The name Cyrus Kar probably doesn’t carry much meaning for you, but it does for Donald Rumsfeld.

Kar, who is a U.S. citizen of Iranian birth, a documentary filmmaker and a Navy veteran, is the first United States citizen to sue the office of the Secretary of Defense, and more specifically, Donald Rumsfeld. On May 17, Kar was arrested while filming a documentary in the outskirts of Baghdad. Iraqi police inspected the taxi in which Kar and his camera were riding and found 36 washing machine timers in its trunk. These timers are typically used in roadside bombs. Despite the Iraqi driver having admitted the timers were his, Kar and his cameraman were arrested.

According to an article published by ABCnews, Kar revealed his citizenship to Iraqi police and then asked to speak with the U.S. Embassy. Instead he was handed over to the U.S. military. From there he was detained in the now infamous Abu Ghraib prison for two days. Shortly afterwards, the FBI had concluded that Kar posed no threat, but he was still detained for another 47 days in Camp Cropper before even receiving a hearing. After being released, Kar gained legal representation from the American Civil Liberties Union and filed a suit against Donald Rumsfeld, who was Secretary of Defense at the time.

Kar’s case is an unusual one, and should be remembered. The ability of the cooperating Iraqi police and U.S. military forces to detain a citizen is surreal. The fact that Kar was not promptly given a hearing only adds to the embarrassment that our leaders should, but apparently do not, feel.

The United States government has motioned to dismiss Kar’s lawsuit stating that it holds no merit unless there is, “a realistic threat that he [Kar] will again be subject to detention in Iraq by the United States military officers.” In essence, Kar should have no room for complaint because he won’t be arrested in Iraq again. The lack of responsibility our government is demonstrating is inexcusable. When the basic rights of a citizen are violated, the least reaction should be for our government to acknowledge responsibility.

Let me state that personal politics about the war should be left out of this argument. This is not a discussion about foreign policy. Whether you’re a republican, democrat, liberal, conservative or moderate you must recognize the danger of this situation. Any violation of any citizen’s rights, especially during war time, should be a call to protest and recognition of hypocrisy. The United States cannot bring democracy and freedom to any part of the world if it cannot promise such things to its own citizens.

As a country we can not afford the case of Cyrus Kar to be dismissed by our government. Apathy toward this situation leaves room for its repetition, and silence definitely means consent. There should always be a struggle to maintain the individual’s rights in our society. Any occurrence to the contrary should receive the highest amount of scrutiny and stir feelings of disgust and unease. If the case of Cyrus Kar is forgotten, then the drive for freedom and prosperity that blankets our way of life will only be a fictitious ideal.

Keith Cameron is an opinion columnist for the Northern Star.