A special group of people

Think of a group of people. Now think of a group of people whose members it seems you will never come across or meet. For instance, I don't think I'll ever talk to a member of the Thai royal family, or the politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. I met someone who is in a group of people that I never thought I would meet tonight. I'm going to give you some clues and unfortunately, everyone will probably be able to figure it out.



In the 6-year-old curriculum, there is a section when we need to teach a small bit about three major religions of the world: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. I want to have a person who follows each of the religions come to class and tell the kids a bit about their religion. One of the guys with whom I play Frisbee teaches English at New York University here in Tirana and he put me in touch with one of his students.

Ayoob is from the Turkistan region of China. This is the area that had big problems about a year ago when the followers of the Islamic religion fought for their human. He told me that three days ago, for the first time in 13 months, they were allowed to have internet. "Oh my!" I thought.

"No cell phones, or anything," he continued. I tried to imagine life without cell phones and the internet. I am ashamed to say that it was difficult to imagine.

After he suggested that he contact one of his good friends who speaks English very well, and will be able to give a more complete picture of Islam, we sat down at a table and ordered glasses of orange juice. I asked Ayoob how he came to be living in Albania.

"Oh, it's a very long story."

"Well, ok. I'm willing to hear any part of it that you want to share," I answered. Some years ago, Ayoob had the necessary documents and permission to travel to the US when he was 18. On his way to the US, he went through Pakistan. I was so amazed by his story that I didn't ask why he was in Pakistan. It may have been that that is the customary route for planes from Turkistan. In Pakistan, he was arrested by the US military. He was beaten while in custody. He was held in solitary confinement in a cell that measured 2 meters by 1 meter. He was forcibly injected with a substance that kept him alive while he was on a hunger strike. He was held for 2 years—2 years—AFTER it was determined that he was NOT an enemy combatant. The year was 2001. The US had spread a blanket of suspicion far and wide.

OK, so now you know. He was in Guantanamo Bay for four years. Four years of his life taken from him. Just like life without internet, I find it hard to imagine what his life in prison must have been like. He has been studying English here for four years and he still speaks quite hesitantly. He is a small, unassuming man. At 18, he must have been terribly intimidated by the well-trained, well-fed US Army. When he would scream or moan after receiving a blow, the person doing the beating would say, "Why are you crying?" and would beat him again.

I need to clarify why, after four years, he was let go. He couldn't go home because, as an accused terrorist, the Chinese government would kill him. He has been in Albania for four years. Apparently this was one of the few countries that would take people like him.

When he first arrived here, he lived alone. "Always alone. Everyday alone, alone," he explained wearily. I was happy to learn that he is now living in an apartment with his wife of two months. She came here from Canada. She is from the same town in Turkistan, but they didn't know each other, and got to know each other through the internet. Ah, life without the internet…it's unimaginable.