Cageprisoners
Encyclopedia
Cageprisoners Ltd is a London-based human rights
organization with an Islam
ic focus, whose stated aim is "to raise awareness of the plight of the prisoners at Guantánamo Bay and other detainees held as part of the War on Terror." It campaigns on behalf of Muslim prisoners, including convicted terrorists.
Its Director, Moazzam Begg
, is a former Guantánamo Bay detainee who was released without charge in 2005 by President Bush over the objections of the Pentagon
, the CIA, and the FBI (all of whom were concerned that Begg could still be a dangerous terrorist).Referring to 2010 Afghanistan, Begg said he completely supported the inalienable right of the people to fight "foreign occupation".
The organization has worked closely with a number of former detainees held as part of the War on Terror
. It has been criticized for championing alleged senior al-Qaeda
member Anwar al-Awlaki
, who has been linked to various terrorists.
Cageprisoners is a human rights organization whose stated aim is "to raise awareness of the plight of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and other detainees held as part of the War on Terror."
Journalist Terry Glavin
wrote in The National Post that "it is a front for Taliban enthusiasts and al Qaida devotees that fraudulently presents itself a human rights group."
Among the Muslim inmates it highlights are Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged 9/11 mastermind; Abu Hamza
, facing extradition from the U.K. to the U.S. on terror charges; and Abu Qatada
, described as Osama Bin Laden
’s “European ambassador”.
. It is registered to a group of Muslim
computer programmers based in Britain.
Its Director, Moazzam Begg
is a Muslim
from Birmingham, England, who was held for three years in extrajudicial detention
in the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
in Cuba
by the U.S. government as part of the War on Terror
. He was released without charge in 2005 by President Bush over the objections of the Pentagon
, the CIA, and the FBI, who alleged that Begg could be a dangerous terrorist. Begg had spoken at University College London
five or six times through 2009.
Desecration Report,” which contained accounts from former Guantánamo prisoners who said they experienced religious abuse as a torture tactic.
after his release from Yemeni detention in 2007. Begg was the first to interview al-Awlaki after his release in Yemen. Al-Awlaki was invited to address Cageprisoners’ Ramadan
fundraising dinners in August 2008 (at Wandsworth Civic Centre, South London
; by videolink, as he is banned from the U.K.) and August 2009 (at Kensington Town Hall; the local authority told the group that it could not broadcast al-Awlaki’s words on its property). It also carries a large amount of material about and by al-Awlaki on its website.
Cageprisoners has been criticized for championing al-Awlaki, because he has been linked to al-Qaeda and various terrorists.
In November 2010 Cageprisoners issued a press release on their relationship with al-Awlaki.
The press release pointed out that at the time of his 18 month detention there was no reason to suspect he held radical violent views. They pointed out that he had been invited to speak at the Pentagon
.
They defended their support of him, as someone who had been held, without charge, for 18 months.
They clarified that they did not back his newly espoused radical positions, as soon as they became aware that he was advocating attacking civilians.
However, they planned to continue opposing the Obama
Presidency's plan to try to kill Awlaki with a missile strike.
suspended one of its senior officials, Gita Sahgal, head of the organisation's Gender Unit, after she criticized Amnesty for its links with Begg and Cageprisoners. She called the links "a gross error of judgment", and said it was wrong to ally with "Britain's most famous supporter of the Taliban". Sahgal argued that by associating itself with Begg and Cageprisoners, Amnesty is risking its reputation on human rights. Salman Rushdie said: "Amnesty ... has done its reputation incalculable damage by allying itself with Moazzam Begg and his group Cageprisoners, and holding them up as human rights advocates. Journalist Nick Cohen
wrote in The Observer
: "Amnesty ... thinks that liberals are free to form alliances with defenders of clerical fascists who want to do everything in their power to suppress liberals, most notably liberal-minded Muslims."
, Cageprisoners published an editorial written as news satire
dated May 15, 2021 announcing that "American War Criminal Barack Obama has been killed by Pakistani security forces in the UK."
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
organization with an Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic focus, whose stated aim is "to raise awareness of the plight of the prisoners at Guantánamo Bay and other detainees held as part of the War on Terror." It campaigns on behalf of Muslim prisoners, including convicted terrorists.
Its Director, Moazzam Begg
Moazzam Begg
Moazzam Begg , is a British Pakistani Muslim who was held in extrajudicial detention in the Bagram Theater Internment Facility and the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp, in Cuba, by the U.S...
, is a former Guantánamo Bay detainee who was released without charge in 2005 by President Bush over the objections of the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, the CIA, and the FBI (all of whom were concerned that Begg could still be a dangerous terrorist).Referring to 2010 Afghanistan, Begg said he completely supported the inalienable right of the people to fight "foreign occupation".
The organization has worked closely with a number of former detainees held as part of the War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. It has been criticized for championing alleged senior al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
member Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
, who has been linked to various terrorists.
Stated purpose
Journalist Terry Glavin
Terry Glavin
Terry Glavin is a Canadian author and journalist.Born in the United Kingdom to Irish parents, he emigrated to Canada in 1957. Glavin has worked as a journalist and columnist for The Daily Columbian, The Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail, and The Georgia Straight...
wrote in The National Post that "it is a front for Taliban enthusiasts and al Qaida devotees that fraudulently presents itself a human rights group."
Among the Muslim inmates it highlights are Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged 9/11 mastermind; Abu Hamza
Abu Hamza al-Masri
Abu Hamza al-Masri is an Egyptian Sunni activist known for his preaching of a violent and politicised interpretation of Islam, also known as militant Islamism or jihadism...
, facing extradition from the U.K. to the U.S. on terror charges; and Abu Qatada
Abu Qatada
Abû-Qatâda al-Filisṭînî , sometimes called Abû-Omar is an Islamist militant. Under the name Omar Mahmoud Othman , he is under worldwide embargo by the United Nations Security Council Committee 1267 for his affiliation with al-Qaeda...
, described as Osama Bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
’s “European ambassador”.
Background
Its website was launched by Muslim volunteers in October 2003 during the Muslim holy month of RamadanRamadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
. It is registered to a group of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
computer programmers based in Britain.
Its Director, Moazzam Begg
Moazzam Begg
Moazzam Begg , is a British Pakistani Muslim who was held in extrajudicial detention in the Bagram Theater Internment Facility and the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp, in Cuba, by the U.S...
is a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
from Birmingham, England, who was held for three years in extrajudicial detention
Extrajudicial detention
Arbitrary or extrajudicial detention is the detention of individuals by a state, without ever laying formal charges against them.Although it has a long history of legitimate use in wartime , detention without charge, sometimes in secret, has been one of the hallmarks of totalitarian states...
in the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a detainment and interrogation facility of the United States located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The facility was established in 2002 by the Bush Administration to hold detainees from the war in Afghanistan and later Iraq...
in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
by the U.S. government as part of the War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. He was released without charge in 2005 by President Bush over the objections of the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, the CIA, and the FBI, who alleged that Begg could be a dangerous terrorist. Begg had spoken at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
five or six times through 2009.
Qur'an Desecration Report
In May 2005 it released "The Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
Desecration Report,” which contained accounts from former Guantánamo prisoners who said they experienced religious abuse as a torture tactic.
Anwar al-Awlaki
The organization developed close ties to alleged senior al-Qaeda member Anwar al-AwlakiAnwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
after his release from Yemeni detention in 2007. Begg was the first to interview al-Awlaki after his release in Yemen. Al-Awlaki was invited to address Cageprisoners’ Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
fundraising dinners in August 2008 (at Wandsworth Civic Centre, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
; by videolink, as he is banned from the U.K.) and August 2009 (at Kensington Town Hall; the local authority told the group that it could not broadcast al-Awlaki’s words on its property). It also carries a large amount of material about and by al-Awlaki on its website.
Cageprisoners has been criticized for championing al-Awlaki, because he has been linked to al-Qaeda and various terrorists.
In November 2010 Cageprisoners issued a press release on their relationship with al-Awlaki.
The press release pointed out that at the time of his 18 month detention there was no reason to suspect he held radical violent views. They pointed out that he had been invited to speak at the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
.
They defended their support of him, as someone who had been held, without charge, for 18 months.
They clarified that they did not back his newly espoused radical positions, as soon as they became aware that he was advocating attacking civilians.
However, they planned to continue opposing the Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
Presidency's plan to try to kill Awlaki with a missile strike.
Amnesty International controversy
In February 2010, Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
suspended one of its senior officials, Gita Sahgal, head of the organisation's Gender Unit, after she criticized Amnesty for its links with Begg and Cageprisoners. She called the links "a gross error of judgment", and said it was wrong to ally with "Britain's most famous supporter of the Taliban". Sahgal argued that by associating itself with Begg and Cageprisoners, Amnesty is risking its reputation on human rights. Salman Rushdie said: "Amnesty ... has done its reputation incalculable damage by allying itself with Moazzam Begg and his group Cageprisoners, and holding them up as human rights advocates. Journalist Nick Cohen
Nick Cohen
Nick Cohen is a British journalist, author and political commentator. He is currently a columnist for The Observer, a blogger for The Spectator and TV critic for Standpoint magazine. He formerly wrote for the London Evening Standard and the New Statesman...
wrote in The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
: "Amnesty ... thinks that liberals are free to form alliances with defenders of clerical fascists who want to do everything in their power to suppress liberals, most notably liberal-minded Muslims."
Response to the killing of Osama bin Laden
After the death of Osama bin LadenDeath of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
, Cageprisoners published an editorial written as news satire
News satire
thumb|right|220px|[[The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]] is a news satire program.News satire, also called fake news , is a type of parody presented in a format typical of mainstream journalism, and called a satire because of its content...
dated May 15, 2021 announcing that "American War Criminal Barack Obama has been killed by Pakistani security forces in the UK."