MUSLIMS QUESTION TIMING, INTENT BEHIND ARREST OF MUSLIM PROFESSOR

e-mail press release from Muslim American Society (MAS) | 2/20/03

[Brian Mosely]

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

..: Muslim American Society (MAS) News :..

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MUSLIMS QUESTION TIMING, INTENT BEHIND ARREST OF MUSLIM PROFESSOR

(Washington, DC - 2/20/2003) In a statement released today, the Muslim American Society (MAS) said that this morning's arrest of a Florida Muslim professor spoke more to the government's targeting of Muslim leaders and civil liberties than the fight against terrorism.

The professor, Dr. Sami Al-Arian of Tampa, Florida, a prominent community leader and outspoken defender of civil liberties, has long been a target of pro-Israel advocates because of his views in support of Palestinian rights. As a founding member of the Washington, DC-based National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom, Dr. Al-Arian campaigned against the use of "secret evidence," the government practice of keeping evidence secret from the accused and their attorneys.

The MAS statement read:

"The arrest of Prof. Sami Al-Arian today conforms to a pattern of political intimidation by an Attorney General who seems to be targeting the American Muslim community's leaders and institutions in a drive to erode Americans' civil liberties.

The Department of Justice has the discretion of whom it prosecutes and when. After ten years of investigating Dr. Al-Arian because of his political views and failing to come up with any evidence of a crime, we must ask why the department chose today to accuse him of wrongdoing.

Both the timing of the arrest and government officials' statements at today's press conference seem to indicate that today's action was based not on legitimate law enforcement considerations, but was rather an attempt to stimulate public fear of 'terrorists among us' and support for the Justice Department's ominous proposed Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003.

As an outspoken defender of American constitutional freedoms and civil liberties, Dr. Al-Arian would seem to be the perfect target of arrest for an administration bent on dismantling those liberties.

We believe that Dr. Al-Arian is innocent until proven otherwise. We call for an open, public trial, and that secret evidence not be used against Dr. Al-Arian, as it has so often been used against Muslims and Arabs. MAS intend to stand by his family and support them in this difficult time.

MAS reaffirms that this continued pattern of targeting American Muslim leaders will never deter our community from moving forward with its social and political activism in support of freedom, justice, and equality for all Americans."

MAS Freedom Foundation is the public affairs arm of the Muslim American Society, a national grassroots religious and educational organization.

--END--

For more information, contact Mahdi Bray at 202-421-3623

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Muslim American Society (MAS) PO Box 1896 Falls Church, VA 22041 Tel: 703-998-6525 Fax: 703-998-6526 E-mail: mas@masnet.org

[Catspaw]

The professor, Dr. Sami Al-Arian of Tampa, Florida, a prominent community leader and outspoken defender of civil liberties

Oh, I see. "Civil liberties" is defined by blowing up innocent Israelis and US citizens. Thanks for the clarification.

[hellinahandcart]

Madhi Bray!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

Why don't all you ANSWER creeps step up to the plate defending murdering scum today? It'll make it even easier to put you behind bars with him.

[goodnesswins]

I hope we have an "infiltrator" inside of MAS....

[SunStar]

In a statement released today, the Muslim American Society (MAS) said that this morning's arrest of a Florida Muslim professor spoke more to the government's targeting of Muslim leaders and civil liberties than the fight against terrorism.

Uh huh... Sure. 'Civil liberties' for those who fund suicide bombings? I don't think so.

[Catspaw]

Oh, they were already out yesterday. I saw one turd, John Sugg (some far left-winger) going off on a screed supporting Sami--plus various and assorted Muslims on cable (MSNBC/FOX) yesterday. I expect Sami to be put in the same category as Saddam by the ANSWER folks.

[UncleSamUSA]

Murdering Muslim BARF ALERT !!!

[wjcsux]

I guss ragheads are supposed to live under a different set of rules than the rest of us. The Feds have over 100 pages of indictment on this POS.

[GoAhead-Make My Day]

Oh no, better not insult the muslims!

[Patriotic Rich]

You Got that right!

[TLBSHOW]

ping

[MEGoody]

Timing? Should have been sooner.

Intent? To shut down funding for terrorists groups and put an Islami-facist out of commission.

[hellinahandcart]

You haven't kept up with the latest trend in leftist doublespeak, SunStar. All those activities are now classed as "political freedom" and should never be hampered or (God forbid) prosecuted by the government.

I hope this definition really catches on. That way, when we finally have to line them all up and shoot them dead, we can claim we were merely exercising our Constitutionally-protected "political freedom" to do so.

Hell, before they thought up this "political freedom" nonsense, we would have had to call it self-defense, civil war, or a purge. Now it sound downright healthy and American.

Thanks, commies! Be seein' ya!

[jimfree]

MUSLIMS QUESTION TIMING, INTENT BEHIND ARREST OF MUSLIM PROFESSO

Let's see, timing - when they had the goods on him, intent - put his a$$ is jail. Any more questions?

[mewzilla]

They question the timing and intent of the investigation...But not Al-Arian's guilt apparently. Charming.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Duh alert for me.... I guess this is one reason why so many lowlifes pay big bucks to get their picture made with the president etc. - almost like political blackmail. I always wondered about that. Am I dense for just realizing this at this late date?

[mabelkitty]

Again, I had my picture taken with Mariah Carey. Does that make me her best friend?

Why isn't Baghdad David Bonier getting questioned? Sami's son was his intern, and Bonier committed Treason with McDermott. I want to know how much he got paid to sell out our country and protest a war!

[mabelkitty]

Right. Everybody has freedom, but Dennis Kucinich, Sherrod Brown, and Steffie Jones is working to make certain the entire Democratic city of Cleveland shuts down a little old Pro-America rally.