Editorials, Letters and Resolutions

Rep. Lynn Rivers
Letter  March 21, 2002

Ann Arbor City Council Passes Civil Liberties Resolution

ACLU
January 29, 2002  http://www.aclu.org/news/2002/n012902a.html
March 7, 2002  http://www.aclu.org/news/2002/n030702a.html
April 18, 2002  ACLU Blasts Attorney General’s Move to Subvert Court Order
May 29, 2002  Second Federal Court Rejects Government Secrecy
Sept. 17, 2002 Appeals Court Hears Arguments Today

Rep. John Conyers, Jr Defends Rabih Haddad  http://www.tswj.org/Haddad-3-Conyers.htm
and  http://www.truthout.com/01.05C.Conyers.Pastor.htm
Conyers' letter to Ashcroft (the PDF file requires Adobe Acrobat)  http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/ashcroftinterviewltr112701.pdf

Amnesty International
03/14/02 Post September 11 Detainees Deprived of their Basic Rights

Detroit's MetroTimes  "Visa-vis Rabih" 1/16/2002   http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=2879

Bob Herbert (New York Times): September 2, 2002  Secrecy Is Our Enemy

Michigan Daily:
March 25, 2002  Viewpoint: The real problems with the case of Rabih Haddad

Letter from Lynn Rivers about Rabih Haddad

March 21, 2002
Dear Ms. Palms:

I am writing with an update on Rabih Haddad - I know you are concerned about his case.

I spoke with Mr. Haddad by telephone March 14 and learned some more about his living conditions in the federal prison MCC Chicago.  He told me that he is being transferred out of solitary confinement and into the general unit, where he expects to have more freedom and privileges.  He expects to be able to visit with his family three times every two weeks and to have 300 phone minutes per month.

Mr. Haddad said he was not aware that I had requested an investigation of his living conditions by the Bureau of Prisons  (BOP).  A BOP representative initially told me she would initiate an investigation but later said the request had been transferred to the Department of Justice (DOJ).  A DOJ representative said she would be unable to provide the usual information due to the special nature of this case but declined to describe what made this case unique.  I have not yet received a final response from DOJ.

Mr. Haddad continues to be very concerned about his family's emotional well-being - his imprisonment has been extremely stressful for his wife and children, although he said supporters in the community had been assisting them with their financial needs.  He is frustrated by his continued incarceration and believes the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has no evidence he is a flight risk and no justification for keeping him imprisoned.  He expressed his appreciation to our community for our efforts to ensure he is treated properly.

He also told me that he and his family believed they were following INS procedure by submitting their 245(i) applications along with fees of $1,000 each for the five non-citizen family members.  Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows certain out-of-status immigrants to apply for US legal residence through a family member or employer while remaining in this country by paying a fine. However, the Department of Justice under the guidance of Attorney General John Ashcroft has indicated it does not consider a 245(i) application protection from deportation and has initiated deportation proceedings against a number of 245(i) applicants, including the Haddad family, since the September 11 attacks.  Mr. Haddad does not know whether the 245(i) application fees will be returned if the applications are rejected.

 I will continue to monitor this situation and to work with other concerned groups to ensure Mr. Haddad is treated fairly.

Please feel free to contact me about other issues important to you. For an online schedule of events, important newsflashes, current legislative information - and much more - be sure to visit my website at  http://www.house.gov/rivers

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Writing by Rabih Haddad:   Haddad Statement May 29, 2002

My Dear Sweet Lady,
You don't know me, yet I am one of your forsaken sons.  In my dreams you come to me with promises of freedom and great aspirations, in a land far away.  "One nation, indivisible, under God," you said.  "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were guaranteed to all, " you said.  "A land where justice is blind," you said.  Your words swept me up in a tornado of hope, dreams, and inspiration.  I answered your call and came to you with open arms, and oh, what a sight you were!  Standing tall over the world, holding your torch like a beacon, calling
stray ships on a turbulent ocean to safe harbor.

It was then that I pledged to you that I will uphold and practice the values that you stand for.  Little did I know that I will be persecuted in your name, and little did you know what your children were doing behind your back, some wittingly, but most unwittingly. They are afraid, my dear Lady, and fear almost always begets hate. I have done my best to preach and explain.  I made every effort to promote and expedite healing among all of your children who are still anguishing and agonizing over the national tragedy of Sept. 11. I condemned and denounced those barbaric acts of horrific terrorism.  I called upon your children to come together and embrace one another.  I implored them to triumph over adversity and flock to your side in a show of unity and defiance to those who would rob us of the values that define our way of life.

Someone once said, "There is nothing as strong as real gentleness, nothing as gentle as real strength."  When I think of this, I think of you!  Take a look over your shoulder and whisper gently to your children not to be afraid.  From my jail cell, and because of my faith and trust in Almighty God, I tell you that my spirit is free! Free as the meadowlarks of Nebraska, proud as the bold eagles of Alaska. You so not have to worry about me; just keep your torch burning high, and remain in the dreams of the oppressed and persecuted around the world.  Continue to be the beacon of hope and oasis of prosperity for so many.

Come what may, I will hold true to the pledge I made to you, "truth" and "justice" will ultimately prevail!

With love and hope,
Your forsaken son,

Rabih Haddad
Monroe County Jail

---

In Freedom’s Name

Nero, Nero, blaze not Rome!
Shed your torch and just go home.

Rumble, stumble, walk or crawl.
Quash your flame, pray hear my call.

Quash your flame, there is no shame
for choosing peace in reason’s name.

Don’t pay heed to your menacing demon.
Cast him out like a mutinous seaman.

Hear the cries of people marching,
Feel their pain and know they’re watching.

If you sail their sons to war,
while your own are safe ashore,

And you claim it is their chore
to even up your father’s score

Then you’ll open up a door
to every evil men abhore.

You’ll be known forever more,
like “Nero” of the days of yore,

A drunken sot whose stock and store
is doom and death and blood and gore.

Nero!  Nero!  In freedom’s name,
do “choose life” as you so claim.

Rabih Haddad
Monroe County Jail
February 27, 2003

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Concerning allegations of misuse of cash:

Rabih Haddad said, “And as to the bundles of cash, it was actually ‘bricks’ as they put it and the agent claimed I was trying to hide it from him.  He later admitted on cross examination that the denomination of the money was ‘ones’ which makes one wonder how he was able to determine that if I was trying to hide it from him, and having determined they were singles, why portray it in such suspicious light.  The fact of the matter as that December 14 was one of the last days of the Holy month of Ramadan. ‘The month of charity’ as Muslims call it, the cash I had was donations given to me during that month which totaled $600 as I was later told.  So yes, I had six bricks of $100 each of single dollar bills which constitute, by far, the majority of cash donations. Anyone involved in charity or church work knows that.”

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Example of Haddad's treatment in Chicago:
A friend of Salma reports:
"On Friday (Feb. 15 2002), Salma Al-Rushaid was turned away from the jail when she attempted to visit her husband. She was told by officials that Rabih's four hours of visitation for the month had already been used up. According to Salma, both she and Rabih had kept a careful accounting of their remaining minutes - which Salma claims was 30. She had tried to confirm the visit before leaving for Chicago, but could not get through to the appropriate jail officials- so she left messages on their answering machines. No one bothered to call her back and tell her she couldn't come. Salma made the 5-hour, expensive train ride; she had to arrive a day in advance and spend the night in Chicago in order to be at the jail for the 8:30 am start of visiting hours.  Needless to say, she was upset at not being able to see Rabih and upset at having wasted the time and money only to be turned away. She said the guards were obviously amused at her plight, even when she broke down in the lobby."

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Interview with Salma Al-Rushaid
Fox News Network FOX HANNITY & COLMES (21:31)
July 17, 2002 Wednesday
Interview With Ashraf Nubani, Salma al-Rushaid
Sean Hannity, Alan Colmes

HANNITY: As we continue on HANNITY & COLMES, also coming up, are you worried about what your children are being taught in school? If so, you won't want to miss a student from Michigan who claims that her school promoted homosexuality and kept her from voicing her disapproval. She  will be here. She will tell us her story.     But first, Rabih Haddad has been in custody  since last December when federal agents arrested him for overstaying his visa. The  Treasury Department has frozen the assets of his group called the Global Relief  Foundation under suspicion of having links to Usama bin Laden's terrorist  network. But is Mr. Haddad just
an innocent bystander?   We are joined by Mr. Haddad's wife, Salma al-Rushaid, and by his attorney, Ashraf Nubani. Thank you both for being with us.

ASHRAF NUBANI, HADDAD'S ATTORNEY: Thank you.

HANNITY: Ma'am, let me begin with you. Let's  get this on. He was here on a tourist visa. His visa was expired, correct,  ma'am?

SALMA AL-RUSHAID, WIFE OF RABIH HADDAD: Are  you addressing me, sir?

HANNITY: Yes, ma'am.

AL-RUSHAID: Yes. I would like to quote my  husband. It's totally unfair for my husband to be asked all these questions and him  not being able to answer. These are answers from my husband. "I was out of status  and in violation of my visa because the INS itself had put me in that  situation. I had applied for a visa extension two
months before it expired for myself  and for my family.   But by the time the INS sent me the extension,  it had already expired two months earlier, which put me in limbo until the Life Act was passed in December of 2000, I believe.

HANNITY: I'm not going to get into it, but his  visa did expire?

AL-RUSHAID: Yes, sir.

 HANNITY: And at that point, he was not here  legally, which is something that happens fairly often. I'm not going to get into  the thing here. But here's the problem I have.

NUBANI: Not only does it happen very often...

HANNITY: Hang on a second. Mr. Nubani, I'll  get to you in a minute, please. I want to continue with Salma.     Here's the problem I have with your husband,  ma'am, in this situation. Our government is saying, Global Relief Foundation has links, is connected to al Qaeda, the Taliban, Hamas, and that he is, you  know, apparently
there's one individual, was the personal secretary to bin  Laden, now in prison. These are allegations that are made. Granted, they have not  been proven, but your husband has been given every opportunity, as I understand  it, to speak, and he chooses to be silent. Isn't that true, ma'am?

AL-RUSHAID: Again, sir, no, that is totally  untrue. And, again, I say it's unfair. Let me please again quote my husband.  Please, and this is a welcome opportunity for me and my husband.

HANNITY: Did he speak to the grand jury,  ma'am?

AL-RUSHAID: I'm going to quote, please, if you  allow me to answer that. "My attorneys felt that it was merely a perjury trap,  that I should not say anything until I had immunity. Taking their advice, I  exercised my Fifth
Amendment rights and have not heard from the government since. My  attorneys speak..."

HANNITY: Hang on, ma'am. Wait a minute. This  is key.

 NUBANI: In other words, it was justified seven  months...

HANNITY: Counselor, I'm going to get to you.

NUBANI: ... seven months afterwards, there  have been no charges brought against...

HANNITY: Hang on a sec. Counselor...

NUBANI: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) or his organization  or anyone else related to the organization.

HANNITY: Counselor, with all due respect,  we're going to go one at a time. I didn't address a question to you. I'm going to  continue with this man's wife.     Here's the point. You just admitted my point.  His group is -- now, this is why he's in jail.  Our government suspects that  he's connected to these organizations. America...

AL-RUSHAID: That's not why he's in jail.

 HANNITY: Ma'am, America has been attacked. He  has been asked questions and he's demanding immunity before he answers the  questions. I would think as somebody who wants to be a loyal American, I  understand you have a child that was born here, that he would want to help America  out to solve the issues and resolve them and be willing to be forthcoming.  So, why won't your husband be forthcoming as opposed to demanding immunity from  what?

AL-RUSHAID: Sir, you are talking from somewhere very safe, very secure. My husband has been put in solitary confinement,  sir.  He is human. He is a person. He's innocent. How could you ask somebody that  has been detained for so long by a government and expect him to trust.

COLMES: Let me get the attorney in here. Mr.  Nubani, it's Alan.  Welcome to the program. And, Mrs. al-Rushaid, welcome.     Detained for seven months, no charges filed  against him, no charges filed against the Global Relief Fund. So, if the  government really wants to bring a case, don't they have a responsibility to file some charges here?

HANNITY: August 27.

NUBANI: They obviously do, and they have not,  and the government will not be able to bring charges against the organization.  And if anything is brought, it's something that's been concocted over a period of seven months, and even beyond that period of time.     But just to answer some of the issues raised here. Look, the grand jury process is controlled by the government. When you put someone in solitary confinement under 23 hours lockdown and they're handcuffed when they leave their cell to take a shower three times a week and  they're only allowed -- he was only allowed to call his family 30 minutes...

COLMES: All right. This is key here.

NUBANI: ... for 30 days.

COLMES: Yes. Also, the INS has -- this is very  interesting...(CROSSTALK)  Very quickly, please.

NUBANI: Let me just say that -- very quickly,  let me just say that there was no opportunity to cooperate in that type of  atmosphere. And professionally, I couldn't let him go in there without exercising a  right, a right that he
has...

 COLMES: Now, Salma...

NUBANI: even not being an American citizen,  has a right to...

COLMES: Counselor, we have got to keep the  questioning going here. I don't want to get caught on any one point because there  is a lot to cover. Salma, you have like three or four kids,  right? And one of them is an American
citizen. The INS wants to deport part of  your family, leaving the American here. They would be breaking up your family, right?

AL-RUSHAID: Yes, they are. Yes, they are.

COLMES: So, what's your family's breakdown,  one child born in America?

AL-RUSHAID: I don't understand your question,  but that doesn't make a difference. One child born in America, we are still one family. And that child has been asked that question, unfortunately, as  an 8-year-old, how do you feel about that. He said the passport does not make me  any different. I'm from part of the Haddad family. I
will always be with them.  It's not fair for the government to deport my mother and father, and  not me.

COLMES: Mr. Nubani, one question that I have,  he wants immunity, but immunity from what, exactly?

NUBANI: The issue of immunity is really a dead  issue. The government was given an opportunity almost seven months ago to grant immunity. They're sitting on it and they will continue to sit on it.

COLMES: What does he need immunity from?

NUBANI: Because when -- again, when you have a  situation where the government controls everything, and if we -- if we are  trusting of the government, that's fine. There's no reason here to be trustful of  the government when the government closes down the largest -- one of the  largest Muslim -- one of the largest Muslim
charities in the United States.

HANNITY: I have got to stop you both. Hang on  a second, Counselor.(CROSSTALK)  But my question when we get back is why,  ma'am, won't your husband be a good patriot while this country is under attack and  answer questions about the organization without a demand of immunity? We'll  get to that next. And also coming up, is a Michigan high school  promoting homosexuality? One student thinks so, and says that they censored  her when she tried to disagree. She will join us with that personal story, coming  up.    (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLMES: We're back on HANNITY & COLMES.     Coming up, is there anything wrong with teaching children that homosexuality and religion can co-exist? Well, it sparked a lawsuit in Michigan. We'll tell you all about it.     Back to our debate. Salma and Ashraf, I want  to put up on the screen a little hidden part of a story in the "New
York Times"  about this when your husband was first put into jail. It says this -- and this is about Global Relief -- "the Treasury Department and the FBI have been unwilling to reveal any evidence that might link either charity,"
because they mentioned another charity in the same story, "to al Qaeda and an administration official acknowledged that it was possible that any help given to al Qaeda might have been given unwittingly."     Counselor, that's not a very strong case from the government standpoint, is it?

NUBANI: It's not a strong case at all. The  Global Relief Foundation, as other Muslim charities here in the United States, are  careful in the way that they spend their money, and actually they don't send  money outside. What they do is they purchase food stuff, they purchase  ambulances and so forth, so everything can be
accounted for. In the case of Global  Relief Foundation, Pastor Haddad, there's no opportunity for wittingly or  unwittingly...

COLMES: They also had a letter from the U.N.  High Command about distributing food, a letter dated August 4, 1999, signed by  the high commissioner for refugees, that they were involved with the U.N.  distributing food to refugees. Selma, tell me -- tell us -- or, Salma,  forgive me -- how was your husband treated in jail? Wasn't
he handcuffed, taken to the showers? What kind of treatment?

AL-RUSHAID: My husband has been treated like the most worst criminal ever. And that is very degrading, very, very degrading  for him. It's really, really rough and tough.

COLMES: It's funny. We talk about him wanting  to do what's right for our country. And if certainly, if he has information,  he should share it. But we have a criminal justice system...

AL-RUSHAID: I would like to have a chance  please, to answer that.  Please.

COLMES: Sure. Go ahead.

AL-RUSHAID: When you asked me before, or you asked the lawyer before, immunity from what. Well, to tell you the truth,  maybe I might be in trouble for saying this now, but I feel like a person who came here running to America.  Now I feel like I need immunity from the government.  You have no idea, sir, when an innocent person is treated like this by, I'm  going to say, the government as we thought as, you know, father and mother figure.  You know, they have really, really terrorized me and my husband. So...

HANNITY: Salma?

L-RUSHAID: Yes.

HANNITY: Salma, your husband is being accused  of having ties to the...

AL-RUSHAID: So, where is the proof? Where is  the proof? (CROSSTALK)

NUBANI: It's only one immigration violation.

HANNITY: Is your name Salma? No, it's not. All  right. So, let me go back to Salma. I'll get to you, Counselor.

NUBANI: If you cannot address me properly...     (CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I'll get you to, Counselor, in just a  minute. Your husband -- it is -- the government is suggesting that there are  ties to the enemies of this nation. Now, you say he -- you claim that he's  been a patriot.

NUBANI: You're innocent until proven guilty in  this country for accusations...

HANNITY: Mr. Nubani, please let me get the question out. And I want to ask you why...

NUBANI: Let the question makes sense, sir.

HANNITY: ... our country is under attack, your  husband refuses to answer questions by our government?     (CROSSTALK)

AL-RUSHAID: He is not guilty of...

HANNITY: By your own admission, he refuses to answer questions...

AL-RUSHAID: No, no, sir. I will not allow you  to say that.

HANNITY: ... and I want to though why he won't answer them?

AL-RUSHAID: No, he is not refusing for the  sake of refusing, sir. He is a scared person. He is a father of four, a husband  of a wife who has been taken from his family...

HANNITY: That's very emotional and I know  prison is tough. If he loves America...

AL-RUSHAID: He wants to answer any  questions...

HANNITY: ... I want to know why he won't  answer the questions?

AL-RUSHAID: He is willing -- no, he is willing  to answer any question. But given some security.

HANNITY: All right. Here's what we know about  this group. Here's what we know about this group, Global Relief. In a newsletter  that they had in the winter of 2001, they said they had a signed contract with  the U.N. World Food Program. This is according to the Associated Press that  reported on this July 1 of this year.
They said they had a signed contract with the  U.N. World Food Program to give wheat to Afghans. The charity also produced an  October 4, 1999, letter from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Office as  evidence that it worked with international organizations. U.N. officials from  both programs said that they're lying and that they denied the claims. The spokesman...

NUBANI: Simple miscommunication. What  happened...

HANNITY: Khaled Mansour (ph)...

NUBANI: Let me explain to you what happened.

HANNITY: ... for the Food Program wrote that his office had not signed any contracts with Global Relief.

AL-RUSHAID: It would be nice if you would  allow us to answer.

NUBANI: Total misinformation. It was  miscommunication. What happened was that they did exactly what they said they did. It was  done through another organization. As far as they were concerned, they  did what they needed to do, which was to make sure that food reached people  who were needy. And the media turned around
and asked the wrong people, were  these people involved with the organization. And they said, no. And they made it  into a national case.     (CROSSTALK)

COLMES: Mr. Nubani, we're just -- we're out of  time.

NUBANI: Excuse me. If I may...

COLMES: We really have to go. I hope that we can revisit this though. We really...

NUBANI: Just give me -- give me 15 seconds to  tell you what Rabih Haddad said.

HANNITY: Give it to them. Give it to them.  What?

NUBANI: Fifteen seconds what Rabih Haddad said  before...

AL-RUSHAID: What about all the...     (CROSSTALK)

COLMES: One at a time, please. Counselor,  quickly.

NUBANI: Before he was arrested, he didn't know  he was going to be incarcerated.  Quote: "we do not condone actions  of aggression, suppression or transgression," said Rabih Haddad, co-founder of  the Global Relief Foundation. "A Muslim in his journey of life is a seeker of  peace. Our hearts bleed and go out to the victims
and families of the tragedy."

OLMES: We must go. Counselor, thank you.

NUBANI: That is Rabih Haddad before September  11 and after September 11.

COLMES: Salma, thank you.

AL-RUSHAID: Thank you.

COLMES: Coming right up, her high school had a  panel on homosexuality and religion, but she says they wouldn't let her participate. Did they violate her right to free speech? We'll talking to a high  school student who is fighting back, when we come back.
LOAD-DATE: July 18, 2002

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ACLU - Keep America Safe and Free http://www.aclu.org/safeandfree/

Council on American Islamic Relations http://www.cair-net.org/
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee  http://www.adc.org/
Center for Constitutional Rights  http://www.ccr-ny.org/

Lawyers Committee for Human Rights  http://www.lchr.org/home.htm
Center for Economic and Policy Research  http://www.cepr.net/
About.com's Civil Liberties page  http://civilliberty.about.com/
Index on Censorship http://www.indexoncensorship.org/

Department of Justice Immigration Information http://www.usdoj.gov/immigrationinfo.htm
For US Congress debates on civil liberties legislation, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ .  Search for "Patriot Act."

Sanctuary for Freedom http://www.sanctuaryforfreedom.org/

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