Hunger strikes have been a recurring news story in 2017. Among many high-profile cases, perhaps, the most notable is the ongoing strike of Guantánamo prisoners Khalid Qasim and Ahmed Rabbini. The prisoners have now refused food since the September 20. Both have been imprisoned for the past 15 years without charge.
The nonviolent protest of fasting has its roots in pre-Christian Ireland—there are legends of St. Patrick using hunger strikes—as well as ancient India, with reports documented between 400 to 750 BC. It's a form of protest that takes in the suffragettes, Irish Republicans, Gandhi, and Cuban dissidents. But what is it like to starve yourself for a cause, potentially to death?
Read Full Article »
