Letters
Accusing Sami Al-Arian
Dear Editor:
Mr. Fairbanks’ article on the plight of Sami Al-Arian has some inaccuracies that deserve correction. The first is that Al-Arian’s plea agreement establishes that he lied both in connection with his providing support for Palestinian Islamic Jihad and in connection with his brother-in-law’s entrance into this country.
Second, you fail to note that Ramadan Shallah’s role with PIJ is that of its secretary general, a fact recognized by Human Rights Watch. Shallah’s presence in this country prior to his ascension of power of PIJ was under the auspices of Al-Arian and this so-called think tank at the University of South Florida.
Third, you state that Al-Arian “was supposed to be freed and deported” from the US. Yes, after serving about 18 months in prison. His refusal to testify before a grand jury about another organization is based on his belief that the plea agreement alleviates him, an admitted felon, from having the same responsibility as a law-abiding citizen from testifying. That is absurd.
By way of disclosure, I testified at the Al-Arian trial.
Stephen M. Flatow, Jersey City, NJ
Philip Fairbanks Responds:
Dr. Al-Arian certainly accepted a plea agreement and in his shoes, I believe most people would have done the same. The intensive and daily harrassment that was provided as preemptive punishment before Dr. Al-Arian went to trial was an attempt to break the professor. At risk of losing the opportunity of being reunited with his family and to avoid the possibility of a lengthy retrial, a plea bargain afforded Dr. Al-Arian a chance to alleviate some of the suffering that this harrassment caused his family. Dr. Al-Arian was a sincere worker for change, peace and dialogue between the East and the West and that is obviously a much more necessary step in the safeguarding of our nation than torturing detainees, incarcerating families, and building cluster bombs.
As for his connection with Shallah, most prominent businessmen, lawyers, and doctors probably have in their circle of acquaintance or friendship someone involved in illegal activities of some kind or another. Many of them may have implicit knowledge of this fact. If we play six degrees of Homeland Security many average folks might be rounded up for Guantanamo. Certainly the great majority of the resistance movements would all be under investigation due to the RICO act, pending one member being involved with anything from peddling grass to tax resistance.
Others accused that have been later designated terrorists like Sameeh Hammoudeh and Shallah shared a commonality, they were all, like Dr. al Arian, scholarly, passionate activists who shared a common cause. I’m not denying Shallah’s involvement with terrorist organizations, but this doesn’t imply that Dr. Al-Arian was involved with the same groups.
Dr. Al-Arian’s case is a signal to would-be activists that their actions, if not in line with executive orders, may be scrutinized and singled out. No human, “admitted felon” or not, should be treated the way Dr. al Arian has been treated. The situation can be extended indefinitely now to continue the suffering of his family and the further dehumanization of a dedicated worker for unity. Dr. Al-Arian was supposed to be freed, even after being given the maximum sentence. Statements by judges in the case, which reveal a prejudice against outspoken Muslims, prove, however, that this case will be drawn out until the State is ready to let it die. In 2003, John Ashcroft mentioned Dr. Al Arian in the context of the war on terror: “The Justice Department is prosecuting the war on terrorism by integrating our law enforcement and intelligence capabilities as authorized under the Patriot Act. The Department recently indicted Sami Al-Arian and seven co-conspirators, several of whom were leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The indictment details that Al-Arian served as the secretary of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s governing council called the ‘Shura Council.’ He was also identified as the senior North American representative of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”
After Dr. Al-Arian’s trial this claim seems as laughable as the pretext for the Iraq War. Dr. Al-Arian is not even free to serve merely the original sentence under the plea bargain and with charges of contempt added on for not testifying, it doesn’t seem like this case is going to end any time soon. All I’m saying is that this man has seen the kind of punishment no one should be forced to endure and deserves his freedom. He has had faith in the court systems but those who run them seem angered to no end that Dr. Al-Arian may one day live a normal life with his family again.
Philip Douglas Salem Khaled Falah Fairbanks
Cheers…
Dear Editor:
While Thomas Sowell may prefer to ignore the legacy of slavery, the best case I ever heard in support of reparations was that, “Whites are still benefiting from what was done during slavery time, and blacks are still suffering from what was done during slavery time.”
Thanks to Maurice Leach for clearly stating what conservatives and their comrades work hard to obscure, namely, that it is the “…lack of quality economic opportunity…and not a question of culture” that keeps the poor stuck in poverty, with its’ attendant despair and sense of futility.
Cordially,
Barbara Maddox
Dear Advocate Staff:
Thank you to Mark Wilson for his great insight in “History of the World, Part 28″ in your March issue.
I am a prospective student in the Graduate Center PhD program in History, having just received an acceptance letter for the 2007-08 academic year. I was in the building this week to sit in on a class at the invitation of one of the History Department faculty, and just happened to pick up a copy of your paper on my way out of the building.
It has been a long time since I had to teach undergrad history classes (I was a GA at Temple University in Philadelphia, getting a masters degree in History, in 1991). But since then I have been a classroom and community educator on other topics, namely in human sexuality and public health. I’ve had lots of practice devising ways to engage learners around issues such as condom use and sexual assault prevention, but far less experience with appeasement or the merits of federalism.
Mark’s piece was terrific — he communicated the challenges of creating effective educational formats, and also demonstrated exactly what he did and how it went. This information is gold for someone who, like myself, is anticipating the possibility of teaching undergrad history courses one day.
So, thanks Mark — your writing has reached someone who is not even yet enrolled at the Graduate Center, and it’s already made a difference.
Kurt Conklin
Dear Editor:
This is just an unabashed fan letter for Matt Lau’s article on President Kelly.
It made my week!
Hysterical.
Roberto Martinez, Urban Education
…And Jeers!
Dear Editor,:
I am writing to express my outrage and disgust at the Faculty Bikini Carwash article on the back page of the March 2007 issue of The Advocate. As a student at this institution, I was horrified, not to find that our esteemed faculty were the subject of a “humor column” that found them participating in a satirical swimwear-clad bid at raising cash, but that most of the back page was given over to a column that would merit rejection from the lowest-common-denominator website, “collegehumor.com,” for simply not being funny; that the Advocate would elect to run such a column demonstrates that perhaps previous editors were wise in sticking with serious stories.
Part of my ire stems from the fact that I pitched a humor column several months ago which was rejected from the paper. My “Places You Don’t Want to Visit” feature would have focused on the rating of such NYC landfill-marks as Long Island City strip clubs, the American Museum of Financial History, and the Chinese prisoner supplied “Bodies” at the South Street Seaport, while commenting on exactly why you should never set foot inside these New York City travesties. Complete with my unique seven-star reverse rating system and fuzzy photos, this could have been a column that, if not funny, would have been vaguely amusing and closer to the sort of humor that one would expect from graduate students.
In March, when new students are attempting to pull open the front doors of the Graduate Center for the first time, shouldn’t they encounter something a bit more amusing than a “faculty member” in clear heels?
Tracy E. Robey
Matt Lau Responds:
I agree with you that my article is hilarious. Thank you for your warm words; I hope you continue to read The Advocate, especially “The Back Page.”
Take Care,
Matt Lau
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