US Deports Professor Sami Al-Arian for Criticizing Israel and Backing Palestinian Rights

One of the Empire's most abusive violations of a human's rights.
And yet, few Americans ever heard of Doctor Sami Al-Arian.
And how many of us will speak out for him?

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.
end



On 2/7/15, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@optonline.net> wrote:
> US Deports Professor Sami Al-Arian for Criticizing Israel and Backing
> Palestinian Rights
> Saturday, 07 February 2015 09:28 By Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann
> Leverett, Consortium News | Report
> Sami Al-Arian speaks at a news conference in Tampa, Florida, on August 22,
> 2002, at the office of his lawyer. Al-Arian's family, from left, daughters
> Laila and Leena, his wife, Nahla, and son, Abdullah, listened behind him.
> (Photo: Gary Bogdon / The New York Times)
> One of the ugliest post-9/11 trials was the terrorism prosecution of a
> Palestinian immigrant, Dr. Sami Al-Arian, for using strong words in
> criticizing Israel and backing Palestinian rights, a case that amounted to
> thought crimes. It has now ended with Al-Arian's deportation.
> Earlier this week, the U.S. government deported our friend and colleague,
> Dr. Sami Al-Arian, from the United States. Turkey has granted him
> sanctuary.
> Since we first met Dr. Al-Arian a few years ago, he and his family have set
> standards for faithfulness, moral steadfastness, and commitment to truth to
> which we can only aspire. More broadly, the U.S. government's treatment of
> Dr. al Arian underscores an urgent reality: how the West treats Muslims -
> in
> the Middle East, where they are the overwhelming majority, and in diaspora
> communities in the West itself - is the defining moral and political
> challenge of our time.
> The U.S. government's actions against Sami Al-Arian and his family should
> remind all of us how badly the United States is failing that challenge.
> Sami Al-Arian was targeted by the U.S. government because, during the
> 1990s,
> he emerged as one of the most prominent and effective advocates for
> Palestinian rights that U.S. officials had ever faced.
> To offer some insight into his case and what it means, we highlight here
> two
> pieces. One, by Glenn Greenwald and his colleague at The Intercept, Murtaza
> Hussain, see here, assesses the U.S. government's case against Dr. Al-Arian
> as a glaring example of post-9/11 "America's eroding democratic values."
> This article explains how, as "part of a broader post-9/11 campaign by the
> U.S. government to criminalize aid and support to Palestinians," Dr.
> Al-Arian was "indicted on multiple counts of providing 'material support'
> to
> [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] and fundraising on their behalf in the United
> States."
> As the article recounts,
> "For most of the three years after his arrest, Al-Arian was kept in
> solitary
> confinement awaiting trial. During this time, he was regularly subjected to
> strip-searches, denied normal visitation rights with his family, and
> allegedly abused by prison staff. . When Al-Arian's case did finally reach
> trial after years of harsh imprisonment, prosecutors failed to convict
> Al-Arian on even one charge brought against him. Jurors voted to acquit him
> on the most serious counts he faced and deadlocked on the remainder of the
> indictments.
> "The outcome was hugely embarrassing for the U.S. government. Despite
> having
> amassed over 20,000 hours of phone conversations and hundreds of fax
> messages from over a decade of surveilling Al-Arian, the [Justice
> Department] - even with all the advantages they enjoyed in terrorism cases
> in 2003 (and continue to enjoy today) - was unable to convince a jury
> Al-Arian was the arch-terrorist they had very publicly proclaimed him to
> be.
> "Indeed, instead of producing evidence that Al-Arian was involved in actual
> 'terrorism,' the government attempted to use as evidence copies of books
> and
> magazines Al-Arian had owned in a failed effort to convince the jury to
> convict him of apparent thought crimes. This effort failed and a jury ruled
> to acquit Al-Arian on 8 out of 17 charges while failing to come to a
> verdict
> on the remainder."
> The article goes on to describe how, after his trial, "Al-Arian agreed to a
> plea bargain on the remaining charges by pleading guilty to one count of
> providing 'contributions, goods or services' to [Palestinian Islamic
> Jihad],
> a decision he says he undertook out of a desire to end the government's
> ongoing persecution of him and win his release from prison."
> Still, "despite this plea, Al-Arian was not released from prison"; instead,
> the U.S. government plunged him into a legally Kafkaesque series of
> additional imprisonments on "civil contempt" charges. Finally, in 2014 -
> after years of relentlessly persecuting Dr. Al-Arian, "the Federal
> government quietly and unceremoniously dropped all of their charges against
> [him]."
> The second piece we want to highlight is a statement by Sami Al-Arian,
> released after his departure from the United States. We append it below.
> "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 has 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."
> This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not
> be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
> HILLARY MANN LEVERETT
> Hillary Mann Leverett is senior professorial lecturer at American
> University. Together with Flynt Leverett, she writes the Race for Iran
> blog.
> Their new book, Going to Tehran: Why the United States Needs to Come to
> Terms With the Islamic Republic of Iran (Metropolitan Books), will be
> published in January 2013.
> FLYNT LEVERETT
> Flynt Leverett is professor of international affairs at Penn State.Together
> with Hillary Mann Leverett, he writes the Race for Iran blog. Their new
> book
> is Going to Tehran: Why the United States Needs to Come to Terms With the
> Islamic Republic of Iran (Metropolitan Books), will be published in January
> 2013.
> ________________________________________
> Show Comments
> Hide Comments
> <a href="http://truthout.disqus.com/?url=ref">View the discussion
> thread.</a>
> Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
> US Deports Professor Sami Al-Arian for Criticizing Israel and Backing
> Palestinian Rights
> Saturday, 07 February 2015 09:28 By Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann
> Leverett, Consortium News | Report
> . font size Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. Error! Hyperlink
> reference not valid.Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. Error! Hyperlink
> reference not valid.
> . Sami Al-Arian speaks at a news conference in Tampa, Florida, on
> August 22, 2002, at the office of his lawyer. Al-Arian's family, from left,
> daughters Laila and Leena, his wife, Nahla, and son, Abdullah, listened
> behind him. (Photo: Gary Bogdon / The New York Times)
> . One of the ugliest post-9/11 trials was the terrorism prosecution of
> a Palestinian immigrant, Dr. Sami Al-Arian, for using strong words in
> criticizing Israel and backing Palestinian rights, a case that amounted to
> thought crimes. It has now ended with Al-Arian's deportation.
> Earlier this week, the U.S. government deported our friend and colleague,
> Dr. Sami Al-Arian, from the United States. Turkey has granted him
> sanctuary.
> Since we first met Dr. Al-Arian a few years ago, he and his family have set
> standards for faithfulness, moral steadfastness, and commitment to truth to
> which we can only aspire. More broadly, the U.S. government's treatment of
> Dr. al Arian underscores an urgent reality: how the West treats Muslims -
> in
> the Middle East, where they are the overwhelming majority, and in diaspora
> communities in the West itself - is the defining moral and political
> challenge of our time.
> The U.S. government's actions against Sami Al-Arian and his family should
> remind all of us how badly the United States is failing that challenge.
> Sami Al-Arian was targeted by the U.S. government because, during the
> 1990s,
> he emerged as one of the most prominent and effective advocates for
> Palestinian rights that U.S. officials had ever faced.
> To offer some insight into his case and what it means, we highlight here
> two
> pieces. One, by Glenn Greenwald and his colleague at The Intercept, Murtaza
> Hussain, see here, assesses the U.S. government's case against Dr. Al-Arian
> as a glaring example of post-9/11 "America's eroding democratic values."
> This article explains how, as "part of a broader post-9/11 campaign by the
> U.S. government to criminalize aid and support to Palestinians," Dr.
> Al-Arian was "indicted on multiple counts of providing 'material support'
> to
> [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] and fundraising on their behalf in the United
> States."
> As the article recounts,
> "For most of the three years after his arrest, Al-Arian was kept in
> solitary
> confinement awaiting trial. During this time, he was regularly subjected to
> strip-searches, denied normal visitation rights with his family, and
> allegedly abused by prison staff. . When Al-Arian's case did finally reach
> trial after years of harsh imprisonment, prosecutors failed to convict
> Al-Arian on even one charge brought against him. Jurors voted to acquit him
> on the most serious counts he faced and deadlocked on the remainder of the
> indictments.
> "The outcome was hugely embarrassing for the U.S. government. Despite
> having
> amassed over 20,000 hours of phone conversations and hundreds of fax
> messages from over a decade of surveilling Al-Arian, the [Justice
> Department] - even with all the advantages they enjoyed in terrorism cases
> in 2003 (and continue to enjoy today) - was unable to convince a jury
> Al-Arian was the arch-terrorist they had very publicly proclaimed him to
> be.
> "Indeed, instead of producing evidence that Al-Arian was involved in actual
> 'terrorism,' the government attempted to use as evidence copies of books
> and
> magazines Al-Arian had owned in a failed effort to convince the jury to
> convict him of apparent thought crimes. This effort failed and a jury ruled
> to acquit Al-Arian on 8 out of 17 charges while failing to come to a
> verdict
> on the remainder."
> The article goes on to describe how, after his trial, "Al-Arian agreed to a
> plea bargain on the remaining charges by pleading guilty to one count of
> providing 'contributions, goods or services' to [Palestinian Islamic
> Jihad],
> a decision he says he undertook out of a desire to end the government's
> ongoing persecution of him and win his release from prison."
> Still, "despite this plea, Al-Arian was not released from prison"; instead,
> the U.S. government plunged him into a legally Kafkaesque series of
> additional imprisonments on "civil contempt" charges. Finally, in 2014 -
> after years of relentlessly persecuting Dr. Al-Arian, "the Federal
> government quietly and unceremoniously dropped all of their charges against
> [him]."
> The second piece we want to highlight is a statement by Sami Al-Arian,
> released after his departure from the United States. We append it below.
> "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 has 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."
> This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not
> be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
> Hillary Mann Leverett
> Hillary Mann Leverett is senior professorial lecturer at American
> University. Together with Flynt Leverett, she writes the Race for Iran
> blog.
> Their new book, Going to Tehran: Why the United States Needs to Come to
> Terms With the Islamic Republic of Iran (Metropolitan Books), will be
> published in January 2013.
> Flynt Leverett
> Flynt Leverett is professor of international affairs at Penn State.Together
> with Hillary Mann Leverett, he writes the Race for Iran blog. Their new
> book
> is Going to Tehran: Why the United States Needs to Come to Terms With the
> Islamic Republic of Iran (Metropolitan Books), will be published in January
> 2013.
>
> Show Comments
>
> _______________________________________________
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