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Book Review: For God and Country by James Yee
Anonymous
November 2005
Almost exactly two years after the bombing of the World Trade Center, James (Yusuf) Yee, a Captain and Muslim chaplain in the U.S. army who had been stationed in Guantanamo Bay was arrested. The charges included mutiny, sedition, aiding the enemy, and espionage, each of which is punishable by death. Yee, who always maintained his innocence, spent seventy-six days in solitary confinement and fought against the charges until they were dropped the following year. After resigning from the military and thus rendering his gag order null and void, James has told his story in the book, For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire, with the help of journalist Aimee Molloy.
I began reading Yee's book with great anticipation and curiosity. How and why did this Chinese American man become a Muslim? Why did he join the military and what was his experience there? And, of course, what was his reaction to being charged with such serious crimes when he was innocent? How did he feel about the U.S. government and the military after going through such an ordeal? I learned quite a bit, but was left feeling somewhat unsatisfied when I finished. Perhaps it is the very matter-of-fact tone of the book… perhaps there could have been a deeper examination of both the man and the military.
As evident by the title of the book, Yee's life revolved around two main themes: serving his country through military service and his adopted faith, Islam. I must admit that I have never related much to individuals who are wildly enthusiastic about the military or extremely religious, but Yee does come across as a down-to-earth, peaceable man of courage and integrity, albeit somewhat naïve.
