[Biggest
Islamic
web site in the
U.S.]
P.O. Box 356, Kingsville, MD 21087.
Phone: 410-435-5000.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are not necessarily
shared by editorial committee.
Responses (positive or negative) up to 250 words are welcome.
Names will be withheld on request.
--------------------------------------------
NEW YORK to OTTAWA BLACKOUT
IN New York alone there were 80,000
emergency calls (911) during the
night of the blackout [August 14-15]
New Trend reporters in New York City,
Jamaica, NY., Staten Island and
Toronto,
Canada
say that the real sufferers were
the old and the sick. It
could prove a knock-out blow for segments of the
economy.
There was minor looting in Brooklyn and more
serious looting in Ottawa,
Canada.
Some African-American sisters and brothers
who had come to New York to
protest the degrading (semi-nude) programming on
BET
(a Black entertainment TV
network) were stuck there till the next day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ahmad ‘Abdel Sattar's Mother Died While he is
held in
U.S.
Prison on
Frivolous Charges
[Dear readers: The following letter about leading
Egyptian
dissident Br. Ahmad has been sent to the Judge and the
prosecutors. Their addresses are given.
Please write URGENTLY to both adresses urging
Ahmad's release. USE THIS LETTER
AS A SAMPLE.]
Hon. John G. Koeltl
United States District Court
Southern District of New York
500 Pearl Street
New York, NY 10007
Dear Judge Koeltl
I have been following the case of Ahmad ‘Abdel
Sattar who was once paralegal to
Shaikh Omar ‘Abdel Rahman.
I notice that you
have dropped the major charges
related to "terrorism" against Ahmad but he
continues to be held in solitary
confinement on charges of "solicitation of
violence" and "fraud."
On August 13, Ahmad's mother died of kidney
failure. She was 70. I am shocked
to know that Ahmad was not permitted to visit his
mother even on her death
bed. Nor was he allowed to attend her funeral.
Ahmad is a citizen of the United States, married
to a
Chicago
woman with four
lovely children. He has lived like a model
citizen with not one allegation of
criminal activity against him. As you have
yourself decided, he has not been
involved in "terroristic" activity either. Why
then should he continue to be
held WITHOUT BAIL on secondary charges which are
apparently even more frivolous
than the "terrorism" charges?
I am saddened that Ahmad was not permitted to
meet his mother on her death
bed. There is close cooperation between the U.S.
government and the Egyptian
dictator Hosni
Mubarak.
Surely Ahmad could have
met his mother under this joint
security force without danger of escape!
I am told by Lisa, Ahmad's wife, that Ahmad used
to work after hours to sell
baby formula so that he could send funds to his
mother in Cairo for her kidney
dialysis. The Egyptian system is so corrupt that
the hospitals demand
payment in cash before a patient is treated. I am
confident that on investigation,
it will be found that the money he sent to Egypt
was for his mother's treatment
and not for 'terrorism'.
Dear Judge
The Muslim community sees a Muslim citizen of
this great country being held
in prison because he opposes U.S. foreign policy
and condemns the dictatorship
imposed on the Egyptian people. It is time that
justice be done and Ahmad be
released from prison. No one should have to
suffer so much for opposition to
the policies of the government. I hope this is
still a free country where the
freedoms of speech, expression and organization
are still viable.
Sincerely
Kaukab Siddique, Ph.D
Associate Professor of English
Cc. Robin Baker, AUSA
Christopher Morvillo, AUSA
Office of the United States Attorney
Southern District of New York
1 St. Andrews Plaza
New York, NY 10007
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2003-08-17 Sun 14:50ct