After six years in isolation, including two years in solitary confinement, in 2014 Judge Janet Hall ordered the US authorities to immediately take me out of the Supermax prison in which I had been held since my extradition, and to let me spend my last 12 months in prison in general population. And so, this time last year I was in a federal prison at the top of a mountain in eastern Pennsylvania.
Unlike the ten other prisons in both the UK and US that I had been detained in since 2004, this was the first time I was brought to a prison where I was given some semblance of freedom. From being locked in my cell for 23-24 hours a day, I was now allowed out of my cell for 17 hours a day. From pacing up and down in a tiny underground “dog cage” for an hour, I was now able to spend the whole day walking around a vast, open field of grass. And from having my human contact limited to speaking with neighbouring prisoners through washbasin plug-holes, I was now able to freely mix with 1200 other prisoners.
From pacing up and down in a tiny underground “dog cage” for an hour, I was now able to spend the whole day walking around a vast, open field of grass.
Prisoners at American federal prisons have to share cells, two to a cell in a small cell barely suitable for a single person. As a newcomer, you either find a prisoner willing to accept you to be his cellmate (“cellie” in American prison slang), or you endure the sights, smells and sounds of living in 10-man cells known as “common areas.” Within weeks of my arrival I found an excellent cellie, a Mexican doing time for trafficking cocaine. And six months later, when time came for me to transfer to another unit, he introduced me to another cellie, this time a Colombian drug lord.
The Colombian drug lord has been in prison since 1987 – yes, nearly 30 years. He is serving life. In the American federal prison system, life means life. There is no chance of parole as in the UK. I once heard a Hispanic prisoner refer to my Colombian cellie as El-Padrino “The Godfather.” I soon came to learn why. If you have seen the famous movie “Scarface” starring Al Pacino, you will see my cellie in there. The film was partly based on his real-life story. You will read more about him in the book which I am currently writing about my experience (sorry, I had to slip that in).
Living with my Colombian cellmate, I not only learned how to speak Spanish (he barely speaks English), I also learned about a new country, culture and people. I also lived with Colombian drug barons while in prison in the UK; I found them to be extremely respectful and with impeccable manners. Even though we don’t like to admit it, we are all sometimes guilty of stereotyping. This also means that we are the best ambassadors for our race, religion or country. Today, based on my experiences of living with Colombians in prison, I have the utmost respect for Colombia and Colombians.
Anyway, my cellie used to receive Spanish newspapers and magazines from Colombia. He would frequently share items of interest with me. One day last year he showed me an article from the Colombian El Tiempo daily newspaper, dated 4 February 2015. It told the fascinating, heart-warming story of a bird that was caged in 2007, the same year that I wrote the following poem while I was imprisoned in HM Prison Manchester in the UK:
The Cry of the Caged Bird
Beyond the mask and beyond the front.
Beyond the name and beyond the image.
Beyond the rhyme and beyond the prose.
Beyond the metaphors and beyond the rhetoric.
Beyond the campaign and beyond the publicity.
Beyond the words and beyond the speeches…
There is a caged bird.There is a caged bird whose only wish is to be a bird again.
There is a caged bird that yearns to fly free again
And soar over the mountain tops and glide through the valleys.
There is a caged bird that is no better than any other bird
And no different to any other bird.
There is a caged bird whose wings have been cut and voice has been muted
Whose only desire is to be a bird again.
That’s why the caged bird sings.Babar Ahmad, HMP Manchester, May 2007
In 2007, a retired Colombian civil servant named Guillermo Gutierrez was living in Bogota, the capital of Colombia. Since his retirement, the 60 year old had been raising doves and entering them into dove-racing competitions. In 2007 he entered 100 of his doves in a 170-mile race from Boyaca state to Bogota. All of the doves had GPS tracker devices attached to their legs.
So, all the thousands of competing doves were released in Boyaca to see which of them arrived first in Bogota. At the end of the race, all of Guillermo’s 100 doves returned. Except one. He waited all day for it. Then the next. Then the next. It didn’t come back. After a few weeks, he concluded that it must have either forgotten its way home, or injured itself and died somewhere.
Then, one day last year, in January 2015, 8 years after the race, the dove returned home. Guillermo, now 67, couldn’t believe it. He checked the GPS tracker on the bird’s leg, which confirmed that it was the missing dove. But as Guillermo looked more closely, he saw that there was a piece of paper attached to the dove’s leg. On it was handwritten a message:
“This dove was found here in the Santa Rosa de Viterbo prison in Boyaca.”
The dove had lost its way and landed in Santa Rosa prison. Someone had chosen to keep it as a pet by clipping its wings so that it could not fly. One day last year, eight years after the dove went missing, it was found by some prisoners. They decided to release it. Even though its wings had been clipped, the dove survived and somehow managed to fly home. As Guillermo read on, the message gave the reason for why the prisoners released the dove:
“We released this dove because we, more than anyone, understand the true value of freedom.”
Guillermo Gutierrez with the dove of Santa Rosa prison at his home in Bogota, Colombia, January 2015
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Amazing story
Can’t believe you met scar face !
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During the movie, Tony Montana Scarface is a fictional character but his story, as well as the Colombian cartels he dealt with in Florida, are all based on real-life accounts.
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Loved it! Looking forward to your next post! 🙂
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Thank you Sana. If you like it, share it.
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Shared! Keep the stories coming…looking forward to the book.
Salaams
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Thank you for sharing it, I will try my best.
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Subhan Allah amazing story , thankU for sharing , an inspiration. 😊
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You are welcome, thank you for reading it.
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Amazing story. Lookinh forward to more of your blogs. 😊
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😥
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Mashallah truly inspirational, so happy brother that u have returned home to your family.
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🙂
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Beautiful lovely story
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Your experiences touch my heart. And the respect I have for you is out of this world
May Allah bless us with the type of patience you have been blessed with.
And may He forever keep you happy and upon His path.
Ameen
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🙂
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I don’t think you can find something of value, except that it went through difficulty.
A diamond – years of intense pressure
An apple – weeks on a tree, enduring fungi, insects and weather
Bread – time in the oven
Those prisoners became somewhat kinder, because of the wisdom learnt through prison.
Personally, this story taught me that when others upset me, (and its a situation I should have patience in rather then retaliate)…
…I need to see it as my time under ‘pressure’, ‘on the tree’, ‘in the oven’.
I will have become something of more ‘value’, if I can just get through it with Kiraama.
Thank you for the blog.
Jazakallahu kheir
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Thank you for your comments. Yes, I agree that any type of hardship only enhances you as a person providing you have the right attitude to it and understand that Allah is putting you through it for a reason. That said, I don’t believe that anyone should allow their kindness to be mistaken for weakness. One should always stand up for oneself, that can be done in a way to protect one’s dignity, but one should never tolerate being treated like a doormat by others.
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Truly amazing story that gives us a sense of hope during our trials. It reminds me of the story of Prophet Yaqub (as) and how he was reunited with his beloved son Yusef (as). Jazak Allahu khair.
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JazakAllahu Khayr!
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Allah grant you prosperity and ease.
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