When he was first sent to Guantánamo, the Bush administration had embraced China’s view that Uyghurs demanding independence or even merely greater autonomy were dangerous extremists. “We spoke about the China risk more than 20 years ago and constantly told everyone: ‘Be careful of China,’” Qassim said. Cut off from his family in Xinjiang, Qassim took a second wife in Albania, a Uyghur woman with whom he has had three children. While angry at the United States over his years at Guantánamo and his 15 years since in limbo in Albania, he still views America as the Uyghurs’ only real hope. “Every country makes mistakes, but I can’t stop believing in the United States just because they did injustice to five Uyghurs sent to Albania.”© 2021 The New York Times Company

Source: bd News24 September 27, 2021 06:56 UTC