The Ameer of Guantanamo

There are many situations in our human history where our tolerance is tested; where our patience wanes and we must force ourselves to find new strength to forge ahead and strike a new balance within ourselves; we struggle through our losses and seek comfort in our tasks that we perform daily. For some of us this has the mask of doing one's duty as a parent, a teacher, a soldier... for me it is the task of finding the ever-elusive balance of human compassion that is intertwined with my role as the cultural advisor in the most misunderstood installation in our world and of our time. Nelson Mandela once said "No one is born hating another person because of the color of their skin or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." With this thought I mind, I reflect on my life, my family, my work and realize that if I can share the experiences I have had then maybe, just maybe, I can continue to contribute to the solution to the epidemic humanity experiences. I often say - with respect - once we have embraced each other there will be no conflicts, and peace will be a verb that everyone will think about and improve upon with time. The purpose of my story is not to excuse conduct or guide favor for any one person, but to emphasize the never-ending struggle found in every human that works in this installation to neither love nor hate those we are charged with detaining.