New York Activists Commemorate Lynne Stewart’s Release from Political Imprisonment

By Nadrat Siddique

 

On February 19, New Trend representatives sat in on an unusual event in New York City. Peoples’ lawyer Lynne Stewart, who has advanced breast cancer and was finally released in December 2013 from prison under a compassionate release program, following a hard fought battle for her release by supporters, celebrated her freedom and demanded the freedom of other political prisoners who continue to be held.

 

Lynne Stewart appeared with her husband and partner in struggle Ralph Poynter at St. Peters Church in Manhattan just a few blocks from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and New York’s famed Times Square. The event, jointly called by the couple, was billed as “A Valentine from Lynne Stewart to all Political Prisoners.” It was an evening filled with love and magic—but not of the Hallmark sort.  

 

Former political prisoners of unflinching dedication to the upliftment of their communities, and to the Mother Earth, graced the meeting. Among the most noteworthy: Sekou Odinga, BPP and BLA member, released in November 2014 after being held 33 years; Cisco Torres, Puerto Rican independentista; and Kathy Boudin, Weather Underground member.

 

Turning to Lynne Stewart and Ralph Poynter who sat together on a sofa at the head of the room, Laura Whitehorn, former political prisoner, spoke powerfully. She started her presentation by recognizing Palestinian political prisoners, then read a poem she had written for Native American inmate Standing Deer while he was still alive. (Standing Deer is the Native American inmate pressured by the U.S. government to murder Leonard Peltier, a request the former refused). A highly poignant message from Jalil Muntaquin, Black Panther/ BLA member held political prisoner by the U.S. government for 43 years, was read. Then another from David Gilbert, Caucasian anti-imperialist activist held for 32 years by the U.S., was shared. “We’re talking about a Revolution” was sung by Lynne Stewart’s lovely granddaughter, engaging the entire audience. Numerous members of Lynne and Ralph’s family sat silently supporting the couple.

 

Significantly, in this post-Ferguson era, numerous speakers linked police brutality and political imprisonment. The Black Agenda Report’s Glenn Ford, who delivered the keynote address, opined that political imprisonment occurs wherever there is resistance to oppression. Hence a movement to support political prisoners is vital. Police exist as an occupying force in Black communities across the U.S., Ford continued. It is the right and responsibility of an occupied people to fight and expel their occupiers. Ford extolled both the sacrifices of Lynne Stewart, and the courage of youth in the U.S. town of Ferguson, MO, countering the brutal police tactics against peaceful protestors there.

 

Pam Africa, of the MOVE organization and IFFMAJ (International Concerned Friends and Family of Mumia Abu Jamal), spoke on the murder of her brother Phil Africa. Phil was a MOVE political prisoner in U.S. government custody. He was very healthy, doing jumping jacks and other exercise, when taken to the offsite hospital by prison officials she said. Soon afterwards, authorities  pronounced him dead.  The pattern of killing political prisoners, either directly or indirectly, during incarceration was evident.

 

Among the guiding principles of the MOVE organization are: Community control over food supply, eschewing of drugs and alcohol, attention to diet and exercise, and respect for the Earth—in a word all the things the U.S. government and associated corporate interests don’t want in the Black community. Many believe this is part of the reason MOVE was targeted for destruction by the U.S. government (The MOVE house, located in Philadelphia, was bombed by a U.S. government helicopter in 1985; the home, along with 65 neighboring ones, was destroyed.) At the event for Lynne Stewart, Pam Africa spoke passionately against the despoiling of the earth. She excoriated the hijacking of the Peoples’ food by multinational corporations, who replaced real food with GMOs, effectively synthetics passing as food. As she spoke, Pam radiated health and youth, a shining example of the healthy eating she promulgates.

 

Larry Hamm, of the Peoples Organization for Progress, shared news of a victory in Newark, NJ. Oversight of the police had been enacted full throttle by Ras Baraka, the new mayor, who is also the son of Amiri Baraka, Hamm said to cheers. He pointed out the irony of the situation: the son of the famed Black poet, who at one point was almost killed in a police brutality incident, upon getting into office determined to put a leash on the very power which had almost murdered his father. This was an example of what could be done when the people organized to contain or oppose the power of the police.

 

One very important point alluded to by several speakers, which ought to forge links between the movements to free Muslim and Arab political prisoners and parallel movements to free New Afrikan prisoners (usually BPP and BLA prisoners imprisoned under COINTELPRO held for decades): The most horrific torture techniques used on Muslim and Arab prisoners today—such as those mentioned in the recent CIA torture report, were first developed in the United States and were practiced on Black detainees here.

 

The overarching theme of the evening was summed up by jazz vocalist and activista extraordinaire Luci Murphy, who travelled all the way from Washington, DC, to perform her rendition of Solomon Berk’s famed “None of Us Are Free (If One of Us Is Chained)” in her powerful, melodic voice.

 

Thirty-seven copies of the January 18 New Trend edition, containing Dr. Siddique’s capstone article in defense of the Prophet (SAW) honor, as well as Karin Friedmann’s excellent piece paralleling the deaths of  Arab political political Abu Anas al-Libi and MOVE political prisoner Phil Africa, were disseminated to hardcore activists attending the meeting, including to Pam Africa and Lynne Stewart.

 

Personal notes

 

As I was leaving for the long drive back to Baltimore, I thought: This woman, Lynne Stewart, whom I admire greatly, and who, in my opinion, ought to be a great inspiration for any matriculating law student who holds the maxim “equal justice for all” dear, has demonstrated the true meaning of love. She loves so deeply from the heart, whether it was her blind, ailing client Dr. Omar Abdel Sattar, whom the government tortured in cruel and unusual fashion, her beloved partner, Ralph Poynter, or her community. She is a true friend of Muslims, and a shining example of humanity and sisterhood. May Allah restore her to full shifa.

 

Ahmed Abdel Sattar

 

The only thing missing the incredibly uplifting evening calling for the release of all political prisoners, was an overt call to release Ahmed Abdus Sattar. Sattar, Lynne’s co-defendent, remains imprisoned on bogus charges. An outspoken activist against the Mubarak regime in his Native Egypt, Sattar had no prior criminal record before the bogus prosecution which shattered his and his family’s life. He was a postal carrier in New York, married to a Caucasian American with whom he had four children, very active in his local mosque, and a law-abiding U.S. citizen. Then one day he was accused of talking via telephone to members of the Egyptian opposition to the Mubarak regime. Some say he was targeted due to his affiliation with Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman (“the Blind Sheikh”), for whom he was paralegal. Dr. Abdel Rahman was also a leading critic of the Mubarak government.

 

Leading up to the Arab Spring, U.S. government officials themselves were in discussions with members of the Egyptian opposition. America—or at least some American officials—censured Mubarak. He was removed and tried for crimes against his people. Yet Sattar, whose primary offense seems to be his criticism of (and support for others like the Sheikh who likewise opposed) that U.S. client regime, continues to be held under the atrocious conditions reserved for Muslim and New Afrikan political prisoners, thousands of miles away from his family at the infamous Florence Supermax in Colorado.

 

More on Ahmed’s case is here:

http://ahmedabdelsattar.org/

 

Background on Lynne Stewart

 

Lynne Stewart, along with former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and Abdeen Jabara of the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee, courageously represented Egyptian political dissident and renowned Islamic scholar Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman (the Blind Sheikh) as he was being railroaded on conspiracy charges by the U.S. government in 1994-1995. After Dr. Abdel Rahman was convicted (based largely on the word of an informant who was paid one million dollars, and the government’s creation of a climate of fear of “Islamic terrorists”), Lynne continued to advocate for the human rights of the blind, diabetic Islamic scholar, whom the U.S. government held in solitary confinement and sought to isolate, as his health deteriorated and diabetes-related symptom set in.

In a fashion customarily associated with Third World countries, where lawyers are routinely thrown in prison along with the dissidents they have the gaul to defend, Lynne Stewart was later brought up on terror charges (the government claimed she passed information from Dr. Abdel Rahman to his supporters in Egypt), convicted, and sentenced to a prison term of 10 years.

Only after a long-standing and concerted campaign by family, friends, and supporters to release the 75-year old grandmother did the government relent. Lynne Stewart was finally released on December 21, 2013.

 

Firmly grounded in the New York community in which she was based, Lynne previously represented the Chicago 7, David Gilbert (a member of the Weather Underground), and many indigents including those on the verge of eviction, or facing lengthy jail terms for minor non-violent crimes. She earned a high place in the hearts of New York’s Black, working class, and poor communities as their champion against an unjust system.

 

Today she continues to battle cancer, which was already present when she was yanked away from her family and imprisoned at FMC Carswell. This is the same prison where Pakistani physician and political prisoner Dr. Aafia Siddiqui is being held.  (As New Trend reported much earlier, Lynne’s indomitable spirit led her to advocate for Dr. Aafia’s human rights, even while her own were being violated through political imprisonment.) There, the cancer metastasized on a grand scale due to inordinate delays in medical treatment.

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New Trend readers are urged to pray for the health of Lynne Stewart as she battles breast cancer. For more information and updates on Lynne, go to:
http://lynnestewart.org/

Thoughts on a Beloved Departed Teacher

By Nadrat Siddique

 

Dr. Abdulalim Shabazz brought together many of the positive ideals for which we in the Jamaat al-Muslimeen strive in the slender, dignified frame of one man. He was deeply Islamic; spoke little of what should be done, but rather did what needed to be done; and was hard on himself, but did not judge or denigrate others for their weaknesses.

 

Although he inspired me on many levels, the aspect of his character which captivated me the most was his dedication to building the love of math in his students. He was determined to reach each and every student, and not just with rote learning, but with the aim of  inculcating true understanding of this integral subject.

 

As a bioscience person, I know that math is the language in which chemistry, biology, biochemistry, and especially physics is written. If you cannot easily write algebraic expressions, you will have difficulty expressing biological phenomenon, such as the flow of blood through a blood vessel; the rate of growth of a bacterial population; the amount of heat released as a steak ingested by a human is metabolized and much else.

 

Looking at the dearth of black and brown people in bioscience, I felt strongly that math was the major stumbling block for these students, which precluded them from entry into the life sciences. So, a strong understanding of math was vital to a science or engineering major in college. And weakness in math precluded many black students from these fields.

 

By uplifting the marginalized, those whom society wished to write off—and perhaps relegate to janitorial work, flipping burgers, or prison—Dr. Shabazz challenged the world order. And he was so effective that he turned out the largest number of Black math Ph.ds in the country.

 

I once asked him about his teaching method. He said simply. “If my students aren’t grasping what I’m teaching, then I have failed. If students don’t understand something one way, it is up to the teacher to find other ways to explain it until they understand.”

 

Still he seemed to sense that math, which is not intuitive, or something which one can see, would be difficult to grasp for many of his students---unless they were given a reason to own it.

 

Again, he challenged the existing order, teaching his students something all high school--and certainly most college—curricula ignore. He impressed on his students about the origins of mathematical knowledge. Their ancestors, black people of Ancient KMT—not Newton or Euclid—were the first to elucidate geometry, trigonometry, algebra, and physics, and that they ought strive for the same high standard. He taught them to think, and not to memorize.

 

Later on, despite his gargantuan achievements, he was, bizarrely, demoted from the position of Math Department Chair at Lincoln University, to an ordinary teaching position. Even more bizarrely, he was replaced by a white Jewish, woman who did not hold even a math degree. My sense of fairness made me incensed at the development, but he did not seem fazed, instead using the opportunity to accept the prestigious position of professor emeritus at Gramlin University where he had a lighter work load.

 

Of his many appointments at math instruction, one of the most interesting was in Saudi Arabia.  Since his students included Saudi women, the class was sexually segregated. As occurs in most classrooms in that nation, the men were in the same room as him, while the women were in the adjoining room. Incredibly, despite having to teach the women via a video screen, he was able to reach them, and they succeeded in his class.

 

He lived a full and beautiful life, travelled frequently to Africa and other parts of the world; and spoke and lectured broadly on math and Islam. He seemed to have a particular love for Ethiopia, and adopted, raised, and mentored Ethiopian children. He was also honored by the Kikuyu (Kenyan) tribe, which conferred on him the status of honorary Kikuyu.

 

Dr. Shabazz’s life was also a commentary on the state of racial affairs in the U.S. He never referred to himself as an American, and rarely wore American clothing, usually sporting an African suit in the tradition of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Like many Black men, he served in the U.S. military—only to return to the U.S. to experience numerous traumatic racial incidents. He did not dwell on the past, but selectively shared some such incidents with us at the Jamaat al-Muslimeen shura which he attended quarterly for the last very many years of his life.

 

For instance, while a young Ph.D. candidate at Cornell University, he was walking around searching for housing. Repeatedly, he had the door slammed in his face, and was told that they did not rent rooms to “n---.”

 

The incident with Dr. Shabazz occurred in New York. My husband, when he was a small child of about seven, went to a park not far from his house. An old white man who happened to be there, and thought he had more of a right to be in the park than a small black boy from Baltimore, called him the n— word, and then took away a toy of considerable import to my husband. Just a few weeks ago, after my husband, spoke at a “Baltimore for Ferguson” rally, decrying the murder of Michael Brown in the American state of Missouri, as well as police murders of many other Black men in Baltimore city, tens of Whites responded with death threats and ephithets of n----- and “ape” to him.

 

Talking to Dr. Shabazz, my husband, and others opened my eyes to American racism, which I as an Asian and a member of a privileged group, was unlikely to ever encounter in my lifetime. For a Black man in America, it didn’t matter if one was young or old, in New York, Baltimore, or down South, but one could be called the n- word and treated accordingly on a whim by White Supremacist America. Through it all, Dr. Shabazz neither bowed nor bent to anyone but his Creator, leaving us with a bright shining example of humility, brilliance, and taqwa.

 

 

This piece originally appeared in the New Trend Magazine, October 12, 2014:

http://newtrendmag.org/ntma1571.htm

High Praise for Robin Williams: Much Ado About Nothing?

By Nadrat Siddique

The eulogies are pouring out of the Israeli press: the Times of Israel, Ha’aretz, the Jerusalem Post and others are raving about the life of one recently departed soul. Well it sure ain’t Ruby Dee, Amiri Baraka, Maya Angelou, or Rubin “Hurricane” Carter—all well known public figures who contributed significantly to downtrodden communities and died within the last one year. The Zionist media, both here and in Israel itself, are gushing over Robin Williams.

 

Now I hate to be a naysayer or uncouth, in having the audacity to speak critically of someone who has just passed. And—as anyone who knows me is aware, I have a seemingly endless reservoir of empathy for anyone suffering from mental or physical illness. Sufferers of clinical depression, manic depressive illness, Parkinson’s and other diseases deserve all the support in the world. However, as a Muslim, I subscribe to the Islamic maxim that “Allah alone is without fault,” and that conversely, every human is fallible and fault-ridden. Lionizing some, as the corporate media is prone to do, is not helpful, even in the case of an untimely death such as Williams.

 

In Williams case, we should, at the very least be aware of his pro-war and pro-Israel actions.

 

Pro-War

 

Williams was one of the first entertainers to travel to Afghanistan after the onset of the U.S. war there. In 2002, he entertained U.S. troops in Afghanistan while that country was being pounded by U.S. missiles.  In December 2010, he performed for U.S. troops at Baghram Airforce Base in Afghanistan. Recall this is the same base at which political prisoner Dr. Aafia Siddiqui was detained and tortured. She was already in custody at the time Williams visited. However, the comedian did not bring up her name, even as a humanitarian gesture.

 

Williams’ trips were not limited to Afghanistan. According to the Washington Post, he accompanied the United Service Organizations (USO) to Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the main objectives of the USO is to maintain troop morale. Williams spoke to and entertained groups of servicemen in both countries, thanking them for their service--in other words, big ups on maintaining an illegal occupation. (“Remembering Robin Williams’ strong support for the troops,” Dan Lamothe, August 11, 2014)

 

Support for Israel

 

Williams rise to celebrity in a heavily Zionist-dominated Hollywood did not occur by chance. He was a major apologist for the colonial-settler state, performing a major tribute to Israel at its 60th Anniversary Celebration in Times Square. The celebration occurred in 2008 while the economic blockade on Gaza was in full swing, and as Palestinians were being killed daily by the IDF. You can see his salute to Israel (along with that of several other celebrities) in Times Square here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edIZyz3OdKA

 

Raised as an Episcopalian—and not a Jew—he helped build sympathy for the Jewish Holocaust, playing roles such as that of an occupant of the Warsaw Ghetto in “Jakob the Liar.”

Interestingly, Williams described himself as an “honorary Jew.” The actor recently posted a picture on Twitter depicting himself in a white yarmulke (while on the set of a TV series he was recording). The photo was accompanied by a quip that it might be time for a career change (i.e., to rabbi).

 

You can see the picture here:

 

http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/19955/robin-williams-honorary-jew-friend-israel/#w3ygqboihklyAej7.97

 

And—in many of his skits, he plays a stereotypical elderly Jewish lady or a New York rabbi.

One wonders why he would go to such lengths to associate himself with Jews, Judaism, and by extension Zionism, particularly in this time when the world is increasingly questioning Israel (and those viewed as associated with it), on many levels: humanitarian, Islamic, racial, or international law.

 

In other words, Israel is no longer the prima donna who cannot be questioned, and the world community is finally finding its voice in questioning the last colonial settler state to exist. And even Jews are questioning Jews on their support for Israel. One result of the scrutinizing and increased reporting on Israel’s massive human rights violations is that among some politically unaware types, anti-Semitism is on the rise. So the question arises, why would someone like Williams refer to themselves as an “honorary Jew,” particularly in this day and time? One possible answer might be that Williams wished to maintain and further his career in a Zionist-dominated Hollywood.  The censure received by actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem for their recent vocal support for the Palestinians, never mind that they are extremely accomplished film personalities, demonstrates that Hollywood remains a Zionist enclave.

Meantime, to all the Muslims gushing with praises for Robin Williams, I say save your energy. It would be better spent in fighting to liberate Muslim political prisoners like Dr. Aafia, to whom Williams turned a blind eye—or rebuilding one of the many countries destroyed by the imperialist armies whose spirits he sought to maintain.

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.

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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