Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) has long been one of hip-hop’s most politically and socially active personalities. The Brooklyn, N.Y., rapper-actor has spoken out against gentrification, New York City’s controversial “Stop and Frisk” policy, the Jena 6 case and now, he’s using his celebrity to address a controversial practice at the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The star agreed to undergo force-feeding through a tube using the same method prisoners in the U.S. camp in Cuba are subjected to. The project hopes to shed light on the human rights violations that occur at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
As Ramadan begins, more than 100 hunger-strikers at the Guantanamo Bay facility continue to protest. At least 40 of those hunger-strikers are being force-fed. A document was leaked that outlines standard operating procedure for the force-feeding process. Yasiin Bey participated in a four-minute clip by Reprieve, the human rights organization that called for the star to experience the harrowing procedure.
The clip was filmed by Bafta Award-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia. Click to see the distressing experience that Islamic detainees undergo and Bey’s reaction to it.
