The Sutras of Abu Graib - Aidan Delgado

Aidan Delgado is the son of a diplomat. He grew up in various countries, and learned about Buddhism in Thailand and learned Arabic in Egypt. After a year of college as a religion major, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve on the morning of 9/11/01. At the time, he had not heard anyting about the World Trade Center Attacks. He was deployed in 2003 as a specialist in Nasiriyah and at Abu Graib. As he stayed there, his skepticism and then opposition to the war grew. He sought consientious objector status and finished his tour of duty, with an honorable discharge.

Now he has written a book called The Sutras of Abu Graib. It is his story and he recounts his struggles and the dehumanizing effects of war. He examines his Buddhist beliefs against a context of prisoner abuse and brutality. He describes his effort to hold on to his identity while life is falling apart around him. Even before he left the United States, he heard an officer joke about heading off to Iraq to kill ragheads and burn turbans, to much laughter. Knowing quite a lot about the cultures of the middle east, he was skeptical and what he witnessed in Iraq only fueled this, as when soldiers carried bottles that they would then smash over the heads of detainees.

Aidan believes lack of understanding of Arab or Muslim culture, combined with war zone tension and fear, contribute to rage and violence. For his part, he handed his weapon to his commander and told him that he was not going to fight or kill, that the way was wrong and he'd finish his job as a mechanic but would not hurt anyone. He was called a traitor or coward and ostracised for the duration.

Here is an excerpt from his book:

Within a week of arriving at Abu Ghraib, I see the veneer peel away from something ugly. Here and now, in this dismal place, I understand that what was set in motion in Nasiriyah is about to gain a terrible momentum. All the violence and hate that's been building will be unleashed, now that the guards have the Iraqis under their thumbs. The November "riot" is not the start of violence but the fulfillment of it, a culmination of the dark promise of Nasiriyah. In a way, it's the blossoming of the seeds of 9/11, of all the partisan speeches and sideways glances at Muslims in the airport. I begin to see the dark and shameful flipside of the occupation: brutality, racism, killing… I feel a vast and terrible karma set itself in motion: a hateful and destructive wheel at last coming full circle. The four killing in November aren't the end… they're only a portent of what is to come.

Aidan was also part of the film "Soldiers of Conscience," which chronicles conscientious objectors in the Iraq War, from West Point graduates to low ranking reservists.
Aidan's book is available through Beacon Press.
Aidan was interviewed in the New York Times.
Aidan's website

Mind blowing synchronistic coincidence! As I finished this post, I happened to go to Docudharma site (friends from ArtKos) and found this! wonderful book review with photos by "On the Bus."Aidan also was on-line at the same site last night! I hope that this worthy book finds the large audience out there that needs to find out about it!
transcript of on-line appearance
(photo above, D. Grieser; photo below, self-portrait by Aidan Delgado in front of one of Saddam Hussein's many palaces)

Slugbug (X-posted today at Democracy Cell Project

Comments

[kayakbiker]

I was online with him last night and asked him a question.

My question also concerns Buddhism

Who or what was instrumental in introducing you to this religion?

When I was in the Vietnam war I had lots of "down time" which gave me lots of opportunity to read. It was during that time that I found support for my deepest beliefs that I hold till this day.

His response:

down time was instrumental in my religious development, not only because it afforded me the opportunity to study but because it gave me the internal space for reflection. I needed the quiet moments to process everything that I was experiencing and also to fit those experiences in the moral framework I was building in my head. Academics introduced me to Buddhism, but all the moments of silence and reflection kept it alive for me in Iraq.
by: TheObjector

[slugbug]

That is awesome!

I wanted to be there but Chris had arranged for us to go to "Across the Universe," which turned out to be cool - imagine a musical with the girlfriend of Marilyn Manson in the lead & it had all Beatle music and touches heavily on Vietnam war and protests - watched in today's times.

Other than having your past deconstructed, reconstructed and sold back to you for a price, it is a lesson for current generations.

& as you can surmise, the Clockwork Orange guy with his eyes pried open with the magical bus YouTube video is supposed to be what McCain needs to do in the area of reprogramming. He went in the wrong direction before.