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4.76 AVERAGE
4.76 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Thank you, Mansoor Adayfi and Hachette Books for the opportunity to read this book. It releases August 18th, 2021.
“Imagine if American boys, eighteen years old or even younger, had spent five, ten, twenty years in a foreign prison without being charged with a crime, where they are tortured, punished for practicing their religion, experimented on, and forced to live in solitary confinement. This is Guantanamo.”
DON’T FORGET US HERE
Don’t Forget Us Here by Mansoor Adayfi is a memoir like no other. I will never forget September 11th, 2001 even though I was only 13 at the time. It wasn’t only the Americans who think back on that day in horror. Mansoor Adayfi was only eighteen when he was traveling to Afganistan from Yemen when he was kidnapped and sold to the United States. He was sent to Guantanamo Prison and became detainee #441. There he experienced torture and injustice at the hands of the United States government and military, even though he was innocent.
“Obama made life better at Guantanamo instead of closing it. We all knew this, but we didn’t know what this meant for our freedom.”
DON’T FORGET US HERE
It is true, our government wanted justice. They were consumed with finding the man behind the attacks and all those who helped him. But it came at a cost, the freedom and lives of those who were innocent. Because they technically weren’t Americans, they never received lawyers or a trial–which is a huge part of America. We claim liberty and justice for all. But it has never been for all, only for some.
Mansoor was never a fighter or associated with Osama Bin Laden. But he went from a young farm boy to an assumed criminal in an instant because he was Muslim. He lays out the torture he endured and also the hunger strikes for better conditions. There is so much emotion as he discusses how much he misses his family and the grief he feels for the loss of his future. It is also inspiring how he and other detainees bonded together.
Memoirs like this are important because this way we don’t forget and we can learn not to repeat our mistakes. There is no such thing as a perfect justice system but we must do better. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
“Imagine if American boys, eighteen years old or even younger, had spent five, ten, twenty years in a foreign prison without being charged with a crime, where they are tortured, punished for practicing their religion, experimented on, and forced to live in solitary confinement. This is Guantanamo.”
DON’T FORGET US HERE
Don’t Forget Us Here by Mansoor Adayfi is a memoir like no other. I will never forget September 11th, 2001 even though I was only 13 at the time. It wasn’t only the Americans who think back on that day in horror. Mansoor Adayfi was only eighteen when he was traveling to Afganistan from Yemen when he was kidnapped and sold to the United States. He was sent to Guantanamo Prison and became detainee #441. There he experienced torture and injustice at the hands of the United States government and military, even though he was innocent.
“Obama made life better at Guantanamo instead of closing it. We all knew this, but we didn’t know what this meant for our freedom.”
DON’T FORGET US HERE
It is true, our government wanted justice. They were consumed with finding the man behind the attacks and all those who helped him. But it came at a cost, the freedom and lives of those who were innocent. Because they technically weren’t Americans, they never received lawyers or a trial–which is a huge part of America. We claim liberty and justice for all. But it has never been for all, only for some.
Mansoor was never a fighter or associated with Osama Bin Laden. But he went from a young farm boy to an assumed criminal in an instant because he was Muslim. He lays out the torture he endured and also the hunger strikes for better conditions. There is so much emotion as he discusses how much he misses his family and the grief he feels for the loss of his future. It is also inspiring how he and other detainees bonded together.
Memoirs like this are important because this way we don’t forget and we can learn not to repeat our mistakes. There is no such thing as a perfect justice system but we must do better. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
When Mansoor Adayfi was eighteen, he went to Afghanistan, believing he would return to his home country of Yemen in due time. That never happened. He was, instead, kidnapped by warlords and sold to the US - the lead up to a drawn out case of mistaken identity. He spent the next 14 years as a detainee at Guantanamo Bay. Mansoor was an innocent man, but he was not given a chance to defend his innocence properly until the very end of his time at Guantanamo. Even then, his story did not unfold into something happier but, as he states in this, that’s another tale to tell. I hope he will give readers a second book.
Mansoor Adayfi endured a number of physical and emotional traumas, which he details in his story, yet he somehow managed to communicate it all in a way that helps readers understand without completely overwhelming them. It’s the tone of the book that makes a world of difference. It is dark, yet full of hope.
The things that really stood out in this memoir were Mansoor’s sense-of-humor, strength in advocating for better treatment, insight, maintained faith and clear attempts (especially as he matured) to not let this experience lead to bitterness. Few people could have come out of this with such a gracious attitude. He’s honest, but he never comes across as hateful. He acknowledges the bad, but also makes note of those who were good to him. Unsurprisingly, he did not walk away unscathed, as PTSD resulted from the trauma, and his ability to tell his story with such tact was impressive.
Don’t Forget Us Here is a powerful true story that highlights the horrors of mistreatment and injustice. It offers a critical perspective from a wrongfully detained man. I’m thankful Mansoor Adayfi was finally able to tell his story.
Mansoor Adayfi endured a number of physical and emotional traumas, which he details in his story, yet he somehow managed to communicate it all in a way that helps readers understand without completely overwhelming them. It’s the tone of the book that makes a world of difference. It is dark, yet full of hope.
The things that really stood out in this memoir were Mansoor’s sense-of-humor, strength in advocating for better treatment, insight, maintained faith and clear attempts (especially as he matured) to not let this experience lead to bitterness. Few people could have come out of this with such a gracious attitude. He’s honest, but he never comes across as hateful. He acknowledges the bad, but also makes note of those who were good to him. Unsurprisingly, he did not walk away unscathed, as PTSD resulted from the trauma, and his ability to tell his story with such tact was impressive.
Don’t Forget Us Here is a powerful true story that highlights the horrors of mistreatment and injustice. It offers a critical perspective from a wrongfully detained man. I’m thankful Mansoor Adayfi was finally able to tell his story.
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Utterly heartbreaking. Adayfi's Don't Forget Us Here is an insightful look at the inhumane treatment of countless lives throughout the United States of America's "Land of the Free".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Islamophobia
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
A portrait of an amazing, inspiring genius. The accomplishments of Adayfi would be astonishing for anyone- but he did all he did while undergoing the most brutal, heinous torture by the US government. The emotions the book evoked were total rage and hatred toward the injustice of the US, alternating with absolute astonishment and inspiration at the marvel of Adayfi and his fellow inmates' profound humanity, resilience and creativity. He stated on an NPR interview he's working on a second book about what has happened after he was "released" to Serbia, which will be a must-read for me.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
I have so many, but also no words. Such a personal lens about an experience that has lacked humanity from the U.S. Well teased out, the right amount of detail, and well-paced.