When Only God Can See: The Faith of Muslim Political Prisoners - Softcover

Quisay, Walaa; Qureshi, Asim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0745348955 ISBN 13: 9780745348957

Publisher: Pluto Press, 2024

Synopsis

‘This beautifully written and harrowing book bears witness to the devastating experience of imprisonment; it shows the centrality of faith; and tenderly details the prayers, communities and acts of resistance that sustained these prisoners when faced with forced disappearance, punishment, and torture’ Laleh Khalili, author of Time in the Shadows

‘A passionate revelation of the secret endurance of people suffering extraordinary trauma ... A must read to understand the limitless potential of the human spirit’ Aida Seif El-Dawla, psychiatrist and co-founder of El Nadeem Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture

When Only God Can See uncovers the unique experiences of Muslim political prisoners held in Egypt and under US custody at Guantanamo Bay and other detention black sites. This groundbreaking book explores the intricate interplay between their religious beliefs, practices of ritual purity, prayer, and modes of resistance in the face of adversity. Highlighting the experiences of these prisoners, faith is revealed to be not only a personal spiritual connection to God, but also a means of contestation against prison and state authorities, reflecting larger societal struggles.

Written by Walaa Quisay, who has worked closely with prisoners in Egypt, and Asim Qureshi, with years of experience supporting detainees at Guantanamo Bay, the authors’ deep connections with prisoner communities and their emphasis on the power of resistance shine through.

Asim Qureshi is Research Director at CAGE. He specialises in investigating the impact of counterterrorism practices worldwide. He is the author of A Virtue of Disobedience. Walaa Quisay is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. She is the author of Neo-Traditionalism in Islam in the West: Orthodoxy, Spirituality and Politics.

About this title

About the Author

Walaa Quisay is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. She has worked at numerous academic institutions, including the University of Manchester, the University of Birmingham and Istanbul Sehir University. She is the author of Neo-Traditionalism in Islam in the West: Orthodoxy, Spirituality, and Politics.

Asim Qureshi is Research Director at CAGE, an independent advocacy group working to empower communities impacted by The War On Terror. He specializes in investigating the impact of counterterrorism practices worldwide, and advises legal teams involved in defending terrorism trials in the US and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He is the author of A Virtue of Disobedience.

From the Back Cover

‘This beautifully written and harrowing book bears witness to the devastating experience of imprisonment; it shows the centrality of faith; and tenderly details the prayers, communities and acts of resistance that sustained these prisoners when faced with forced disappearance, punishment, and torture’ Laleh Khalili, author of Time in the Shadows

‘A passionate revelation of the secret endurance of people suffering extraordinary trauma ... A must read to understand the limitless potential of the human spirit’ Aida Seif El-Dawla, psychiatrist and co-founder of El Nadeem Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture

When Only God Can See uncovers the unique experiences of Muslim political prisoners held in Egypt and under US custody at Guantanamo Bay and other detention black sites. This groundbreaking book explores the intricate interplay between their religious beliefs, practices of ritual purity, prayer, and modes of resistance in the face of adversity. Highlighting the experiences of these prisoners, faith is revealed to be not only a personal spiritual connection to God, but also a means of contestation against prison and state authorities, reflecting larger societal struggles.

Written by Walaa Quisay, who has worked closely with prisoners in Egypt, and Asim Qureshi, with years of experience supporting detainees at Guantanamo Bay, the authors’ deep connections with prisoner communities and their emphasis on the power of resistance shine through.

Asim Qureshi is Research Director at CAGE. He specialises in investigating the impact of counterterrorism practices worldwide. He is the author of A Virtue of Disobedience. Walaa Quisay is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. She is the author of Neo-Traditionalism in Islam in the West: Orthodoxy, Spirituality and Politics.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pluto Press
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0745348955
• ISBN 13: 9780745348957
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256