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

[Britton J Wingfield]

He knew too much about the happy meal conspiracy.

[sheik yerbouty]

I question them on the timing of oil refinery fires.

[sheik yerbouty]

They will. It is part of a tradition of animal husbandry.

[sheik yerbouty]

It is falsified demonrat BS!

[sheik yerbouty]

Beelzebubba's pit Yorky remains silent on the matter.

[col kurz]

Nala Al-Arian, wife of Sami, led the cheering section for Scott Ritter's recent appearance at USF. I believe she is the sister of Mazen Al-Najjar, deported last year after a long court battle (much to the distress of the ST. PETERSBURG TIMES)...

[Desron13]

Indeed. I am really getting sick of these murdering little barbarians in filthy nightshirts and the smooth faced lying scum like Al-Arian that fund and encourage them. I hear them whine that Islam is not understood in the west. Well the more that I understand of Islam, the less I like it. I would just like to tell them all that I got your prophet right here so go back to the twelfth century where you came from.

[The Toad]

MUSLIMS QUESTION TIMING, INTENT BEHIND ARREST OF MUSLIM PROFESSOR

LOL. Maybe JUSTICE has something to do with it?????

[Pagey]

"...this continued pattern of targeting American Muslim leaders..."

What a ridiculous/patently false statement. If "Muslim Leaders" are getting the attention of the Feds, they're obviously doing something to bring attention to themselves. Of course he's presumed innocent until proven guilty you dumb_ss, you're in the U.S.A. now, which allows you that right, unlike where you came from. If he's been supplying terrorists with money for years,( and isn't that the charge?) then we can hold him ad infinitum. So stop your whining Muslim man, you haven't seen any 'Harsh' action from the U.S. Gov't as of yet.

[enraged]

Bingo!