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Cameron, I'm forwarding this to some other mailing lists, and to some Usenet newsgroups. Rolf M. Malmö, Sweden >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From: Cameron McLaughlin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 15:21:15 -0500 >Subject: eFreePalestine! FBI torture of Muslims in US > >I know this is beyond the scope of this group, but we must spread the >word about what is happening here in the US to all Muslim people. It has >gone far beyond detention and harassment. > > >A terrifying article from Dawn (www.dawn.com), > >Pakistan's English-language newspaper, which is in no > >way considered extreme. This was published June 23rd > >and passed on to me by my friend Raza, in Pakistan. > >Note particularly: > > > >"Mohammad Rafiq Butt, a Pakistani, was picked up by > >the FBI after 9/11 and was tortured to death. The INS > >reluctantly sent his body back to his family in > >Pakistan who carried out an independent autopsy and > >discovered that the cause of his death was severe > >beating and torture." (taken from within the following > >article). > > > >Has anyone read a word about such actions? > > > >Lisa, > >now quoting the article and, through anyone who can > >pass them on, sending condolences and my personal > >shame to the victims of this kind of terror. > >------------------------------------------------ > > > >FBI and INS into racial profiling of Muslims > > > >By Anjum Niaz > > > > Caramel coloured clouds that hang atop Brooklyn > >Prison and Detention Centre lend a sober sight to a > >treeless, flowerless and a friendless neighbourhood. > >Dog-dirt strewn across the pavement emits a fowl > >smell, while the desolate structures all around look > >like a wild west movie set. An odd immigrant > >shopkeeper shuffles around, eyes downcast, lost in his > >weary shack. The silence is eerie. Unbelievable that > >only 10 subway stops away is lovely Manhattan, and its > >alluring sights and smells with wealthy Americans out > >shopping on late Saturday summer morning! > > > >As I cross under a Brooklyn bridge, laden with water > >(a burst sewer?), I see the protesters gathered in > >front of the Prison, across the road. The poker-faced > >police is in full force and have cordoned the area. My > >effort to stray off and get a close shot of the > >maximum-security federal prison sends a scowling cop > >scampering after me with a stern warning that such a > >trespass will not be tolerated. > > > >Every Saturday, for the past 21 weeks, protesters have > >assembled in this very spot to demonstrate against FBI > >and INS (Immigration Service) detention of over 2,200 > >Arab and Pakistani immigrants since 9/11. "We are > >experiencing one of the worst periods of xenophobic > >and racist backlash this country has seen in recent > >history," Robina Niaz, a Pakistani volunteer tells me. > >She works with Justice for Detainees Coalition. She > >adds, "The Arabs and Pakistanis have been under direct > >attack in the forms of racial violence, racial > >profiling, mass incarcerations and deportations. None > >have been charged with crimes connected to the 9/11. > >We live in fear because these incidents have gone > >unreported as INS, FBI and NYPD (New York Police) are > >still continuing to kidnap members of our community." > > > >Flashing images of Pakistani men being deported on > >visa violations come to my mind as Adem Carroll, > >Relief Coordinator for Islamic Circle of North > >America, tells me, "We have received reports that some > >Pakistanis have been deported in their jail clothes, > >an orange jumpsuit, which may criminalize them in the > >eyes of the authorities back there." > > > >Wait a second. To be dressed in a jailbird orange > >jumpsuit and arriving on your sacred homeland is the > >ultimate humility the Americans can heap on > >Pakistanis! Can one imagine these fallen men to ever > >lead normal lives again? And yet, not a stir of > >protest from our Embassy here nor from authorities in > >Pakistan. Such official indifference is so > >devastating. > > > >About the identity of these unfortunate men, Adem > >tells me, "For the moment, I will not provide the > >names we have as I would like to give them time to > >readjust back in Pakistan. Apart from the humiliation > >and indignity they have suffered, it's difficult as > >many have lost their savings with legal fees or to > >keep families fed during their confinement. Some have > >Americanized children who may find return to Pakistan > >a new but confusing experience." > > > >Brooklyn has been one of the INS's main targets. > >Hundreds of Muslims have disappeared in the middle of > >the night, with most of their loved ones still being > >kept in the dark about their charges and conditions. > >"The INS refuses to return our phone calls or answer > >our letters," says Adem. While his organization has > >spent $150,000 for legal services, attorneys are > >reluctant to take up pro bono cases because of the > >stigma attached. > > > >"Mohammad Azmath and Ayyub Ali remain in solitary > >confinement after nine months in this prison. This > >does not mean that the charges of terrorism against > >the two Pakistanis have been substantiated," says Adam > >who recalls that 35 men were kept in solitary > >confinement at this facility for many months and were > >only moved down to general jail population when FBI > >cleared them. > > > >DRUM (Desis Rising Up and Moving) is also coming to > >the rescue. Being a community-based social justice > >organization of working class and poor South Asians > >immigrants in New York, founded in 1999. Its mission > >is to organize low-income, South Asians immigrant for > >racial, economic and social justice on critical local > >struggles and their global roots. > > > >"We make this happen through our campaigns, actions > >and programmes," says Monami, a Bangladeshi activist, > >who has worked tirelessly with families of detainees. > >"Mohammad Rafiq Butt, a Pakistani, was picked up by > >the FBI after 9/11 and was tortured to death. The INS > >reluctantly sent his body back to his family in > >Pakistan who carried out an independent autopsy and > >discovered that the cause of his death was severe > >beating and torture. We want INS to provide us with > >answers to Butt's death," demands Monami at the rally, > >as a chorus of slogans are raised: > > > >Say No to repression and racial profiling! > > > >Say No to Cointerlpro (FBI secret police)! > > > >Stop the detentions! > > > >Stop the deportations! > > > >Stop the disappearances! > > > >Norman Siegel, former executive director of ACLU > >(American Civil Liberties Union), warns about the > >sinister intrusion of FBI agents, who are always > >present at such gatherings. "I strongly recommend you > >find out who is who at such a public demonstration, > >because the FBI does not let us or the public know > >what they are up to. This is antithetical to an open > >democratic society like ours," says Norman, who > >wonders how America could have targeted 150,000 > >Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbour, whose lives > >were negatively affected, or allowed former FBI > >director Edgar Hoover's and Senator Joe McCarthy's > >reign of terror. > > > >"We must now wake up and speak up," says Siegel, who > >has been here on all 21 Saturdays, "we want middle New > >Yorkers and mainstream America to join in with our > >protests. Washington will only sit up and change its > >policies when we form a mass movement, as we did > >during the civil rights days. We must not be silent > >and must continue to demand from FBI and INS to give > >us the names and specific information about the people > >they are currently holding." > > > >FBI director Robert Mueller, along with Attorney > >General Ashcroft, have taken so much flak for their > >colossal 9/11 intelligence failure that now they are > >playing catch up and grabbing any Muslim that crosses > >their path. The Puerto Rican Jose Padilla, a.k.a > >Abdullah al Muhajir, is the latest catch, arrested > >last month for plotting to attack the United States > >with a so-called radioactive "dirty bomb". Ashcroft > >victoriously flashed his victim to the world from > >Moscow, where he had gone for a conference. Reminds > >one of our overzealous police who, when put on a > >deadline by higher authorities, nab the wrong man or > >kill him in 'police encounter'! Mueller and Ashcroft, > >with all their millions and sophisticated high-tech, > >are as tawdry as our rundown ramshackle law > >enforcement authorities! > > > >A pretty green-eyed Kashmiri, Zahida Pirhani is scared > >stiff of Ashcroft's ambition to swell his ranks of > >Muslim detainees: "My parents left India to escape > >Hindu persecution. I was born and raised here. My > >mother reminds me daily: 'Zahida, remember you are a > >Muslim'. Mother of two, Zahida volunteers for DRUM: "I > >believe in my freedom. I am an American. Why should I > >be profiled?" > > > >Debbie Almontaser is a hijab-wearing Arab woman who > >demands: "I should be able to walk alone on these > >streets in my hijab. But I am afraid. I want security. > >This is my home. I know of no other home. I want to be > >okay." * * * --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================