911 and Moral Standing of America

One year ago, President Obama promised the world and the American citizens to close Guantanamo Bay within a year. The speech was very eloquent and well delivered, thus raisng hope and faith in the American Justice system and simultaneously, restoring the lost dignity of American values. Since then, the victims families have been taken for a ride, an emotinal roller coaster, causing more pain and lost of faith in our government.

Last summer, I was invited to visit Guantanamo Bay and witnessed for myself the disaster it is. A small group of people comprising of the DOD, DOJ and JTF Guantanamo are running the facility miles away from the US mainland. We never got to see the defendants, nor any trial transpired. It was a puppet show, which breeded more dissatisfaction within me at what's going on in the name of the 911 victims: more injustice and revenge. That is the last objective my son, Salman, would have wanted.

I got to meet AG Holder in DC the same summer, and he reassured us that the Guantanamo Bay will be closed and the rule of law will be restored. In other words, federal trilas will be held vs military commissions. It is a very important legal decision which will have everlasting deep impact on our future generations.

At stake is not the legal status of the 5 defendants. At stake is the legal status of aliens vs American: foreign born naturalized US citizens vs American born US citizens. This is what was the criteria of suspicion that was cast on my Salman when 911 happened. A naturalized US citizen, who came to US soil at the tender age of 13-months, when he could neither walk nor talk, was wrongfully called a possible terrorist. A man who gave his life for his fellow citizens was demeaned and humiliated in death. I ask: is this being American or what my Salman did is American? In simple language, the current administration is writing a law by virtue of which, all non-US born citizens will be under the jurisdiction of a separate rule of law from the US born citizens. In other words, if Timothy McVeigh and the person who flew an airplane in the IRS building in Austin, TX last month, commit an act of terrorism, they will not be tried as terrorist.
This is creating a very dangerous precedent.
President Obama is about to blink. About to blink not only on himself, but on the American Constitution, American values and on America's moral standing in the world. Political expediency should never over rule moral integrity. A leader leads along the morally correct path, without fear. Otherwise, he does not deserve to be called a leader.