Op-ed submission to the Houston Chronicle (unpublished)

By James Thompson

The “Golden rule” is taught to all people raised in Christian households, almost from birth. It is a pillar of Christianity.

However, current US foreign policy towards one of our closest neighbors, Cuba, ignores the “Golden Rule” and, in fact, promotes the opposite of many Biblical teachings. US foreign policy has stubbornly supported the embargo against Cuba, which hurts both people in the US and in Cuba as well as many other countries. The embargo has resulted in a restriction of trade with Cuba for US industrial entities and many other companies in other countries. It has resulted in a travel ban for people from the US who want to travel to Cuba, making it, at times, difficult and at other times, nearly impossible, to travel to Cuba.

In the context of the US embargo against Cuba there is another issue which needs redressing.

There has been some international attention to the situation of the Cuban 5, but relatively little in the US. The Cuban 5 were five heroes from Cuba who came to the US to fight terrorism. They gathered information on anti-Cuban terrorist organizations in Miami to prevent the continuation of violence against Cuba. They were successful in thwarting many savage attacks on the Cuban people.

After some success, the Cuban government offered to cooperate with US intelligence agencies in preventing violence against their country and elsewhere.

Instead of cooperation, the Cuban 5 were arrested and have been in prison since 1998. Condemned by many international human rights organization, this action by the US government has been a horrible stain on the reputation of the US and its people. Two of the five have served their sentences and have returned to Cuba. Three still remain in prison.

Alan Gross, a Jewish American was apprehended by the Cubans in December, 2009. He was a subcontractor for the USAID working on a project funded by the 1996 Helms-Burton act. He has been languishing in prison since his arrest. The Cubans maintain that he committed crimes against the Cuban people.

Recently, four more individuals from the US affiliated with anti-Cuban groups have been apprehended and are in prison in Cuba.

There is a movement supporting the release of the Cuban 5. Similarly, there is a movement encouraging President Obama to “bring Alan Gross home.” There could be a movement to bring home the recently apprehended individuals as well.

Many people have suggested that the US negotiate in good faith with the Cubans to secure the release of Alan Gross and to return the remaining Cuban 5 to their homeland. Now, the demand could include the return of the recently apprehended men.

Detaining the Cuban 5 in federal prisons is blatantly anti-Christian and violates many teachings of the Bible to include “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Failure to bargain in good faith for the release of Alan Gross also violates these principles.

It is time for the people of the US to demand that President Obama release the Cuban 5 and “bring Alan Gross home” and to return home the recently apprehended people. This would be an excellent first step towards normalizing relations with Cuba. Normalizing relations with Cuba would demonstrate that the US government has not forgotten the principal teachings of the Bible. To do otherwise is an affront to Christians everywhere.