Tyrone West Anniversary Protest

By Nadrat Siddique
Special to the New Trend

July 18, 2014

Baltimore, MD -- Tyrone West was a tall, dreadlock-sporting Baltimore native who grew up on the city's east side. He loved his family, sporty cars, and his artwork, and had a joie de vivre about him. On July 18, 2013, Tyrone's life was snuffed out, when he made one "wrong" maneuver in the vicinity of Kitmore and Kelway Road, not far from Morgan State University. Police noticed him driving under the speed limit as he went over a speed hump on a quiet side street (Kelway), and stopped him. They pulled him out of his vehicle, it is said, by the locks and started beating him. According to the States Attorney's report, they hit him with batons on the knees to get him down. However, eyewitnesses report far greater use of force, saying Tyrone was surrounded by a "sea of blue" and that police continued to punch and to kick him even after he was already down. When it was over, Tyrone lay dead. He had not been charged with a crime, arraigned, tried, or convicted. He was a victim of a police force of control and unaccountable to the People.

Ten to fifteen police officers, including a Morgan State University police officer, were identified as participating in the murder. None of them was suspended or fired. The States Attorney Gregg Bernstein, known for his racially predicated prosecutions--and withholding of prosecutions--did a perfunctory investigation and found the officers had acted according to police protocol. Despite a plethora of eyewitness testimony supporting the view that excess force had been used against Tyrone, not a single indictment of a police officer was handed down in the case, leading many to surmise that the police were above the law in Baltimore (as in many other major cities). When Bernstein was unseated in the subsequent election by a relatively underfunded and lesser known challeger, many said the West case had been a determining factor--one one-sided prosecution too many. In the meantime, Tyrone's murder still went unprosecuted and the medical examiner's office continued to withhold the complete autopsy report.

----

On the one-year anniversary of Tyrone's murder, activists and supporters of the West family rallied at the site of the murder. The event was called by the family and facilitated by a local grassroots collective called the Baltimore Bloc. The activists included young and old; Muslim, Christian, Jew, and atheist; Black American, Asian, African, Caucasian, and Native American; students, blue-collar workers, health care workers, attorneys, candidates for office, and even a delegate.

The candidates included David Anthony Wiggins (Baltimore City Sheriff candidate, running on a platform against police brutality and judicial corruption, and for the empowerment of the People); Russell Neverdon, Sr., (candidate for States Attorney); and Duane G. Davis (candidate for Lieutenant Governor). Wiggins, Neverdon, and Del. Jill P. Carter (Maryland House of Delegates) spoke, expressing solidarity with the family.

Wiggins promised that when elected Sheriff, he would prosecute police engaging in abuses such as that against Tyrone West, as this was a power endowed to the Sheriff (Editor's note: Sadly, the standing Sheriff, Anderson, in office for decades, has never employed it in defense of his constituents, who, like West, are brutalized by police or otherwise abused by corrupt government officials).

Several Christian preachers, including Baltimore's social conscience Rev. Heber Brown III (Pleasant Hope Baptist Church), Rev. Kinji Scott, and Rev. C.D. Witherspoon, were present. Masjid Jamaat al-Muslimeen, in Baltimore's Govens neighborhood, sent its imam, Dr. Kaukab Siddique, mosque administrator Ashira Na'im, and a contingent of half a dozen others to "stand with the family of Tyrone West and all victims of police brutality." Red Emmas', a well known Peoples' bookstore, was also well represented at the event.

Baltimore native Abdul Salaam, a Muslim, was beat by police in a manner very similar to Tyrone West just 17 days prior to the latter's murder. Salaam, a soft-spoken, slightly built man, addressed the crowd briefly. He described how he had passed police conducting a stop near his home. The cops followed him home, pulled him out of his car, and attacked and beat him in his own driveway, in front of his 3-year old child. They claimed he was not wearing a seat belt (he has steadfastly maintained that he was wearing one). Salaam was body slammed to the ground twice at the start of the attack, hogtied (with his hands and feet behind his back), and beat further. He was never charged with a crime.

He eventually ran across the West family at one of their weekly protests, dubbed “West Wednesday,” and was shocked to find the similarities between their story and his. Most alarming was the fact that the two police officers who beat him--Chapman and Ruiz--were among those who had participated in the murder of Tyrone West. Both families were befuddled as to why the officers had been allowed to continue on the police force after attacking Abdul Salaam. If normal judicial procedure had been followed, they would have been removed after the attack on Abdul Salaam, and hence been unable to participate in the attack on Tyrone West. Abdul Salaam and the West family have since joined forces and filed a civil suit against the police.

Initially torn by whether or not to hold the event at the very spot where the murder occurred, with all its horrific associations, the West family eventually decided to proceed with it. Despite the emotional toll involved, the family felt they owed it to Tyrone to come together at the very spot where a completely gratuitous act of savagery took his innocent life. They released black balloons, shared Tyrone's beautiful art, received messages of solidarity, said prayers, and marched. They left just before sunset with the awareness that their beloved Tyrone had not been forgotten.

© 2014 Nadrat Siddique

Time for Muslim Outrage Against Khalid Latif (and Other Propagators of Lies on Boko Haram)

By Nadrat Siddique

Special to the New Trend



I noticed large numbers of repostings of a Huffington Post piece on the putative kidnapping of schoolgirls by Boko Haram. Muslims and non-Muslims alike seem to view the Huffington Post as an authority on Africa, Islam, and on Boko Haram, a Muslim organization with deep-seated roots in Nigeria. Here is the link, along with some initial musings on it:



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/imam-khalid-latif/muslim-outrage-boko-haram_b_5279101.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=4291220b=facebook



Being the daughter of a journalism professor, the first question I ask upon reading a piece on a controversial topic is: Who is the author, what are his political affiliations, and to whom is he financially ingratiated? Imam Khalid Latif, the writer of the Huffington Post piece has quite a resume. New York Mayor Bloomberg selected him—of all New York City residents—to fill the position of NYPD Muslim chaplain. Previously he was Muslim chaplain at one of the most racist and war-policy formulating institutions in the country—Princeton University. And—according to his self-description—he offers his services to the State Department. The State Department is the entity bombing Muslims all over Africa. So, from the gecko, I'd take anything he said about Africa with a grain of salt.



The piece begins with a misplaced parallel. Latif, in his infinite empathy for Muslim women, lists the various tragic situations of Muslimahs he’s encountered in the course of his work as a chaplain: Rape and molestation victims, abused wife, resistor of an arranged marriage who was beaten, and so on. These likely occur in the U.S., where his work as chaplain is centered. The pertinence of such experiences, however heartrending (and I say that as a Muslim woman who has personally endured several of the situations listed), is irrelevant to a very specific and complicated situation in Nigeria, and seems at best a mudslinging campaign (sling enough mud, and some of it, however irrelevant, will stick).



A few paragraphs into the piece, he engages in an outright (but cleverly worded) fabrication on the philosophy of Boko Haram:



“Education is a basic right in Islam, regardless of what the Boko Haram believe. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has said that ‘Seeking knowledge is compulsory on every Muslim’.. Boko Haram's ideology is attacking this God-given right.”



But Boko Haram’s statements make it very clear they are not against all education, only Western-style education, which they view as indoctrination in jahiliyyah. In other words, their efforts are geared at preventing the mental colonization of their people. This is not unusual, and most movements against imperialism and colonialism/ neo-colonialism—from the Algerian anti-colonial movements, to the Lakota Sioux to the Taliban—have historically resisted the educational institutions of the invading/ colonizing power. The attribution of blanket anti-education sentiment to the group is dishonest and furtherance of propaganda against a group targeted for genocide by the puppet government and its masters (the military powers seeking to recolonize Nigeria).



Saying “no” to Western-style education is a bulwark against cultural imperialism and the amplification of Western corporate presence in Nigeria—and by extension all of West Africa, since many of the largest and most influential African universities are located in Nigeria. From the imperialist standpoint, this threatens Western corporate interests. From the Muslim standpoint, this provides a measure of protection for Nigeria from junk goods typically dumped into Third World nations, whose valuable resources--oil, diamonds, petroleum, and the like—are then extricated. Islamically-educated girls and women are not ideal customers for useless garbage such as hose, high heels, and mini-skirts.



Saying “no” to Western style education also creates a mind-set which challenges Western nihilism. Gay marriage, pornography, pedophilia, premarital sex, and identification with the oppressor become a hard sell, as desensitization is avoided.



Another question no one, including Latif, has bothered to ask is: Why, in a region which is the wellspring of the most renowned, powerful, and influential centers of learning—those established by the Muslim Kingdoms of Timbuktu, Mali, Ghana, and others--an alien education with no relevance to African or Muslim peoples is needed. The spectacle of Michelle Obama and the #Saveourgirls campaign endeavoring to reinstate the “right” to a superior education—in their view one that is not Afrocentric nor Islamic—to poor, ignorant Africans is classic cultural imperialism.



What are the characteristics of a Muslim group opposing Western style education? Are they are fundamentalists? If they are, would they permit the kidnapping or rape of young girls? Fundamentalists are known for their exceedingly strict moral codes; eschewing of pre-marital sex; “shotgun weddings” in cases where a man has associated closely with a woman, let alone had sexual relations with her; and for embrace of children born out of any union. They do not stand for the abandoning of raped mothers with children in the countryside, as the Western media bizarrely claims. So, either the group is fundamentalist—or it isn’t. The practiced and professional liars of corporate media seem to be having a problem deciding on one fabrication and sticking with it. The continual vacillation in the story is exposing their lack of basic journalistic integrity. And the story they tell is beginning to resound of the incubator babies story—preposterous and far-fetched, yet swallowed by the American masses—concocted by the U.S. to justify the first invasion of Iraq. At some point, the American public must wake up and realize that Western militaries and AFRICOM will lie through their teeth to eliminate or discredit any group which gets in the way of their military designs.



On a journalistic level, Latif, like most Western journalists covering the Boko Haram story, does not ask the key question which bears asking: When has Whitey ever cared about Africans? Why is a White Supremacist government suddenly concerned about Nigerian girls to the extent of investing U.S. military assets there? How is it that all the nations standing with the U.S. in that effort are members of AFRICOM? Is it possible that this is an imperialist pretext to cement U.S. military bases in and around Nigeria (and West Africa in general)?



Finally, are the kidnappings fact or fiction? If they are fact and not fabrication, why have the numbers of girls ostensibly kidnapped, released, and remaining in custody in the storyline put out by the puppet government, its masters, and their propaganda arms—fluxuating like a pendulum daily? How is it that a tiny group of at most 40 Boko Haram members could walk into a town like Chibok, seize the girls who were on their home turf (surrounded by their families, teachers, village elders, etc), and depart with the girls in tow, without any resistance from the families, teachers, etc.? If the stage on which this story is being told, was instead a court of law, the storytellers would be thrown out of court for lack of credibility.



© 2014 Nadrat Siddique

A Muslim’s Guide to Dealing with the Media

By Nadrat Siddique

How to manipulate media when you’re doing an event

 

1) Cultivate current email/ twitter/ text message lists and phone numbers of journalists.

 

2) Time is off the essence. Conduct actions such as protests, street theatre, press conferences, etc. when an action is in the limelight, and the time is ripe.

 

 

What to do if approached by a non-Muslim media representative at or after a public event, or in relation to world events

 

1) Differentiate between types of media if they approach you.

 

a) National media. If a journalist is with a national media outlet, for example, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fox News, etc, be very careful. They may be trying to trap you into saying something which can be used against you. This can have serious consequences, from causing you to lose your job, to placing you in physical danger (for example, by displaying your picture with words attributed to you, which may have been taken out of context); to prosecution and even incarceration. Therefore, if the journalist is national, be wary, and consider not returning the call. Do not let your ego and the desire to be seen or heard on national television allow you to be trapped.

 

b) Local media. If he or she is with a local newspaper, radio station, etc, consider talking to them.

 

c) In either case (a) or (b) above, it may be helpful to do a brief Google search on the person contacting you, to see what else they have written, and whether or not they are overt enemies of Islam. This should help you decide whether you wish to speak to them, and what tact to take if you do.

 

d) If you do talk, be very disciplined and clear in what you communicate. Don’t show off, use rhetoric, or issue threats. Be particularly careful not to get trapped into admiring violent action, whether or not you feel it is appropriate under the circumstances. Instead simply state the facts of the situation about which you are being interviewed. If you must speak to them, insist on recording the complete meeting for yourself.

 

4) Follow up. If the journalist fairly reports what you say, write him or her a note of thanks. If the journalists reports on your action or words erroneously, send a written correction and insist it be published/aired for the sake of fairness and accuracy.

 

Always personally thank the journalists who do show up for your actions. Keep in touch with them to make sure you have updated contact information for them.

 

 

How to answer media when they attack Islam, overtly or subtly

 

1) Note the source, news segment, etc carefully so you can go back to it later when you’re ready to write.

 

2) Do your research. Use facts—not rhetoric, and not emotion.

 

3) Start with a general premise, but be sure to provide details to back up that premise.

 

4) Be succinct, follow editorial roles, and respond in a timely fashion.

 

5) Use spell check!  If it can be done in a timely fashion, have a friend edit your writing for spelling and grammar. The letter or email doesn’t have to be perfect, but glaring errors can make you appear inept, uninformed, or dishonest when your letter is published or read on air, and should be minimized.

 

6) If you don’t get published or otherwise recognized, don’t get discouraged. You’re adding to the litany of voices which tell the self-proclaimed media moguls that they are not fooling everyone. Eventually they will be forced to report at least a modicum of the truth.

 

7) If you don’t get published in one news source, try another, but don’t give up.

This report was originally presented before the Jamaat al-Muslimeen National Majlis-e-Shura on May 3, 2014.

Welcome Home, Marshall "Eddie" Conway

Welcome back to Mob Town aka Baltimore, Br. Marshall "Eddie" Conway. You were locked up in 1971, the very year Nixon announced the start of the "Drug War." That year, fewer than 200,000 people were held in state and federal prisons. Today, there are more than 2.4 million, an increase of more than 700 percent.

 

Br. Eddie, by the mid-1990s, over half of the young Black men in Baltimore were under the "supervision" of the criminal-justice system--that is, in a jail or prison, on probation or parole, or under pretrial release (compared with one in three nationally). (Crime and Punishment in America, by Elliott Currie). Today the figures are even more disproportionately skewed against Black men.

 

In 1971, there were two prisons in Baltimore, the Baltimore City Jail (now known as the Baltimore City Detention Center) and the Maryland Penitentiary (now known as the Metropolitan Transition Center). Today there are nine. All of these, including the two extant when you were a Panther in Baltimore, were built under the watchful eye of the Black Democratic politicians (Uncle Toms) in power. The same politicians were pushing for a tenth and eleventh prison--specifically to warehouse Black youth and women respectively. The Youth Prison initiative was defeated in January 2013, at least for the time being, as a result hard organizing by the People.

 

My dear brother, today in your hometown, Black men are profiled, gunned down, or beaten to a pulp by a half a dozen/dozen cops. The situation reminds me of Gaza, a situation with which I am far more familiar. An environment of (police-inspired) terror and despondency exists for Baltimore’s Native Black population, while the Settlers (usually wealthy White transplants to Baltimore, the result of gentrification) live comfortably in million dollar homes in the “clean” parts of the city. Black youth are locked up for years on very minor, non-violent offenses (average sentences, based on mandatory sentencing laws, are seven years in such cases). All of this occurs with the tacit approval of the Democratic Governor (a Black democrat), the City Council (mostly Black Democrats), and the States Attorney (a White Jewish Democrat).

 

They call you the "Leader" of Baltimore. What do you propose to do now, and what advice/ admonitions do you have for the People?

A Day of Amr Bil Mauroof and Nahi Unal Munkari

Muslim Activists and Others Rally at MLK Day Parade, Challenge Mayor, Governor, States Attorney, and Police

By Nadrat Siddique

It was an unusual and thought-provoking day at Baltimore’s MLK Day Parade. As much of the crowd jumped and pranced as if at a football game, an adhoc group of activists, calling themselves the "No More Jim Crow Justice" Contingent, brought attention to critical issues in Baltimore. It was one of the first times that parade-participants and attendees alike were challenged to consider the cynicism of holding a parade in the name of a man who fought for race and class equality--in a city where neither exists. The  activists carried signs bearing messages such as "NO—to Baltimore’s System of Jim Crow Justice” and “King Had a Dream?? Tell That to Baltimore Killer Cops.”

The parade start was announced, and the procession slowly began, led by the Governor, the Mayor, and the States Attorney.  Suddenly, one of the protestors, David Anthony Wiggins, shouted through a megaphone at the smug trio “You have blood on your hands!” He demanded justice for Maurice Johnson, Anthony Anderson, Tyrone West, and other Black men murdered in cold blood by racist police in Baltimore. Wiggins, who is a senior fellow at the Baltimore Black Think Tank and considering a run for Baltimore City Sheriff, told the trio “You have the power to stop police brutality.” His previous run for Sheriff propounded a platform emphasizing accountability for public servants, including police.

Float after feel-good float passed, only to be challenged by the band of committed activists, who were strategically located near the Master of Ceremonies booth.  

Planned Parenthood—known for its racist roots—was challenged for its complicity in population control. More recently, the organization pushed for Norplant, Depo-Provera, and similar birth control devices amongst Baltimore’s Black population on a scale unparalleled in other populations here. White Supremacist organizations, often-times in cahoots with the government have a history of similar practices on Native American reservations, where vast numbers of indigenous women have been sterilized against their will.

The primarily Black drivers of a fleet of corvettes were tossed questions on the infrequently discussed topic of D.W.B. (Driving While Black). The Jerusalem Temple No. 24 Prince Hall masons (Freemasons) were challenged for their grab of world markets.  A Black Motorcycle riders club was asked to "Ride Against Police Brutality."

In a sign that officials are aware that Baltimore—rife with corruption, social inequality, and massive disenfranchisement of the majority Black population—is a pressure cooker, and that failure to allow some dissent might result in a broad scale unrest, a limited number of progressive groups were permitted official participation in the parade. The Workers and Peoples Assembly and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union--both protesting abuses against drivers by Veola;  Healthcare Now;  Veterans for Peace; Community Mediation; and others proudly marched in the parade. The Women in Black, an anti-war group active against the Iraq War since its inception, with its eye-catching props of women in hijab, drew a great deal of attention from the crowd. One of its members carried a sign de-crying the use of drones.

Nearing the end of the parade, a phalanx of police marched down the parade route. Before they could reach the MC’s booth, Wiggins, followed by the growing group of activists, walked up on them. “No more killer cops! Justice for Maurice Johnson! Justice for Anthony Anderson! Justice for Tyrone West,” he shouted via megaphone at the Boys in Blue. Some of the police twittered. Wiggins waxed didactical. “I know you’re not all bad cops,” he said. “If you’re not a bad cop, turn in the bad cops.”

It seemed the phalanx was surprised. With the cushion of a (Zionist) attorney general, Greg Bernstein, ready to exculpate any officer accused of wrongdoing on the wrong side of the railroad tracks, they seemed unaccustomed to any organized challenge.

Activists, whose near and dear ones had been murdered by police, loudly shamed the police contingent, which was now at a standstill. A female activist, whose boyfriend was murdered by police, took the megaphone to chastise them for crimes against the population they ostensibly served. Some of the police appeared embarrassed or chagrined, while others were in denial. A lone Black woman supporter of the police, carrying a placard bearing an American flag, approached the scene, commending the police on their work in the community. Interestingly, as the police phalanx bore down the parade route, the primarily Black crowd thinned, until the few who were left ran off. It was clear they did not view the police as their friend. And—in yet another indication of the deeply compromised state of the local corporate media—Fifth Branch of the Government, some would opine—a major challenge to government officials and police earned scarcely a passing reference, not even for the purpose of selling papers with news of the highly unprecedented action.

In another groundbreaking development, members of Masjid Jamaat al-Muslimeen, a small grassroots mosque in the Govans area of Baltimore’s West Side, attended the parade in force. Clearly identifying themselves as Muslim, and operating on the principles of amr bil mauroof (enjoining the good) and nahi unal munkari (forbidding the evil), mosque members offered strong support to the protestors calling for an end to police brutality. Masjid members held signs saying “Muslims Honor Dr. King” and “Islam Advocated Racial Equality 1400 Years Ago.”

Un-dependance Day

No Independence for Innocent Political Detainees
Rally Decries 30+ Years of Unjust Detention for Mumia Abu Jamal

Philadelphia, PA

July 3, 2013

MOVE and other supporters of Mumia Abu Jamal rallied at 5th & Market Streets in Philadelphia on the eve of American Independence Day, to draw attention to the gross injustice against the political prisoner. While tourists from around the nation lined up to view the Liberty Bell a few hundred feet away, MOVE and Mumia supporters rallied in the 90 degree heat to draw attention to the irreparably broken Just-Us System, highlighting the case of Mumia. MOVE children, including some on skateboards, handed out literature to passersby on the case.

Using educational postcards handed to me by Pam Africa, I approached some of the tourists waiting to enter the Liberty Bell exhibit on the Mumia case. Many of the Asians did not speak English (or claimed not to), and eschewed the literature. A few--particularly young Caucasians--seemed genuinely interested when I reminded them that they were about to enter an exhibit symbolizing liberty, but that there was no liberty when journalists like Mumia could be held for exposing police brutality and governmental misdeeds.


The rally was supercharged by Pam Africa, spokesperson for International Concerned Friends and Family of Mumia Abu Jamal. In locks and khakis, she is a firebrand, affectionately called Queen Mother Pam, who worked tirelessly for over a decade for Mumia's freedom before it became cause célèbre. Seeing her reminded me how much I wished more Muslims had her consistency in working on political prisoner issues.


Pam Africa's sister, Ramona Africa, was a keynote speaker of the rally, calling powerfully for Mumia's freedom. Ramona is the sole survivor of the May 13, 1985 MOVE house bombing. On that day, a government helicopter bombed the MOVE house from the air—something one would expect in Bagdad, not in the Philadelphia neighborhood where it occurred. The attack killed five beautiful black children who were being raised in intact families and in accordance with MOVE’s holistic, self-reliant lifestyle, designed to instill self-pride and historical awareness in the children. The leader of the group, John Africa, was also murdered in the attack, as were a number of other adults. It is difficult to argue that the government’s aim was other than to terrorize and destroy the organization and its principles.

Short of stature but tall on courage, Ramona bears prominent scars on her forearms, testament to the fact that the government attempted to murder her and her entire extended family--for their espousal of a drug-free/alcohol free, self-sufficient, naturalist life style, which shunned subservience to the White Supremacist Power structure and honored all living beings. Incredibly, Ramona, after seeing so many of her family members perish in the resultant fire, remained undaunted and continued to speak forcefully for the release of the MOVE 9 (members of the MOVE organization captured in the government's long-running vendetta against the organization, and held political prisoner for decades), as well as for the freedom of Mumia Abu Jamal and others held unjustly by the U.S., usually for their political beliefs.


The July 3 rally was further addressed by Theresa Shoatz, daughter of Russell Maroon Shoatz. Russell Maroon Shoatz is a Black nationalist and political activist held by the U.S. government on concocted charges for over 30 years. Sr. Shoatz delivered what was perhaps the most poignant address of the gathering, saying that as long as her father was in solitary confinement, so remained her spirit in solitary; and that as long as her father was subjected to tasteless and nutritionally-devoid food presented by his captors, so tasted she only that horrid prison food.

Br. Shabazz, a representative of UNIA-ACL, spoke powerfully against the oppressive U.S. power structure. A Muslim woman who grew up in Mumia's neighborhood spoke on his integrity and strong stance for the rights of the oppressed even as a youth.


I was invited to the dais by Pam Africa, and had the privilege to speak on behalf of Jamaat al-Muslimeen. I offered solidarity to Mumia, reminded the Muslims and others in the audience that Islam was a faith which commanded its adherents to fight for justice and against oppression, and in particular to ally oneself with the struggle to free political prisoners ("Free the captive"). As an Asian and a Muslim, I apologized to the audience for the absence of "my people" from such vital actions, and the fact that their brainwashed status and alliance with the oppressive power structure would lead them to stand in long lines to view the Liberty Bell (at the very site--the original White House--where George Washington, owner of 316 slaves, had kept 9 of them!), rather than to stand up for a man--Mumia Abu Jamal--imprisoned solely for speaking the truth.


I lamented the failure of the Muslim community at large to come forth in the case of elderly Muslim cleric, hafiz-e-Quran, and political prisoner Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman at the time of his railroading on bogus terror/conspiracy charges, despite the fact that he was extremely well known and respected on the mosque speaking circuit, was entirely peaceful, and his criticisms were directed strictly at the dictatorship in Egypt (and against the looting of Egypt by American multinational corporations). The silence of the Muslim community in this very clear cut case of injustice--the effective live burial into the American Gulag of a blind, diabetic, Muslim elder and Qur'anic reciter, PhD from the most prestigious of Islamic universities, Al-Azhar--was, I said, a green light to the government to launch further broad spread attacks against the Muslim community, targeting anyone who was vulnerable or exhibited a measure of independent thinking. I ended with a prayer for the many political prisoners being held unjustly by the U.S.


A former Black Panther and Philadelphia journalist who reported on police brutality, Mumia has been held on very shoddy charges by the U.S. government for over 30 years, much of this on death row. Vast numbers of people have called for his release, including Hollywood celebrities and Nobel laureates, to no avail.


As I left the gathering, I was overwhelmed by the fact that I had just shared a dais with Pam and Ramona Africa. How many U.S. Muslims, faced with death, destruction of their families and their homes, and the long-term imprisonment of their family members--not for any wrongdoing, but for their beliefs and failure to succumb to the system--would respond with such patience, perseverance, and courage. It is the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims—a good time to reaffirm our commitment to the cause of the mustazafeen.

© 2013 By Nadrat Siddique

Just Another Day at the Islamic Center of DHS

As I was in DC today for a protest for political prisoners, I attended the juma'ah prayer inside the Islamic Center of Washington, DC, on Embassy Row. The Islamic Center is heavily attended by diplomats. Sitting in the room allocated to female congregants in its basement, viewing the sermon on a television, I couldn’t definitively identify the evidently Arab imam in red-checkered kaffiyah and white thobe. But at this Center, every imam is typically approved by the Saudi monarchy, if not actually handpicked by them. Evidently the khutbah was the third in a series he was doing on "sharia."



To me, he sounded like the Muslim equivalent of a New Ager. Or maybe a flower child. “Love everybody,” “turn the other cheek,” “fighting is bad, so eschew all fighting” were among the themes of his feel good khutbah which completely ignored the realities of imperialist war and the balance of power it imposed across the Muslim world.



As Dr. Siddique, who was with me, pointed out, “It’s extremely strange that he would be telling an audience of [U.S.] Muslims who aren’t killing anyone, to stop fighting and killing.”



I was particularly puzzled by the following statements the imam made:



"In Islam the emphasis is on the human being. The human must live a comfortable life."



But what of struggle, which is emphasized through a variety of different constructs throughout the Qur’an, I thought.



"The one who kills, as well as the one who is killed, will both be in the Hellfire.” (The imam attributed this to Sahih Muslim.)



I have a feeling this Hadith, which I am not familiar with, is only valid in a limited context, which he did not explain. It seems to equate the oppressed with the oppressor—something wholly contrary to Islamic teachings (or my understanding of them).



"Islam is a religion which is being accused of permitting killing. The only killing permitted in Islam is that done in retribution. If somebody kills, only then can he be put to death, and then only by the government. It is not up to the individual.”



What? But what if the government is run by occupiers or is a U.S. proxy government (running a Muslim country to the tune of the imperialists!), as is the case in Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. How then, would justice ever be attained?



"Even in the Battlefield of Islam, if someone says ‘as-salaam alaikom’ to you, you must stop fighting him. But look at what is happening in the Muslim countries.”



Although he did not spell it out, he seemed to be regurgitating the corporate media line that the Muslims fighting occupation in various countries are all a bunch of crazies bent on killing each other for no particular reason.



“In Islam there are strict rules of war. Allah tells us not to kill non-combatants, not to kill women, children, etc., and not to attack synagogues.”



I was filled with wonderment as to whom the khutbah was written to appease.



Then, finally toward the end, he churned out a statement which made sense: “Allah, in general, has prohibited killing without a purpose, even of animals. You may only kill an animal if you are going to eat it.”



As it seemed the khutbah was being recorded, the only conclusion this writer could reach was that it was meant for a larger audience. Hopefully his masters were pleased, and their budget justified.

Press Release: Toilet Re-Enactment Today

For immediate release

Date: February 6, 2013

Contact: Ms. Nadrat Siddique

Tel: (443) ***-**09

 

Toilet Re-enactment Today

Duane "Shorty" Davis, dubbed the "Towson Toilet Bomber," will lead a re-enactment of the February 2011 incident which led to his arrest and eventual political prosecution.

Background

Leading up to the case against him, Davis, a local anti-racism activist, left toilets outside the offices of public officials as a means of political protest. Only government figures he believed to be corrupt and in violation of the rights of the ordinary citizen received toilets.

Bernstein, Shellenberger, O’Malley, Young, and Welsh were among the recipients.

The toilets--personalized for each government official--were decorated with news clippings, photos and other trim. Davis left dozens of such toilets--donated by friends and supporters--outside the offices of designated officials. Only one--gifted to Assistant States Attorney Shellenberger--earned him such an extreme reaction from security, and then police, that he was arrested.

Davis was ultimately brought to trial on two counts: 1) Leaving an explosive device in front of a courthouse; and 2) Leaving a a phony explosive device in front of a courthouse. He was held for three months without bond. He went to trial in August 2011, and was aquitted of all charges. In the process however, he lost his business, his truck, his computer, and a plethora of electronic equipment. Although he has petitioned for the return of the property, his efforts have fell upon deaf ears.

Details of Re-enactment

Today's re-enactment will be a symbolic walk around the Towson Courthouse perimeter, and a recounting of the February 2011 incident. It will begin at the fountain at 12 noon. The event will highlight the need to protect and preserve essential freedoms in the U.S., in particular: artistic freedom; freedom of speech; freedom from oppression; freedom from judicial corruption and fraud; and freedom from police state terrorism.

Letter from A F James MacArthur

MacArthur

#2335662

300 E. Madison Street

Baltimore, MD 21202

 

28 December 2012

 

Dear Sister Nadrat,

 

I want to thank you for all that you’re doing for the cause of freedom. My adversaries are relentless. They had no idea there would be so many in my corner.

 

A passage from Scripture comes to mind. When Elisha the Prophet and his young servant were literally surrounded by a heavily armed enemy, the servant was afraid. After the servant asked him, “What shall we do?” the Prophet reassured him. “Do not be afraid for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16)

 

By the way, my handwriting is not the greatest, so you’ll bear with me as I struggle to communicate via an archaic method I have little practice in.

 

Also, be advised, while your letter is postmarked 17 December, I did not receive it till late last night, the 27^th. Thank you so much for the gift. I will put it to good use. I’m desperately out of basic supplies of paper, stamps and envelopes. I really want to communicate with everyone fighting to keep my case and my cause relevant. Spread my address around.

 

One of the goals of my adversaries is to stretch things out as much as possible in hopes of thinning out and making weary my supporters. They are employing a whole host of dirty tricks, this is not about justice.

 

I saw you on Fox 45, and you are 100% correct! This is about retribution, plain and simple. There’s a vendetta against me. Well orchestrated tyranny.

 

I was also able to catch a snippet of you on TV during the protest rally for my freedom. Nadrat, I just can’t thank you enough. You have clearly articulated the massive injustices I’m currently being subjected to.

 

Tell your Dad I said hello. I think I briefly made eye contact with him at the bail review hearing. Did I?

 

You should know, I’m deeply saddened by the complete lack of justice or fairness given to me by the court today. But truly, I’m not surprised. Not in the least bit. With the kind of investigative work I’ve done, little surprises me anymore.

 

I’m quite pleased you’ve appreciated the work I did with the Baltimore Spectator. There’s been a conspiracy for some time now, and numerous attempts to kill the Baltimore Spectator. In their eyes, I was becoming too popular, too powerful!

 

One day, God willing (inshallah), when this is all over, I hope to be able to sit down and spend time with you and your Dad. There’s so much more I know that I never got the chance to report on.

 

My dear sister Nadrat, I must beg of you to keep praying for me. The protection of the Almighty is all I have. This ordeal could take a while. A great evil has now taken over our city and state officials, and my total destruction, including physical death, is their ultimate intention. We are merely in the preliminary phases. But I am not afraid. Come what may, my soul is prepared.

 

There are good days and there are bad days for me in here. With such little intellectual stimulation available (no library, books, newspapers, etc), it’s a tortured existence for a thinking man. Please send clippings, photocopies, or printouts of articles and news stories.

 

Continued communications with wonderful people like yourself is part of my only link to sanity. A lifeline if you will. So please do write back. Tell the others to write to me, too, even if it’s just a short note to say hi. I respond back to every letter received.

 

As you may imagine, mentally I’m often drained and fatigued by my circumstance, but on the flip side, I can feel my stores of wisdom increasing daily. My mind is becoming stronger stronger. God is so amazing, that for believers, even when man plots to do us evil, God can convert it for our good.

 

For now, I really don’t have that much more to say. I want to thank you and everyone else for such an awesome showing of support in court today. It was amazing! And for the ongoing and continued support you have shown.

 

By the Grace of God and through his strength, I shall endure to the end.

 

Peace and love to you,

 

MacArthur

The Baltimore Spectator

The A F James MacArthur Case

AF James MacArthur is an independent journalist with "The Baltimore Spectator." He was reporting on police brutality in Baltimore when he was arrested on very tenuous charges. It is evident that police, like most perpetrators of violence, don't like the spotlight to be on them. Was MacArthur arrested because of his hard hitting exposes of police abuse in Baltimore? Is he perhaps Baltimore's Mumia Abu Jamal? (Recall that Mumia was arrested following his extensive reporting of police brutality by Philadelphia  cops.)

Why should indy journalists like MacArthur, who serve as a bulwark to abuse of power by all three branches of government, given the yellow journalism spouted by the major (corporate) media outlets, be targets for harassment, abuse, and detention--as if this were a Third World Country? These are some of the questions to be tackled at this event.

On Thursday, December 20, friends of MacArthur will vigil outside the detention center where he is being held during rush hour, to draw attention to his plight. A brief press conference will also be held.

Please bring candles and signs saying "Free MacArthur" (or other relevant signs of your choosing).

MacArthur's Baltimore Spectator may be viewed here:

 http://baltimorespectator.com/

 --------------------

Case details:

MacArthur was reporting from the scene of various police brutality incidents. He used very rudimentary equipment, including a laptop, a microphone, speakers, and maybe one or two other pieces of portable equipment. But his radio program, which can be accessed through his webpage (http://baltimorespectator.com/) had garnered a large audience, partially in response to concerns about and dearth of reporting on police brutality. (MacArthur's past programs are still archived there, and the most recent one, which he recorded just prior to his recent arrest, appears on the main page). In the process, he earned the wrath of the police. As he explains in his last broadcast, he experienced a break-in at his house (around 3:00 AM) one day. He called 9-11 (after getting the situation under control with a firearm he legally owned). The police arrived, did not pursue any suspect, but instead arrested him on gun charges. This occurred despite the fact that he was in his own house for the duration of that incident.

Resultant from this concocted incident, there was an outstanding warrant for MacArthur's arrest. He learned of the warrant as a result of an anonymous tip (he frequently received anonymous tips). As he said in his last broadcast, he had--upon receiving the tip--planned to surrender to the authorities, but given his role as muckraking journalist and the concomitant past gross violations of his rights by police, he wanted to make sure he informed the right people (and enough of them) to look out for him while he was gone--prior to making his surrender.

Before he could surrender, SWAT teams surrounded his house. In fact, they cordoned off the entire block where he lived, creating a situation so volatile that he feared for his life. Somehow, he remained calm, speaking via telephone to them from inside his house, all the while broadcasting the negotiation of his freedom over the Baltimore Spectator. He criticized police mis-use of resources, pointing out that while his house and block were cordoned off as if he were public enemy no. 1, drug running, rapes, robberies, and the like continued unabated in the area. He told them they were blackballing him to his neighbors, that his neighbors would never trust him again, and that they (the police) were ruining his life, as they have done to so many other innocent Baltimore natives.

They asked him why--if he were aware of the outstanding warrant--he didn't voluntarily surrender on his own terms to prevent the current situation. He reminded them it was a Saturday night, that it was next to impossible to reach counsel on the weekend, and that he would rather not spend the weekend locked up. After a few hours of this, he surrendered and was taken to Central Booking.

The police did not have a warrant to enter his house, and he made very clear that he did not want them there, out of fear that evidence would be planted to incriminate him. This may be exactly what happened, because they entered, searched the premises, and claimed to have found a sawed off shotgun there. MacArthur supporters say the weapon was planted there. Some go to the extent of saying it was the same gun which was confiscated from him in the earlier incident, but sawed off and then returned to his property to incriminate him (since a sawed off weapon carries a heavy penalty). He remains in custody at Baltimore's infamous Central Booking, and is being denied bail. Attempts are being made by local corporate media and others to paint this courageous, cutting edge journalist as mentally unstable--although his broadcasts clearly indicate otherwise--and it is likely he will be sent for psychiatric evaluation at Springfield or another detention facility for the mentally afflicted. He is scheduled for a hearing January 4.