    Craig,

    You said:-

    ” The fall of Libya further revealed the terrible truth about the extraordinary rendition programme and undeniable evidence of British complicity in torture. This included of course the appalling case of the Belhadj family, orchestrated by criminal torturers Jack Straw and Sir Mark Allen. As Assad’s Syria was even more involved than Libya in the extraordinary rendition programme as a supplier of torture for the UK and US intelligence services, Moazzam sensibly concluded that evidence may now be available there to be recovered from the chaos.”

    For quite some time ( and maybe 9/11 is a reference point) I have had serious concerns -not just about Western complicity in contracted torture dungeons – but with the compromise of habeas corpus and the rule of law.

    But – what do my concerns count for? They have the weapons; the battalions; and how many tanks does the Pope have ( but maybe he too has access to a lot of the money which funds the battalions and buys the tanks).

    What a fucked up world we live in – when you begin to think about it.

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