A Statement by Dr. Sami A. Al-Arian

To my dear friends and supporters,

After 40 years, my time in the U.S. has come to an end. Like many immigrants of my generation, I came to the U.S. in 1975 to seek a higher education and greater opportunities. But I also wanted to live in a free society where freedom of speech, association and religion are not only tolerated but guaranteed and protected under the law. That’s why I decided to stay and raise my family here, after earning my doctorate in 1986. Simply put, to me, freedom of speech and thought represented the cornerstone of a dignified life.

Today, freedom of expression has become a defining feature in the struggle to realize our humanity and liberty. The forces of intolerance, hegemony, and exclusionary politics tend to favor the stifling of free speech and the suppression of dissent. But nothing is more dangerous than when such suppression is perpetrated and sanctioned by government. As one early American once observed, “When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” Because government has enormous power and authority over its people, such control must be checked, and people, especially those advocating unpopular opinions, must have absolute protections from governmental overreach and abuse of power. A case in point of course is the issue of Palestinian self-determination. In the United States, as well as in many other western countries, those who support the Palestinian struggle for justice, and criticize Israel’s occupation and brutal policies, have often experienced an assault on their freedom of speech in academia, media, politics and society at large. After the tragic events of September 11th, such actions by the government intensified, in the name of security. Far too many people have been targeted and punished because of their unpopular opinions or beliefs.

During their opening statement in my trial in June 2005, my lawyers showed the jury two poster-sized photographs of items that government agents took during searches of my home many years earlier. In one photo, there were several stacks of books taken from my home library. The other photo showed a small gun I owned at the time. The attorney looked the jury in the eyes and said: “This is what this case is about. When the government raided my client’s house, this is what they seized,” he said, pointing to the books, “and this is what they left,” he added, pointing to the gun in the other picture. “This case is not about terrorism but about my client’s right to freedom of speech,” he continued. Indeed, much of the evidence the government presented to the jury during the six-month trial were speeches I delivered, lectures I presented, articles I wrote, magazines I edited, books I owned, conferences I convened, rallies I attended, interviews I gave, news I heard, and websites I never even accessed. But the most disturbing part of the trial was not that the government offered my speeches, opinions, books, writings, and dreams into evidence, but that an intimidated judicial system allowed them to be admitted into evidence. That’s why we applauded the jury’s verdict. Our jurors represented the best society had to offer. Despite all of the fear-mongering and scare tactics used by the authorities, the jury acted as free people, people of conscience, able to see through Big Brother’s tactics. One hard lesson that must be learned from the trial is that political cases should have no place in a free and democratic society.

But despite the long and arduous ordeal and hardships suffered by my family, I leave with no bitterness or resentment in my heart whatsoever. In fact, I’m very grateful for the opportunities and experiences afforded to me and my family in this country, and for the friendships we’ve cultivated over the decades. These are lifelong connections that could never be affected by distance.

I would like to thank God for all the blessings in my life. My faith sustained me during my many months in solitary confinement and gave me comfort that justice would ultimately prevail.

Our deep thanks go to the friends and supporters across the U.S., from university professors to grassroots activists, individuals and organizations, who have stood alongside us in the struggle for justice.

My trial attorneys, Linda Moreno and the late Bill Moffitt, were the best advocates anyone could ask for, both inside and outside of the courtroom. Their spirit, intelligence, passion and principle were inspirational to so many.

I am also grateful to Jonathan Turley and his legal team, whose tireless efforts saw the case to its conclusion. Jonathan’s commitment to justice and brilliant legal representation resulted in the government finally dropping the case.

Our gratitude also goes to my immigration lawyers, Ira Kurzban and John Pratt, for the tremendous work they did in smoothing the way for this next phase of our lives.

Thanks also to my children for their patience, perseverance and support during the challenges of the last decade. I am so proud of them.

Finally, my wife Nahla h​as been a pillar of love, strength and resilience. She kept our family together during the most difficult times. There are no words to convey the extent of my gratitude.

We look forward to the journey ahead and take with us the countless happy memories we formed during our life in the United States.

#UnitedStates #Palestine #DrSamiAlArian #PoliticalPrisoners #PoliticalRepression

Jared Hamil of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression in Tampa Bay said, “It is great news and people are saying this should have happened years ago. The government never had a case. It was just political repression and the stifling of free speech. It is big news here in Tampa.”

Professor Al-Arian is a Palestinian American civil rights and Palestine solidarity activist arrested and put on trial for aiding the Palestinian resistance organization Islamic Jihad in 2003. At the time of his arrest U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft held a press conference announcing the professors arrest to the nation. In the U.S. war on terror, Sami Al-Arian was the big test case.

The U.S. government spent more than ten years spying on Al-Arian and intercepting more than 400,000 phone calls. However the U.S. prosecutors could not get a guilty verdict from jurors on any of the 17 charges.

After spending two years in jail while on trial and faced with another trial and more years away from his family, Al-Arian made a plea deal, agreeing to leave the country and going into political exile. Then things turned ugly and the U.S. prosecutors tried to use their power to punish Al-Arian. Instead of letting professor Al-Arian serve time and leave the country as agreed in negotiations, U.S. prosecutors demanded Al-Arian testify at a federal grand jury in Virginia, which he refused to do based on his agreement with the government. He then was charged with contempt and jailed. Since 2008 he has lived under house arrest.

Hatem Abudayyeh, one of the Antiwar 23 with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression said, “We are extremely pleased that this chapter in the repression of Professor Al-Arian and his family is over. What the U.S. government did to him is a travesty. Palestinians, Arab Americans, and Muslims in this country have been the target of political repression since the 911 attacks. My friends and myself are still part of an unending investigation by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas here in Chicago. Just like Al-Arian’s case, there is no crime or wrongdoing and we demand Jonas end the assault on us as well.”

In a related case, the U.S. government is putting a 67-year-old Palestinian woman and survivor of torture on trial in Detroit, September 8. Arab American women’s leader Rasmea Odeh is was physically tortured and sexually assaulted by Israeli military personnel and then convicted and imprisoned in 1969. The U.S. prosecutors are claiming she lied on a 20-year-old immigration application by not detailing her torture and imprisonment by the Israeli occupation. Anti-war activists across the country see this as further political repression by Justice Department officials and are planning a large rally and to pack the Detroit courtroom with supporters.

#TampaFl #TampaFL #DrSamiAlArian #PoliticalPrisoners #Racism #politicalRepression #UniversityOfSouthFlorida #InjusticeSystem #Florida #SamiAlArian #USF #Politics #Professor

Jared Hamil of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression in Tampa Bay said, “It is great news and people are saying this should have happened years ago. The government never had a case. It was just political repression and the stifling of free speech. It is big news here in Tampa.”

Professor Al-Arian is a Palestinian American civil rights and Palestine solidarity activist arrested and put on trial for aiding the Palestinian resistance organization Islamic Jihad in 2003. At the time of his arrest U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft held a press conference announcing the professors arrest to the nation. In the U.S. war on terror, Sami Al-Arian was the big test case.

The U.S. government spent more than ten years spying on Al-Arian and intercepting more than 400,000 phone calls. However the U.S. prosecutors could not get a guilty verdict from jurors on any of the 17 charges.

After spending two years in jail while on trial and faced with another trial and more years away from his family, Al-Arian made a plea deal, agreeing to leave the country and going into political exile. Then things turned ugly and the U.S. prosecutors tried to use their power to punish Al-Arian. Instead of letting professor Al-Arian serve time and leave the country as agreed in negotiations, U.S. prosecutors demanded Al-Arian testify at a federal grand jury in Virginia, which he refused to do based on his agreement with the government. He then was charged with contempt and jailed. Since 2008 he has lived under house arrest.

Hatem Abudayyeh, one of the Antiwar 23 with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression said, “We are extremely pleased that this chapter in the repression of Professor Al-Arian and his family is over. What the U.S. government did to him is a travesty. Palestinians, Arab Americans, and Muslims in this country have been the target of political repression since the 911 attacks. My friends and myself are still part of an unending investigation by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas here in Chicago. Just like Al-Arian’s case, there is no crime or wrongdoing and we demand Jonas end the assault on us as well.”

In a related case, the U.S. government is putting a 67-year-old Palestinian woman and survivor of torture on trial in Detroit, September 8. Arab American women’s leader Rasmea Odeh is was physically tortured and sexually assaulted by Israeli military personnel and then convicted and imprisoned in 1969. The U.S. prosecutors are claiming she lied on a 20-year-old immigration application by not detailing her torture and imprisonment by the Israeli occupation. Anti-war activists across the country see this as further political repression by Justice Department officials and are planning a large rally and to pack the Detroit courtroom with supporters.

#TampaFL #DrSamiAlArian #PoliticalPrisoners #Racism #politicalRepression #UniversityOfSouthFlorida #InjusticeSystem #Florida #SamiAlArian #USF #Politics #Professor

The Norwegian-made film took a personal look at the trial of University of South Florida computer engineering professor Sami Al-Arian. Professor Al-Arian was a Palestinian American civil rights and Palestine solidarity activist who was arrested and put on trial for aiding the Palestinian resistance organization Islamic Jihad in 2003.

After spending more than ten years spying on Al-Arian and intercepting more than 400,000 phone calls, the government could not get a guilty verdict on any of the 17 charges. After spending two years in jail while on trial and faced with another trial and more years away from his family, Al-Arian made a plea deal, agreeing to leave the country and going into political exile.

The film had a very personal look at Al-Arian’s family and the stress that it caused them, and the support that he had from the community. After the film there was a discussion with two panelists, Summer Hararah of the Muslim Legal Fund of America and Cyrus McCormick of the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms.

The audience learned that instead of letting professor Al-Arian serve time and leave the country, a federal grand jury in Virginia called on Al-Arian to testify, which he refused. He then was charged with contempt and jailed. Finally, in 2008 he was released under house arrest which continues to this day.

#SanJoséCA #Palestine #PoliticalPrisoners #DrSamiAlArian #SouthBayCommitteeAgainstPoliticalRepression

Tampa, FL – About a dozen activists gathered outside of Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse here, Sept. 24, to mark the second year anniversary of the FBI raids against anti-war activists in 2010. These events and the subsequent grand jury investigation amount to nothing more than a witch hunt, with the aim of interfering with the anti-war movement. The protest demanded an end to the federal investigation of the peace activists.

The courthouse is also famous for being the site of the show trial of Palestinian activist and former University of South Florida professor Sami al-Arian, who was charged with conspiracy to provide material support to organizations engaged in struggle against the occupation of Palestine by Israel.

Many of those gathered were also involved with organizing for the 2012 Coalition to March on the RNC, which also had a strong anti-war message. Jared Hamil, a spokesperson for the Coalition, had this to say about FBI repression:

“Just as we’ve seen with the takedown of the Occupy movement last year, the protests against NATO in May, or the 23 activists in 2010, speaking out against either the economic violence here, or the violence in other countries brought by the U.S. military, speaking out can land you in jail. The city of Tampa spent $50 million in an effort to turn the downtown area into a militarized police state, while also launching a campaign to paint activists as ‘terrorists’ in order to justify the expenses.”

Marisol Marquez, a local organizer with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, also made note of the recent Committee victory in Los Angeles, which saw the frame-up of Carlos Montes defeated. She added, “The Tampa Committee to Stop FBI Repression will not stop until other victims like Hatem Abudayyeh and Tracy Molm are no longer targets of these witch hunts.”

“It’s a shame that the United States allegedly promotes peace, yet when individuals try to voice their opposition to the reality of U.S. foreign policy, they are persecuted, and this hardly seems fair,” said local student Maritza Jaramillo, who attended the protest. She also says that it is important to stand in solidarity with those who are being persecuted, because then “anybody could be next.”

Aside from students and other organizers in the community, there was also a showing from local union members, such as Dustin Ponder, who recently became aware that the FBI was “wasting millions of dollars to try and silence peace activists and union members, over wars that have bankrupted our country and destroyed our economy,” and then added that it made him sick. “We have to stand up now and say ‘no more.’ If they can persecute these activists, anyone who opposes the 1% agenda of greed and war is open game.”

#TampaFL #DrSamiAlArian #CarlosMontes #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #AntiWar23 #PoliticalRepression

Students from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, along with members of various civil rights organizations, gathered for a two-hour vigil across from an interstate highway near the federal medical prison where the professor is being held. In front of a replica of the Statue of Liberty, they held signs and banners with slogans such as, “Free Dr. Al-Arian,” “Free all political prisoners,” and “Free speech is not terrorism.” Nahla al-Arian, Dr. al-Arian’s wife, attended the event. Salma, an activist who attended the event, said, “This is just to raise awareness and express solidarity with the family of Dr. al-Arian.”

In 2005, after a six-month trial involving over 80 government witnesses and numerous exhibits of Dr. al-Arians political writings, no evidence was produced of wrongdoing and Dr. al-Arian was acquitted of most of the charges against him. No verdict was reached on the remaining charges – with ten of the twelve jurors favoring acquittal. Dr. al-Arian entered into a plea agreement in order to end his suffering. The judge in the case ignored the sentencing recommendations of both the prosecution and the defense, giving Dr. al-Arian the maximum sentence of 57 months in prison.

Dr. al-Arian has been imprisoned more than 1500 days and subjected to inhumane prison conditions. He is in solitary confinement and 23-hour lockdowns. Dr. al-Arian has been repeatedly strip-searched, denied contact visits, allowed very limited recreation, has been denied access to religious services and has been given limited access to attorneys. Placed in unsanitary conditions with exposure to rats and roaches, Dr. al-Arian has been given limited attention for his asthma and diabetes. He has not even been allowed a mattress or a pillow. He is harassed and humiliated by prison guards.

Recently, Dr. al-Arian was forced to end a 60-day hunger strike for health reasons. Dr. al-Arian had previously engaged in a 140-day hunger strike at the beginning of his imprisonment, in which he lost 45 pounds.

#ButnerNC #StudentMovement #News #Palestine #PoliticalPrisoners #DrSamiAlArian #MiddleEast