Abu Abdullah: For me, it was seeing how it affected my mum. The things she had to go through to visit me. The searches … and being sniffed by the dogs. My mum has a phobia of dogs. It really upset me, seeing her upset.

Al-Istiqamah: Do you think that a lot depends on the person’s mindset?

Abu Abdullah: Yes. As a Muslim, we know that our Prophet (SAW) said that “This world is a prison for the believer.” As Muslims, we always have to look at the benefits in a situation.

Al-Istiqamah: Do you think that a lot of the time, Muslim prisoners and their families feel that there is not enough support for them?

Abu Abdullah: That’s true…but prisoners are just one problem that the ummah [community] is neglecting. If you look at how many people pray regularly, how many people attend the masjid outside of Ramadhan… Sometimes we have to look at ourselves, instead of feeling that others are not doing enough for the prisoners. What were we doing for the prisoners before we ourselves were arrested, or had a family member arrested? For so many years, I’d forgotten these people and then I became a prisoner myself. And it did open my eyes. How do we bring a change within ourselves and within our community?

No matter how many problems we have in this country, it’s nothing compared to what happens to some brothers detained abroad. In the UK we look at how things have gotten worse for the Muslims since 9/11. The Israelis were mistreating our brothers way before 9/11. There were Muslims in Belmarsh suffering before 9/11. The Muslims in Kashmir were suffering before 9/11.

Al-Istiqamah: How do you feel about the fact that there are so many Muslims in Belmarsh, considering you were previously behind those walls?

Abu Abdullah: It makes me very very sad in the sense that one assumes that when a person has been in a situation, they will never forget. But I feel that as humans, we do forget. It’s similar to a person who tastes riches after poverty and then forgets what it was like to be poor. When I read about Belmarsh in the news, I try to remember how I felt when imprisoned. I want to help my brothers.

 

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