A Message From Sabah El Banna, Wife Of Jamil El Banna

Sabah El-Banna with two of her children outside the US Embassy regarding her husband's detention in Guantanamo

All praise be to God. I would like to thank everyone attending this meeting for being here and I would like to apologise that I am unable to be with you today, but I am with you in spirit and hope that these words can take my place.

Four years of my life, the lives of my children and of my husband Jamil have gone by and here we still are. Four years have gone by. God alone knows how difficult and strenuous they have been for all of us. I would prefer not to tell you about all the difficulties and hardships we have faced and rather I would like to inform you of some rather happy and surprising news, which was painful as well. I thank God in any case. I had the opportunity to speak to Jamil for a whole hour three days before Eid. Believe me, it came as a shock to me and more of a shock to him.

Perhaps they allowed us to speak to each other because his mother, who also suffered greatly for four years without being able to see or speak to her son, died recently. When my children found out that I had spoken to their father while they were at school, they became angry with me and asked me why they weren’t allowed to speak to him, especially as they miss him so much. My children asked me lots of questions about what he said.

He just wants to come home. My 6 year old daughter asked me if I took his phone number down. They asked me lots of questions they hadn’t asked me before. I can only pray to God to give me patience and strength. Believe me, all I can do is pray. Only God knows how much I have suffered. How long will we go on talking and talking and holding meetings before my husband and the other prisoners are allowed to return to their children and families?

Finally, I hope that this is the last time you hear from me in this way and that next time, I will be sending you a happier message when Jamil is released and returns. My hope is strong and my hope is only in God. Even if there is no justice in this world, I still hope that God will grant me divine justice because as we say, He is the Just, and I believe that justice will be done soon. Justice will find a way to reunite my husband with his family. That is what I hope from God. I apologise for taking up so much of your time and I thank you for listening to me.

Source: Cageprisoners