No Muslim Cleric at Guantanamo

January 6, 2004

Source: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/06/gitmo/index.html

On January 6, 2004 CNN reported, "The U.S. military no longer has a Muslim cleric at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ministering to the religious needs of the more than 600 detainees there, and has no plans to provide a new cleric of any faith, a Pentagon official said Tuesday.

The official said there has been no cleric for the detainees in nearly four months, since the September 10 arrest of Muslim chaplain Army Capt. James Yee on a variety of charges stemming from his work with the detainees... Prior to the Yee controversy the U.S. military had touted the presence of a Muslim cleric as a humanitarian gesture to help detainees follow traditions of their faith.

The official said a joint task force at the U.S. base continues to provide religious items to the detainees such as the Koran, prayer beads and head coverings."