On May 23, the Dartmouth Asian Organization will host a free, public lecture featuring Chaplain James Yee at 4:30 p.m. in Filene Auditorium in Moore Hall. The title of his talk is "A U.S. Army Muslim Chaplain's Struggle for Justice."
Yee is a third-generation Chinese American and West Point graduate. He served in the aftermath of the first Gulf War as a Patriot Missile Fire Control Officer, and he converted to Islam in 1991. Yee returned to active duty as a U.S. Army Muslim Chaplain in 2001.
After September 11, 2001, he represented Muslims in the military and worked to educate soldiers about Islam. Subsequently, Yee was selected to serve as the Muslim Chaplain at the U.S. prison camp for declared enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay.
In September 2003, after being officially recognized twice for outstanding performance, Yee served 76 days in solitary confinement in a naval prison after being falsely accused of spying, espionage, and aiding the alleged Taliban and Al-Qaeda prisoners. After months of government investigation, all criminal charges were dropped. Yee tendered his resignation from the U.S. Army and received an Honorable Discharge in January 2005.
Yee's lecture at Dartmouth will cover his experience at Guantanamo, as well as issues of religious and ethnic diversity. He will also speak about the challenges of protecting both national security and civil liberties. |