In the end was the Word, and the Word was with Begg

Daniel Nelson

The man is Moazzam Begg, the Briton who was held in Guantanamo for years before his release in 2005. He was never tried, but was pursued by a cloud of suspicion. 

The film is a long interview with Beg, as he answers questions about his life and motivations: from fighting neo-Nazis on the streets of Birmingham; becoming a devout Muslim; forging a sympathy with Muslims struggling around the world; trips to Bosnia and Chechnya; appearing on the radar of British Intelligence; moving his family to Taliban-run Afghanistan and fleeing across the border into Pakistan in the wake of 9/11; abduction and transfer into US military custody in Kandahar, Bagram and finally Guantanamo; undergoing interrogation and imprisonment without charge, eventual release and subsequent life.

It’s an unusual story, and the viewer’s interest lies in deciding whether his story is true – whether, essentially, he is a man trying to live according to the tenets of his faith, at worst a little blinkered, who took himself to where he felt Muslims were under pressure but was not a fighter.

He is cool and fluent under questioning and there’s no corroboration or refutation from those around him during these extraordinary experiences: it’s his version of the story, told straight to camera. 

So if you are interested in Begg, Guantanamo, contemporary jihad, and the War on Terror - and the trumping of justice, because this is a man imprisoned and mistreated but never charged - The Confession will be of interest. Otherwise, it’s not for you.

Those who see him as an example of the injustices that follow the corrosion of the rule of law as a result of the war of terror will see confirmation of their views. Those who argue that there’s no smoke without fire and that Something Must Be Done will feel equally justified.

But his experiences mean that he is a man who must be listened to, from whom we must try to learn – for example, about whether British officials have been complicit in torture and injustice, or about how Britain has given up independent behaviour in swathes of foreign policy in favour of “protection” from its powerful transatlantic cousin.

We also need to listen and consider a devout man’s views on contemporary geopolitics and whether there is a line between giving personal  support to a country at war and fighting for it.

+ Dochouse: Doc/Fest picks

+ The film officially opens 12 August and will be supported by a series of Q&As with director Ashish Ghadiali and Begg across the UK in 14 cinemas.

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