Friday, July 29, 2005
Life Under Occupation: Al-Arian Trial Update
July 26, 2005
The Latest in Dr. Al-Arian's Trial
Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
Dr. Sami Al-Arian's trial entered its seventh week on Monday.
Throughout the trial, many observers have noted that the government
has been giving jurors a distorted, inaccurate and biased
representation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, specifically
excluding anything to do with the Palestinians' suffering under
Israeli military occupation (or their circumstances in general). In
fact, Palestinians are only mentioned as perpetrators of violence or
violent acts.
But last week the courtroom finally got a glimpse of life under
occupation, when the government brought Palestinian legislator and
academic Ziad Abu-Amr to testify.
Dr. Abu-Amr was called to testify about an affidavit he wrote in
2000 for the case of Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar (Al-Arian's brother-in-
law), who was detained in the U.S. for nearly four years under the
use of secret evidence. The government had hoped their witness would
prove a charge of obstruction of justice against Dr. Al-Arian, but
instead Dr. Abu-Amr said Dr. Al-Arian had not influenced him in any
way when he drafted his affidavit as an expert witness.
Abu-Amr, a professor at Birzeit University who has published works
on Islamic movements in Palestine, testified about the effects of
Israel's occupation on Palestinians, including the lack of academic
freedom in the occupied territories. One example of this is the
Israeli military's ban on thousands of books from entering
Palestinian territories.
Abu-Amr also explained that Israel's decades-long economic
strangulation of the West Bank and Gaza has left an enormous vacuum
that must filled by local charities, which in turn must be approved
by the Palestinian Authority to operate. Groups operating in the
Palestinian territories offer a high number of social services,
including clinics and kindergartens, he continued. He said the P.A.,
which is poor and inefficient, "could not deliver services to people
all over the occupied territories."
Under cross-examination, Abu-Amr said Israel periodically closes
Palestinian universities. He recalled several occasions in which his
own university was closed for months at a time, and classes were
held in private homes, unions and churches. The ad-hoc university
classes were "raided by the Israeli military," he said.
With the Israeli forces carrying out arrests, deportations, home
demolitions, curfews, school and university closings, travel
restrictions, etc. against Palestinians, "not a Palestinian home
[is] not influenced by the occupation," Abu-Amr said, comparing the
situation to Apartheid South Africa.
Clarifying a number of terms, concepts and figures that have been
distorted thus far, Abu-Amr described the first Palestinian Intifada
as "a popular, peaceful resistance to the Israeli occupation by the
Palestinian population." He said Palestinians use the term "martyr"
to refer to those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their
country, including those who "die by stray bullets by Israelis."
Also during cross-examination, Dr. Al-Arian's attorney William
Moffitt presented Abu-Amr with a flyer of a lecture in which he
participated over 10 years ago, sponsored by the World and Islam
Studies Enterprise, a think tank Dr. Al-Arian helped found. Abu-Amr
recalled that the event, titled "Palestinian-Israeli Peace
Negotiations: A Palestinian Perspective," was well-attended and
featured well-known, respected and moderate scholars. (see news
report below for more on Abu-Amr's testimony).
During the rest of the week, the government entered evidence (namely
faxes and transcripts of telephone calls acquired as a result of
secret wiretaps on Dr. Al-Arian and several others) through three
government translators. As they did the week before, prosecutors
continued to introduce heavily redacted or edited videotapes and
phone calls. One particularly startling example is a government-
introduced videotape with a one-minute clip of Dr. Al-Arian
speaking, taken from a speech that was originally 90 minutes long.
During cross-examination, many questions were raised about the
accuracy of the translations and the circumstances under which they
were prepared. Under questioning by Moffitt, FBI translator Camille
Ghorra admitted that the FBI pays him over $90,000 a year, and that
he was employed as a taxicab driver before becoming a translator for
the agency in 1997. Furthermore, Moffitt asked Ghorra why he failed
to indicate that Qur'anic verses written on faxes or spoken were in
fact verses from the Qur'an.
---
Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
The Latest in Dr. Al-Arian's Trial
Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
Dr. Sami Al-Arian's trial entered its seventh week on Monday.
Throughout the trial, many observers have noted that the government
has been giving jurors a distorted, inaccurate and biased
representation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, specifically
excluding anything to do with the Palestinians' suffering under
Israeli military occupation (or their circumstances in general). In
fact, Palestinians are only mentioned as perpetrators of violence or
violent acts.
But last week the courtroom finally got a glimpse of life under
occupation, when the government brought Palestinian legislator and
academic Ziad Abu-Amr to testify.
Dr. Abu-Amr was called to testify about an affidavit he wrote in
2000 for the case of Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar (Al-Arian's brother-in-
law), who was detained in the U.S. for nearly four years under the
use of secret evidence. The government had hoped their witness would
prove a charge of obstruction of justice against Dr. Al-Arian, but
instead Dr. Abu-Amr said Dr. Al-Arian had not influenced him in any
way when he drafted his affidavit as an expert witness.
Abu-Amr, a professor at Birzeit University who has published works
on Islamic movements in Palestine, testified about the effects of
Israel's occupation on Palestinians, including the lack of academic
freedom in the occupied territories. One example of this is the
Israeli military's ban on thousands of books from entering
Palestinian territories.
Abu-Amr also explained that Israel's decades-long economic
strangulation of the West Bank and Gaza has left an enormous vacuum
that must filled by local charities, which in turn must be approved
by the Palestinian Authority to operate. Groups operating in the
Palestinian territories offer a high number of social services,
including clinics and kindergartens, he continued. He said the P.A.,
which is poor and inefficient, "could not deliver services to people
all over the occupied territories."
Under cross-examination, Abu-Amr said Israel periodically closes
Palestinian universities. He recalled several occasions in which his
own university was closed for months at a time, and classes were
held in private homes, unions and churches. The ad-hoc university
classes were "raided by the Israeli military," he said.
With the Israeli forces carrying out arrests, deportations, home
demolitions, curfews, school and university closings, travel
restrictions, etc. against Palestinians, "not a Palestinian home
[is] not influenced by the occupation," Abu-Amr said, comparing the
situation to Apartheid South Africa.
Clarifying a number of terms, concepts and figures that have been
distorted thus far, Abu-Amr described the first Palestinian Intifada
as "a popular, peaceful resistance to the Israeli occupation by the
Palestinian population." He said Palestinians use the term "martyr"
to refer to those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their
country, including those who "die by stray bullets by Israelis."
Also during cross-examination, Dr. Al-Arian's attorney William
Moffitt presented Abu-Amr with a flyer of a lecture in which he
participated over 10 years ago, sponsored by the World and Islam
Studies Enterprise, a think tank Dr. Al-Arian helped found. Abu-Amr
recalled that the event, titled "Palestinian-Israeli Peace
Negotiations: A Palestinian Perspective," was well-attended and
featured well-known, respected and moderate scholars. (see news
report below for more on Abu-Amr's testimony).
During the rest of the week, the government entered evidence (namely
faxes and transcripts of telephone calls acquired as a result of
secret wiretaps on Dr. Al-Arian and several others) through three
government translators. As they did the week before, prosecutors
continued to introduce heavily redacted or edited videotapes and
phone calls. One particularly startling example is a government-
introduced videotape with a one-minute clip of Dr. Al-Arian
speaking, taken from a speech that was originally 90 minutes long.
During cross-examination, many questions were raised about the
accuracy of the translations and the circumstances under which they
were prepared. Under questioning by Moffitt, FBI translator Camille
Ghorra admitted that the FBI pays him over $90,000 a year, and that
he was employed as a taxicab driver before becoming a translator for
the agency in 1997. Furthermore, Moffitt asked Ghorra why he failed
to indicate that Qur'anic verses written on faxes or spoken were in
fact verses from the Qur'an.
---
Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
Response to St. Petersburg Times Editorial
Re: Video betrays Al-Arian as victim Series: EDITORIALS; [SOUTH PINELLAS Edition], St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Fla.: Jul 15, 2005. pg. 14.A
In following the Sami Al-Arian trial, the word of the week was “redacted”, which Judge Moody instructed the jury means “left out”. In preparing transcripts of telephone conversations, documents, etc. for evidence, the government redacted (or left out) line after line. The same is true of the video that was shown last week of Dr. Al-Arian speaking in 1991. As I watched the video, it seemed that every few seconds, something was redacted, but there was no way to tell how much was left out. However, so much was left out that the context was not readily apparent.
The St. Petersburg Times editorial of July 15, “Video betrays Al-Arian as victim”, did not seem to be concerned with these frequent redactions, and also did not seem to be concerned with the situation in Palestine about which Dr. Al-Arian was speaking. In other words, the context from which he was speaking was also redacted. Thus, the reader does not know that in 1991, the first Intifada, or uprising, against the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine was taking place. The reader also does not know that the first Intifada was largely non-violent, and it was three years before the first suicide bombing occurred. In fact over 140 Palestinians were killed before the first suicide bombing took place. Many of these Palestinian deaths were children, and many were killed with a bullet to the head.
In common usage in the Middle East, while the term “martyr” includes suicide bombers, it is not limited to them. In Palestine, “martyr” also refers to anyone killed by the Israeli army. Thus, all of these children who were killed are referred to as martyrs, and so is British peace activist Tom Hurndall, who was shot between the eyes as he tried to protect school children who were pinned down by Israeli soldiers.
The editorial claims that Dr. Al-Arian is casting “random killing as a form of martyrdom”, but on the contrary Dr. Al-Arian is praising a 5-year-old boy for courageously throwing stones at the Israeli tanks and uzis that are attacking his home. He refers to the 5-year-old boy as a martyr because he is killed by Israeli soldiers, not because the 5-year-old boy was a suicide bomber! (Although I do find it hard to believe that the Times editors were not aware that no five-year-old Palestinians have blown themselves up!) In his book of poetry, Conspiring Against Joseph, Dr. Al-Arian also refers to Rachel Corrie as a martyr. Rachel Corrie was the 23-year-old year American peace activist who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer as she tried to prevent a home demolition.
This context of what was going on at the time in Palestine has as yet not been allowed in the court room, although without the context it will be very difficult for the jury to understand what is going on. This context also has not been provided by our local media. In fact, the media has already contributed greatly to the gross unfairness of this trial, and I was very disappointed to see it continuing as a policy of the St. Petersburg Times editorial board. Dr. Al-Arian has not been tried yet, and he is still presumed to be innocent by thinking Americans.
Since very few people seem to have any knowledge of the historical context of the current situation (including people at the Times), I refer you to the website If Americans Knew www.ifamericansknew.org. This website was started by an American journalist, Alison Weir. Another informative site is B’tSelem – the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories www.btselem.org/English.
Without a knowledge of the facts of the situation, there can never be justice.
Melva Underbakke
In following the Sami Al-Arian trial, the word of the week was “redacted”, which Judge Moody instructed the jury means “left out”. In preparing transcripts of telephone conversations, documents, etc. for evidence, the government redacted (or left out) line after line. The same is true of the video that was shown last week of Dr. Al-Arian speaking in 1991. As I watched the video, it seemed that every few seconds, something was redacted, but there was no way to tell how much was left out. However, so much was left out that the context was not readily apparent.
The St. Petersburg Times editorial of July 15, “Video betrays Al-Arian as victim”, did not seem to be concerned with these frequent redactions, and also did not seem to be concerned with the situation in Palestine about which Dr. Al-Arian was speaking. In other words, the context from which he was speaking was also redacted. Thus, the reader does not know that in 1991, the first Intifada, or uprising, against the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine was taking place. The reader also does not know that the first Intifada was largely non-violent, and it was three years before the first suicide bombing occurred. In fact over 140 Palestinians were killed before the first suicide bombing took place. Many of these Palestinian deaths were children, and many were killed with a bullet to the head.
In common usage in the Middle East, while the term “martyr” includes suicide bombers, it is not limited to them. In Palestine, “martyr” also refers to anyone killed by the Israeli army. Thus, all of these children who were killed are referred to as martyrs, and so is British peace activist Tom Hurndall, who was shot between the eyes as he tried to protect school children who were pinned down by Israeli soldiers.
The editorial claims that Dr. Al-Arian is casting “random killing as a form of martyrdom”, but on the contrary Dr. Al-Arian is praising a 5-year-old boy for courageously throwing stones at the Israeli tanks and uzis that are attacking his home. He refers to the 5-year-old boy as a martyr because he is killed by Israeli soldiers, not because the 5-year-old boy was a suicide bomber! (Although I do find it hard to believe that the Times editors were not aware that no five-year-old Palestinians have blown themselves up!) In his book of poetry, Conspiring Against Joseph, Dr. Al-Arian also refers to Rachel Corrie as a martyr. Rachel Corrie was the 23-year-old year American peace activist who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer as she tried to prevent a home demolition.
This context of what was going on at the time in Palestine has as yet not been allowed in the court room, although without the context it will be very difficult for the jury to understand what is going on. This context also has not been provided by our local media. In fact, the media has already contributed greatly to the gross unfairness of this trial, and I was very disappointed to see it continuing as a policy of the St. Petersburg Times editorial board. Dr. Al-Arian has not been tried yet, and he is still presumed to be innocent by thinking Americans.
Since very few people seem to have any knowledge of the historical context of the current situation (including people at the Times), I refer you to the website If Americans Knew www.ifamericansknew.org. This website was started by an American journalist, Alison Weir. Another informative site is B’tSelem – the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories www.btselem.org/English.
Without a knowledge of the facts of the situation, there can never be justice.
Melva Underbakke
Sunday, July 24, 2005
July 20, 2005 - Summary of Meeting
Friends of Human rights met on Wednesday, July 20, to share reflections on the trial so far and to discuss future actions. Our premise has been that Dr. Al-Arian and Mr. Hammoudeh have not been treated fairly or in accordance with the U.S. Constitution, and that a fair trial for all defendants will be elusive because of the actions of the government and the local bias created by the actions of the media.
Our goal has been to demonstrate to the jury that many local people are concerned about the treatment and bias, and we want the conditions and trial to be brought up to the standards of our Constitution and the moral and spiritual values of America.
To accomplish this goal, we have held demonstrations outside the Federal Courthouse on Mondays at noon, and we have attempted to have a presence in the courtroom as often as possible.
We feel that we have been having an effect (as does the prosecution apparently), and we should continue. We discussed what we could do to be the most effective, and reached the following conclusions through consensus:
Showing support in the courtroom is very important. We will be the most effective if the jury can identify with us and think we are just like them. In order to make a strong and positive effect on the jury, need to be quiet and respectful of everyone in the courtroom. It is not necessary to stay all day – spectators can come and go as they please. Even if we are only there for 30 minutes, the jury will see us.
We will continue having the presence in front of the courthouse from 11:30 to 12:30 (or longer) on Mondays. The signs have been excellent because they focus on civil and human rights. The group felt we would make a more powerful statement if we spread out a little along Florida Avenue, facing Florida Avenue with the signs and stand in silent witness to the need for a fair trial, etc.
We are having a positive effect and thanks to everyone who has participated.
Please keep coming, and bring friends!
--- Melva
Our goal has been to demonstrate to the jury that many local people are concerned about the treatment and bias, and we want the conditions and trial to be brought up to the standards of our Constitution and the moral and spiritual values of America.
To accomplish this goal, we have held demonstrations outside the Federal Courthouse on Mondays at noon, and we have attempted to have a presence in the courtroom as often as possible.
We feel that we have been having an effect (as does the prosecution apparently), and we should continue. We discussed what we could do to be the most effective, and reached the following conclusions through consensus:
Showing support in the courtroom is very important. We will be the most effective if the jury can identify with us and think we are just like them. In order to make a strong and positive effect on the jury, need to be quiet and respectful of everyone in the courtroom. It is not necessary to stay all day – spectators can come and go as they please. Even if we are only there for 30 minutes, the jury will see us.
We will continue having the presence in front of the courthouse from 11:30 to 12:30 (or longer) on Mondays. The signs have been excellent because they focus on civil and human rights. The group felt we would make a more powerful statement if we spread out a little along Florida Avenue, facing Florida Avenue with the signs and stand in silent witness to the need for a fair trial, etc.
We are having a positive effect and thanks to everyone who has participated.
Please keep coming, and bring friends!
--- Melva
