Jamaat al-Muslimeen International Press Release
GOVERNMENT shows ITS UGLY FACE: Denial of Visit by Prominent Imam
Devious Attempt to Create Divisions Among Muslim
International Rally Will Show Muslim Response to Injustice
Pharoah ..."he was arrogant even among inordinate transgressors."
(44:31)
(Dear readers, asa, oppression of Imam Jamil al-Amin is increasing. The
gag
order on him was not removed inspite of earlier positive indications.
He has
also been stopped from leading Juma' prayers or participation in such
prayers. Now we have the following report which indicates the arrogance
and
misbehavior of the prison authorities towards an Imam who wanted to
make a
scheduled visit to Imam Jamil strictly according to the rules.)
(Readers might remember that on his second visit to Imam Jamil, Br.
Kaukab
was similarly mistreated, denied the visit, and when he questioned the
denial, the prison boss, then a male, came near to hitting him. At that
time
people thought the jailors were so aggressive owing to Br. Kaukab's
writings,
but now it appears that this is their policy of injustice and
mistreatment of
Muslim visitors)
(Imam Warithuddin Umar, from Albany, New York, is a learned brother and
leader in the Muslim community and well-known for his positive
contributions
to the inmates in the prison system. For more about him, see New Trend
magazine, Vol. 20, Number 12.)
{Text of Imam Umar's letter}
Dear brother Kaukab: As Salaamu alaikum
On August 15, 2001 I returned from touring the state of South
Carolina's
repressive Prison Industrial Complex where many captive believers
reside. We
visited nine prisons in five days. The Imams/Chaplains invited me there
to
assess the system and make a determination as to whether or not the
prisons
meet the minimum standards for services for Muslim inmates and
prisoners. The
South Carolina system is grossly inadequate and poorly run and fails to
meet
our standards. After a week in South Carolina, we drove to Atlanta on a
prepared schedule to visit the Fulton County Jail and meet with Imam
Jamil Al
Amin. There were 3 of us. Myself, Imam Muttahhir Sabree, South Carolina
Chaplain and Imam Muhammad S. Adly.
We arrived at the jail as agreed at 10 am and were told the elevators
were
not working. I respectfully asked for professional courtesy to be
extended to
us since we had traveled such distance to have this visit. Curtly and
nastily
the woman Jail Chief, Shirley Greene responded, "we don't give
professional
courtesy to Clergy, and we've done enough for Al Amin."
We respectfully waited in the lobby hoping for an answer as to when the
elevators would be repaired. We stayed until the afternoon and decided
to see
if we could speak to someone with more discretion to allow us to use
the
stairway or freight elevators. I assured the Chief that I was fully
aware of
protocol and security measures as a present Chaplain with the Federal
Bureau
of Prisons and former Ministerial Program Coordinator for the New York
State
Department of Corrections.
We continued to be denied. When we asked to speak with her superior,
Sheriff
Jacqueline Barrett (another woman in charge), we were referred to Imam
William Abdur Rahim. I spoke to him on the Chief's office phone. He
introduced himself as the Convener of the Atlanta majlis shuurah and
the
liaison between the Atlanta's Muslim community and the jail-city
administration. He advised us to leave and go back to my hotel room at
Atlanta Airport and he would take me in the next day. The two Imams
with me
had to leave and go back to S.C.
I extended my flight arrangements and stayed waiting for Imam Abdur
Rahim. I
called his number at 9:30 am, again at 2:30pm and again at 5:30pm each
time
leaving a message on his answering machine thanking him for his efforts
and
asking him to please call me at the hotel to let me know what was
happening.
He never called. The Imam from the Atlanta Federal Prison came to the
hotel
and sympathized with me. I did get a call from the jail Chaplain, Imam
Muhammad Furqan who had been away doing dawah at another prison. He
called
near midnight and said he thought we had been allowed into the jail as
he had
made the arrangements. He stated he had not been told about "downed
elevators".
I left Atlanta the next morning (8/15) disappointed in my Muslim
brothers
and suspicious of the tactics of the jail system. The day after I
arrived
back in Albany, New York. I received a call from a fellow Imam/Chaplain
in
North Carolina (brother Khalil Abdur Rahman). It turns out brother
Khalil set
up the original arrangement for our visit. He informed us that Imam
Jamil was
being denied all visits even from his lawyer wife! The Sheriff was
given a
report that the 3 of us had created an incident and went outside the
prison
and protested our treatment. This of course was a CREATED LIE.
It is now obvious that our visit was used as a pretext to deny Imam
Jamil
and further the damage to his case and his life. The Imam suggested
that as a
method of tactic we might want to consider to apologize to the city
jailers.
We did nothing. We showed no arrogance or disrespect. We were indeed
professional and I fully understood the sensitive nature of the
circumstances. I would never jeopardize our brother. I think an apology
would
justify their mistreatemt. I was informed that the jailers told Imam
Jamil
that we destroyed his visiting privileges or something to that effect.
I
asked the brothers who had contact to let Imam Jamil know of the
deviousness
of these devils who try to turn the Muslim against one another. May
Allah
bless us in our struggle.
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www.NewTrendMag.org (Click on java scripts, click on NEWS and go to
Imam
Jamil.)
The best site for issues related to Imam Jamil.
==========================================================================
Dear Muslims: You must come in your thousands to the International
rally in
downtown Atlanta (Woodruff Park, Peachtree street) on September 14 for
united Juma' and on September 15 for all day rally. All independent
Muslim
organizations and other faith groups are expected to send
representatives.
The oppressors are now holding our beloved Imam and want nothing less
than
death for him.
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2001-08-30 Thu 17:44ct