Former Guantanamo Bay Army Chaplain James Yee lecture and follow-up film, The Road to Guantanamo, to explore prison experiences. Wednesday, February 28, 2007

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – He is a West Point graduate who served as the Muslim Chaplain at Guantanamo Bay Prison's Camp Delta, where he led prayer services and counseled detainees. But in 2003, Chaplain James Yee made headlines when he was accused of stealing classified information and spent 76 days in solitary confinement. The case was later dropped – and now, Yee is speaking publicly about his experience.

[Left: Chaplain James Yee's book, For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire (2005), details his experiences at Guantanamo Bay Prison.] Yee will discuss "The Guantanamo Bay Prison: A Struggle for Justice and Human Rights" on Tuesday, February 27, at 5:00 p.m., in Sanders Auditorium. As a follow-up to Yee's lecture, The Road to Guantanamo will be shown on Wednesday, February 28, at 7 p.m., in Sanders Auditorium. The film reveals the experiences of four innocent British citizens of Pakistani descent who are captured in Afghanistan and sent to Guantanamo Bay Prison. Both events are free and open to the public.

ABOUT CHAPLAIN JAMES YEE

In October 2005, Yee published For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire with Aimee Molloy. Yee's book details his experiences at Guantanamo Bay Prison and his subsequent imprisonment.

Above: Chaplain James Yee

A Chinese American from Seattle, Army Captain Yee converted to Islam after his participation in the Gulf War in 1991. Fluent in Arabic after four years of study in Syria, Yee was appointed Muslim Chaplain at Camp Delta at Guantanamo Bay Prison. He was arrested on espionage charges in 2003 and was taken to a Navy brig, where he remained in solitary confinement for 76 days. The Army dropped all criminal counts against Yee in March 2004. He then resigned from the military and was honorably discharged.

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Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations or information on accessibility should contact Campus Activities Office at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

This article was posted on Tuesday, February 20th, 2007.