Terry Colin Holdbrooks ( Mustafa Abdullah) is a former U.S Army soldier who embraced Islam while being stationed at Camp Delta - Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; as a prison guard between 2004-2005. He was born in Phoenix Arizona on July the 7th, 1983.
He lived in Arizona for most of his childhood and young adult years, only briefly residing in Nevada for a short time. He grew up with his biological parents until the age of seven, when they separated and moved on with their lives, while he moved to in with his grandparents.
Speaking about his childhood, he recalls: "I lived an average American boy’s life, school, video games, my bike, etc. I came to understand quickly in school that I was not receiving an honest education; honest in respects to what has really happened in history, and what we teach our youth in America. As a result I spent a good deal of time reading and studying on my own as a child and young adult, not playing sports or being Mr. Popular. I wouldn’t say that I was a social outcast, but I was certainly different from those I went to school with, and always have (s/b have always had) had my opinions about the world around me"
About his unwavering conviction as a proud patriotic American, inspite of his experience of enduring the occasional malicious slurs and belittling assumptions that people have made ever since his religious conversion; he passionately asserts: "I have been in America all of my life, and this is my Country just as it is anyone else's who lives here. I have served for our country and will defend it to the day that I die. I have one mission, and that is to help bridge the gap of understanding between the East and the West"
On December 29th 2003, he embraced Islam after 20 years of struggling to define what it meant to be a good person, citizen, husband and soldier. In his own words he expresses: "I struggled because I don’t think I accomplished any of those things until I realized the moral ground I was missing. Not to say that a moral ground is necessary in life, there are more than a number of examples of people who have had no moral ground and accomplished greatness. It is necessary however to live a rewarding life, rich and full of purpose"
With regards to the detrimental factors that affected his outlook on life on the road to his religious awakening; he concedes: "I didn’t make these decisions (my conversion, public speaking, political action) to spite anyone or any organization, I didn’t convert to change my nationality or political views, I made this conversion to celebrate life, to live fuller with more responsibility, and especially to show anyone that reads my work just how much compassion can accomplish, the pacifist and real intellectual members of my generation believe it is essential to find a better understanding of the world around us and the Islamic faith that over a billion people in our world practice."
His experience in the U.S Army was liberating in more ways than one; enabling him to think outside the box and reflect upon the fallacies of the media, which he believes conditions the minds of millions of Americans today through a biased approach towards Islam and Muslims.
According to his personal experience, as expressed in his own words:
"The Army fed me the propaganda they do, but anyone with half a brain could see through it and know better, I would hope. I arrived in GTMO and was in a complete state of culture shock. Languages I had never heard of or heard spoken, people from societies and cultures thousands of miles from my home, and a faith I had not seen practiced in my life. Faith is what stood out the most to me, here is a group of people, over 700 strong, and they are devout to their faith, not like we are in the states, with our salad bar approach to the divine. We take what we want from faith and leave what we don’t, and to see it practiced and accepted as it was written was a new experience to me all together. My open mind served me well in GTMO, as it allowed for me to have an interest in learning the lives and cultures, the languages, and eventually, InshAllah (God willing,) Islam.
What I saw in GTMO changed my life forever, and in the best of ways. Now I too am a practicing Muslim, living here in America, and speaking out about an issue we as a nation have failed to address. GTMO is a justification for Al Qaeda, The Taliban, Mujahedeen, and all the rest to exist, because we have sunk to their level. Having left the military, and GTMO, I am now a writer, and a speaker, a member of the Muslim community, and still an American. Some may choose to call me a “Traitor”, but my only rebuttal to that is “Have you yourself served for our country”? I do not only speak out in regards to GTMO, but also Islamic awareness and necessity for community, and education as well. We as brothers and sisters need to strengthen our community and relations with none Muslims across the nation, and we as Americans need to take a critical evaluation upon our educational system. Upon a further inspection I am confident that we will all see matters that need to be reformed so that our future generations grow up to be smarter and more aware of the world they live in, and so that we can stop inheriting our fathers wars"
Holdbrooks is currently working on a 'tell-all' book / personal memoir titled "Traitor?". The book paints a heart rendering mosaic about his life, the evolution of his experiences while growing up as an American and the subsequent sights and sounds that he encountered during his service in the U.S army detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; from a wide array of perspectives that encompass the facets of his personal, political, social and religious outlook.
For more information on Holdbrooks and his upcoming book venture; the following websites are the primary sources:
[www.youtube.com/thebrothermustafa Brother Mustafa on YouTube]