Flip the Coin: King or McCarthy?

Flip the Coin: King or McCarthy?

By Rabih Haddad

If someone gave me a penny for every airheaded bigot doubling as a patriot who has had some sort of official capacity in successive US administrations, I would be a millionaire.

The latest manifestation of such bigoted hatred masked by false patriotism, riding the fear mongering Islamophobia wave is one Rep. Peter King of New York. King is the Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee who has recently disembarked on a witch hunt reminiscent of the McCarthy witch hunt in the early 50s that ripped the American society apart and pitted brother against brother, and left scars that over half a century later are still painful.

Peter King is the paradigm of everything wrong with America today. He is the epitome of a present day Judas who sold his soul for a few minutes in the limelight. The hearings he is conducting serve no practical purpose whatsoever. None of the allegations upon which he has based his demands for these hearings were ever substantiated. As a matter of fact, he had to renege on the single most important allegation in which he asserts:

"The only real testimony we have on it was actually from Sheikh Kabbani[1], who was a Muslim leader during the Clinton Administration, he testified, this is back in 1999 and 2000, before the State Department that he thought over 80 percent of the mosques in this country are controlled by radical Imams. Certainly from what I've seen and dealings I've had, that number seems accurate."
--Rep. Peter King, Jan. 24, 2011

Glenn Kessler, The Washington Post’s Fact Checker, gave King two Pinocchios for this baseless accusation while making the following significant revelation:

“The Fact Checker was inclined to award King quite a few Pinocchios before he came to the phone and essentially took it back.” http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2011/03/peter_kings_claim_about_radica.html

So what is this circus all about? Why this determination to demonize a whole people and their religion? The answer lies with Peter King. There have been many attempts to dissuade the republican King from treading down this treacherous path. 56 lawmakers signed a letter to King pleading with him to cancel these hearings to no avail. “Singling out one religious group and blaming the actions of individuals on an entire community is not only unfair, it is unwise — and it will not make our country any safer,” the group of lawmakers wrote in the letter.

Peter King would have done well to investigate the “real” terrorist threat from within by looking at home-grown non-Muslim extremist groups who number in the Hundreds. John Tirman, the executive director of the MIT Center for International Studies writes: “The hearings are controversial, but the link between extremism and violence is worth exploring. The problem is that King has the spotlight fixed on only one group. There is a tangible threat of extremist terrorism in America, but it is not Muslims we need to wonder about.”

He goes on to explain: “The START database on terrorism in America, which tracks all incidents of political violence, shows that most attacks in the last two decades have been on black churches, reproductive rights facilities, government offices, and individual minorities. And those have been committed mainly by right-wing extremists. From 1990 to 2009, START identified 275 “homicide events’’ that killed 520 people and were committed by right-wing ideologues. There were many more incidents of destruction of property, nonfatal attacks, and other acts of thuggery by white supremacists, private militias, and the like.” http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/03/10-6

King has repeatedly asserted that Muslims in America are not doing enough to fight radicalization and terrorism within their own communities. Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post writes: “Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca testified in opposition to King’s premise, citing figures demonstrating that radical, extremist acts of crime are committed by non-Muslims as well and saying that seven of the last 10 known terrorist plots involving al-Qaida had been foiled in part by information provided by Muslim Americans.” http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_hooey_king_20110310/

These hearings will do nothing to make America Safer. The only guaranteed outcome will be the complete alienation of a large segment of present day American society, bringing to mind images of Japanese-Americans internment, and instilling in them a deep rooted sense of fear and uncertainty, eventually giving way to a gripping feeling of resentment and in some cases, raw and naked hate.

Concerned Muslims around the world are watching these hearings with great interest. They expect a much louder voice of opposition to them than has prevailed thus far.

---

[1] Hisham Kabbani is an obscure Muslim cleric who practices an extreme type of Sufism and who is considered by mainstream Muslim scholars to be a mere public spectacle void of any true Islamic substance, which explains -in part- his animosity towards them. I find the insistence of some to use him as a reference extremely baffling. I think it brings their own motives into question.

Arab Revolutions and the Hypocritical West

Arab Revolutions and the Hypocritical West

It never ceases to amaze me how hypocritical the West can be. This is no more evident than in the way it has been dealing with the freedom revolutions erupting all over the Middle East in a spontaneous, un-orchestrated effort to depose the very regimes (and the despots who preside over them), that are backed and funded by the democratic, freedom champion West.

BinAli of Tunis, Mubarak of Egypt, and soon to join them Ghaddafi of Libya and maybe Saleh of Yemen are all stooges of the West and have long acted as the channels through which it (the West) has evolved into the modern imperial and colonial leeches that siphon the life-blood of people in the region.

These dictators have declared war on their peoples long ago, severely curbing all sorts of freedoms not the least of which is the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion effectively annihilating all forms of dissent. Writers, journalists, activists, and basically anyone who opposed the regime or the ruler were arrested, tortured, exiled, their wealth confiscated, their families persecuted, and the lucky ones … died!

Western governments were not only privy to this but have always deliberately turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the cries of the people demanding reforms, accountability, and plain old justice. This can only be understood one way: the West is an active partner in the war being waged by these regimes on their people and is a co-conspirator in the plot to rob them of their national wealth, but more importantly to strip them of their basic human dignity.

People living under these democratically elected governments in the West cannot bask in the bliss of ignorance of their governments’ transgressions and exploitations in the Third World. We live in a well connected, highly networked global village where information is served fresh many times a day. Dissent in the West is not near where it should be, while the ultra conservative right is making advances everywhere ushering in a new era of demonizing those who differ or merely do not conform, which always is a prelude to all sorts of despicable evils.

The voices of wisdom and reason are being drowned by the screams demanding greater riches and tight control over the world’s dwindling resources. But the choices before the leaders of the West, though limited, are crystal clear: either learn to live together with the rest of the world on a solid foundation of peace, justice, and inalienable human rights or jump hand in hand with them into the abyss.

I'm Baaaack

I will be posting new entries on this blog, please stay tuned!

Comments by Rabih Haddad on the "Detainee Bill"

If I were able to address America, I would say: "America, look at yourself in the mirror and tell me what you see." But since this is unlikely, I will attempt to draw a picture of how America is perceived in this part of the world, an area directly affected by many of the policies and actions taken by the American government.

For a variety of reasons I believe that I offer a unique perspective. I lived in the States for a good portion of my adult life (15 years) and was able to experience first hand the mosaic that comprises America today with most of its social strata. I also was a victim of the seemingly mindless decisions and policies at which this administration excels. First it was the USA PATRIOT Act and now the 'Detainee Bill,' with many blunders in between.

G.W. says America liberated Iraq and turned it to a democracy. The only people in Iraq who pretend to believe that are the stooges imposed by the Americans as ""a democratically elected government." Not a single Iraqi, or a single Arab or Muslim to whom I've spoken, believes that.

G.W. says America is winning the war against terrorism. But does anyone in the world believe that? The world today is a much more dangerous place thanks to this administration and its adopted policies of sanctioned torture, covert assassinations, extra judicial killings, kidnapping, indefinite detentions, and the list goes on forever.

G.W. says he respects Islam and Muslims then turns around and associates fascism with Islam. Not long before that he described his actions as a "crusade" knowing full well what the term means, especially for those who fell victim to such ungodly campaigns.

So what is the face of America that people see in this part of the world? It a most hideous one, let me assure you. They see an America that is willing to do anything to advance its goals, within or outside the law.

They see an America that uses excessive force against helpless civilians, including chemical and biological weapons.

They see an America that demonizes them and their religion while the same America does not see a single fault with Israel, their main victimizer.

They see an America that claims to be a champion of democracy, justice, and human rights but persecutes them in the name of these very values.

They see an America that is siphoning their national treasures and pushing them into deeper poverty and depravation.

The above was a necessary introduction that facilitates taking the passing of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 from its national context to its proper and broader international context.

This administration has been the epitome of a rogue regime by all standards. They have lied to their people and to the world. They have waged unjust, un-ethical, and unfounded wars. They have systemically eroded civil liberties in and outside the United States. They have engaged in un-conventional warfare against innocent civilians. They have destroyed entire nations along with their infrastructures and economies. They committed extra judicial murders. They have kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured, and killed scores of individuals, the guilt or innocence of whom may never be determined. Their thirst for power and riches seems unquenchable!

The Military Commissions Act of 2006 not only sanctions all of the above, but gives the administration the proverbial pat on the shoulder and encourages them to do more. Terrorists and their organizations must be stopped by all means. Legal means, that is. George W. Bush made it very clear from the very beginning that "You're either with us, or you're with the terrorists." A very troubling statement. Troubling because this administration has been able to extract from this rubber-stamp congress the legalization of its unruly policies. This congress has given this president unprecedented powers because if they didn't, they would be with the terrorists.

This president unilaterally determines who is a terrorist and who is not, and thus who is with him and who is with the terrorists. These determinations are not made based on factual findings, but rather on what is of greater profit to the hawks in his cabinet and the special interest entities they represent. These very entities are working hard overtly and covertly to establish The American Empire. This is exactly how the US is perceived today by friends and foes, allies and adversaries. The Detainee Bill is just another victory under this administration's belt on the road to Imperialism. It legalizes and legitimizes their otherwise criminal policies and criminal procedures.

I should know! I was determined to be a 'person of interest'. To this day, I don't know who made that determination or why. What I know is that because of that determination I was whisked off to prison, my legal right to open hearings was confiscated, my legal right to know what I was being accused of was hijacked, I was thrown in "the hole" for the duration of my imprisonment save three months that were made possible after Congressman John Conyers' visit to my cell declaring it unacceptable! Today, five years after my arrest, not a single charge has been filed against me or against my organization, the Global Relief Foundation, terrorist-related or otherwise.

The damage that was done to me, to my family, to my organization, and to my community is irreparable. We will bear the scars of this grave injustice for as long as we live. But now we must live with the constant fear and insecurity of this repeating itself courtesy of this new bill. Bush and his gang can go after anyone anywhere in the world armed with this bill that did away with international laws and conventions put in place to safeguard against such tyranny.

The world was already a very dangerous place under Bush and his gang. This bill has made it all the more dangerous.

Rabih Haddad
Beirut, Lebanon
October 9, 2006

The Reality of War

http://fromisraeltolebanon.info/

Warning: Some photos are very graphic

The cost of war to children

I wonder what the media would've said had it been Palestinian girls in the photos below. But this is the Israel that the U.S. president, G.W. Bush, is unconditionally supporting. This is what American tax-payers' money is buying: indiscriminate death to women, children, and the elderly.



Monday, July 17, 2006: Kiryat shmona
Israeli girls write messages on a shell at a heavy artillery position firing into civilians inside Lebanon


Monday, July 17, 2006:
South Lebanon: A Lebanese Child Receiving the message from the Israeli girls

Terrorism is Spelled: I S R A E L

I always knew it was just a matter of time and now it has happened!!

Those who think or believe that what is happening in Lebanon and Gaza was provoked or instigated by the snatching of Israeli soldiers by Hamas and Hizbollah are either naive or new to the Middle East conflict and the politics stemming from it.

Israel is a rogue state that practices state sponsored terrorism against un-armed civilians in a systematic arrogant way sanctioned and paid for by the US. They especially target children through a plan devised by the IDF and Israeli police to kill off future generations of "terrorists".

Israel claims it has the right to reclaim Palestine as the Jews' "Promised Land" based on a 4000 year old biblical promise when they were driven out of it, but claims that Palestinians do not have the right to return to their land although Israel drove them out of it only 60 years ago.

Israel was established through aggression and terrorism while Europe and the US looked the other way because racist Europe wanted the Jews out of its societies. Jews and Arabs (who are co-partners in Semitism) enjoyed peaceful coexistence through out history. Many Jews resided in Palestine and openly practiced their religious rites with no interference from anyone. Then they decided that the country belongs to them and kicked out the indigenous population sparking a perpetual conflict that, 60 years later, is still bringing death and misery to millions in the region and beyond.

Israel is the only country in the world that brushes off rare UN Security Council resolutions which condemn its barbaric policies and military incursions and gets away with it. The US makes sure it does.

Israel's economy has always been weak and never self sufficient, so what keeps it going you may ask? US taxpayers' money that's what! Israel's powerful propaganda and lobbying machine in the US (primarily the AIPAC) makes sure of that. Whoever called the White House and Capitol Hill "Israeli Occupied Territories" was right on the money!

Israel holds more that 10,000 hostages, not prisoners because the vast majority of them have not had any charges filed against them! 1700 of them are below the age of 16! 700 of them are mothers with babies! No one is allowed to even discuss their cases. But when two war criminals of the IDF are taken prisoners to be traded for the hostages that Israel is holding, it becomes grounds for the annihilation of whole countries and genocide against their civilian population.

If Israel can do what it does in the name of self defense then why can't Hamas and Hizbollah do the same? Israel is the aggressor here. People tend to forget that. If the Americans love the Israelis so much then why not give them a piece of land the size of Palestine in Arizona or Texas and take them all there! This is much cheaper for the US than the 3-5 billion dollars they pump in the Israeli economy and military every year. It will also give the region, and the world for that matter, some peace. But since that is highly unlikely something has to be done about Israel and the US.

copyright 2006 Rabih Haddad

December 14, Then and Now - Part 1

Let me begin by apologizing for not posting anything here for the past five weeks, but finding the time to reflect and write is becoming increasingly difficult with all my other responsibilities and duties. Better late than never I guess.

I posted my last blog entry on Dec. 14th, 2005 and as many of my friends, brothers and sisters know, that was the fourth anniversary of that one fateful afternoon when my life and the lives of many around me changed forever.

It was on that date four years ago that I was arrested, whisked off to jail, put in the "hole" for sixteen of the nineteen months to come. I have yet to be charged with anything that warranted that kind of punishment.

I have been trying to reflect upon and record the events and changes that took place within me and in people and places around me, but that turned out to be a more difficult task than I had anticipated.

An overwhelming feeling of pain and frustration overtakes me every time I go back in memory to those excruciating 19 months. A great injustice was committed and has, so far, gone unanswered and unresolved. I can't fend off the feeling of being wronged and violated in the name of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This has resulted, among other things, in total intolerance of any form of injustice that I encounter, even fictional (Novels, TV shows and movies). I feel my blood pressure rising and I get this almost unstoppable urge to scream: "Stop, you can't do this" which in turn gives way to a feeling of defeat and tears swelling in my eyes.

What really surprises me is that now, two and half years after being freed; my feelings are as raw and as painful as ever. Every door slam takes me back to the resonating sound of that huge metal door of my solitary cell being slammed behind me every time I entered. The jingling of keys brings back painful images of guards' keys, of chains and handcuffs and shackles. Sounds that I wish I'll never hear again, ever!

To be continued! Stay tuned.

Lebanon: Death's Name and Address

Our fate and destiny,it seems, in this beautiful little country on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean is to grapple with endless violence and death, the latest manifestation of which was the assassination of Jibran Twayni, MP, and managing editor of the longest running and most prominent daily newspaper in Lebanon: Al-Nahar (pronounced: annahar which means 'the day').

Watching the live T.V. coverage of the aftermath cast a gripping surreal feeling over me as the cameras reflected the devastation caused by the explosion and the pointless death and injuries of the victims. My heart was saying enough already, but my brain was asking who's next?

The fingers of accusation immediately pointed at Syria. Twayni had been an outspoken critic of the Syrian regime and its policies in Lebanon. His last editorial was a well-articulated, bold dissection of Syria's foreign policy with regards to Lebanon and the region. In the past few months, he had toured Europe and had met with a number of Western officials rallying support for the UN Security Council's Resolutions 1559 and 1595 that targeted Syria for the most part. He had received numerous death threats eventually causing him to leave Lebanon last August. So yes, Syria is the obvious suspect in this latest assassination. But here in the Middle East, and especially in politics, nothing is as it seems and nothing should be taken at face value!

The question that any objective observer should ask is: who else has a stake in this? Who else would benefit?

Syria is already in international 'hot water' because it was implicated in the assassination of our late Prime Minister Rafik Hareeri, G. W. Bush has Syria in his sights for a possible sequel to Iraq, the UN is threatening sanctions, are the Syrians that stupid? Maybe, but not likely.

But if Syria was to be slapped with sanctions or invaded by the Americans, and if the political and security situation was to spiral downward in Lebanon, who stands to benefit the most on all fronts? The answer is not that hard. A quick overview of recent history in the Middle East will reveal that there has always been, by far, a single beneficiary of US foreign policy there. One who spares no effort in de-stabilizing the whole region for its own ends. One who has benefited the most, so far, from the tragic events of 9-11.

Need I say more?

.... And A Taste OF JUSTICE!!

I have always believed that "what goes around, comes around", and yesterday my dear friend Phillis Engelbert provided me with an attestation to that when she sent me the following article. Before I let you delve into the article I must give you a little background. Patrick Wynne, the subject of the article, was the single detention-deportation officer in southeast Michigan. There were only six such officers in the whole state (according to Mr. Wynne). He was the man handling my detention issues at Monroe County Jail. My rights, priviliges, treatment, food, medicine, phone calls, mail, visits, etc. hinged on his say-so. I heard many horror stories about him from other detainees but in all fairness, he was a gentleman with me. His boss, Roy Bailey, on the other hand was nothing less than a bigoted, two-faced red-neck who never spared a chance to humiliate me and make my life as difficult as he could. Contrary to common belief, today's law-enforcement agencies in the US are plagued with these types.

The second article was sent to me by my dear sister in Islam, Um Yusuf. It offers a little more information on the matter. As I told Phillis, stay tuned for many more such stories of those who were instruments of injustice of their own "free" will.

Feds: Immigration worker stole from 1,300 detainees at Monroe jail

DETROIT Federal officials say an ex-Homeland Security employee stole money, jewelryand at least 308-thousand dollars in cash from immigration detainees at the MonroeCounty jail.

Thirty-three-year-old Patrick Wynne pleaded guilty in July to embezzlement chargesand faces sentencing December 19th in Detroit federal court.

The thefts happened over four years while he worked for the Department of HomelandSecurity and its predecessor.The Homeland Security Department plans to spend 158-thousand dollars to shipproperty back to the more than 13-hundred immigrants from whom Wynne stole.

Stolen property included jewelry, clothing, suitcases, family photos and religious items.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press.

Here's the second article:

Savings stolen in rude U.S. welcome

Federal agent in Michigan steals everything from wedding bands to cash from 1,300 immigrants
David Shepardson / The Detroit News

In the Rosa Parks Federal Building sit thousands of items, waiting to be delivered around the world, that were stolen from immigrants by a federal law enforcement officer.

Wedding bands. Family Bibles. Shoes. Suitcases. Crucifixes and jewelry. Family photos. And at least $308,000 in cash stolen from 489 immigrants. For many, it was life savings brought to the United States to start a new life. There's enough to fill a large courtroom, says assistant U.S. attorney Bruce Judge.

Federal prosecutors and agents revealed Wednesday that former immigration officer Patrick Wynne had stolen from more than 1,300 immigrants between 2000 and February 2004 -- or 1,000 more than were previously known.

Now, the Department of Homeland Security plans to spend $158,000 to package and ship the items around the globe to immigrants from whom Wynne stole, Judge said.

Two FBI financial analysts spent months poring through records to piece together the brazen crime and learn how many victims there were. The immigrants had all been detained at the federal detention facility, housed in the Monroe County Jail, where Wynne worked as one of the property officers in charge of detainees' possessions.

On Wednesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mona Mazjoub found that there was sufficient evidence to believe that Wynne had stolen the more than $308,000 from the immigrants -- rejecting claims by his attorney, Michael McCarthy, that the number of victims was much less. The hearing was held to determine the number of victims and losses as a result of Wynne's actions. The outcome will determine sentencing guidelines for Wynne, who pleaded guilty.

McCarthy said Wynne acknowledged committing wrongdoing and that "things had gotten out of hand." He suggested that Wynne had stolen from some immigrants so he could repay others. Some immigrants told investigators that Wynne had promised to send them their property.

But Judge called that argument a "red herring" and noted there was no evidence to support that theory -- no receipts to show that Wynne had sent any immigrant anything.

Wynne was a sworn law enforcement officer who carried a gun. He often told immigrants to hand over their original receipts for property, then took their belongings, said Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Tony Chesla. Other times, he would rifle through their coats or suitcases for items, Chesla said.

The immigrants often didn't learn of the thefts until they were boarding airplanes or leaving the country.

"People have a basic cultural expectation that government agents do not steal," said assistant U.S. attorney Judge. The immigrants were "the perfect victims and for many the losses were devastating."

FBI agents found little or no safeguards to ensure that immigrants' property was properly accounted for.

Wynne, 33, pleaded guilty on July 26 to stealing more than $70,000 from more than 50 immigrants. Under a plea agreement, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced Dec. 19 by U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook. Under sentencing guidelines, he likely faces no more than 57 months in prison.

Wynne began working for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1998 as a detention officer and then became an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer after Congress reorganized many federal agencies into Homeland Security.
He was fired in February 2004 when FBI and the DHS agents raided his Monroe home.

They found unopened bags of cash stolen from immigrants, among the thousands of items. During the period of the theft, Wynne even researched what potential prison sentence he might face if caught, Judge said.

Federal prosecutors are seeking restitution and also want Wynne to pay the costs of returning the items to the immigrants.

Yu Hua Chen was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Christmas Day 2001. She had $801 in cash, a woman's watch and 1,605 yuan, which is Chinese currency. When she was released on bond in April 2002, she never received her property or cash. She was interviewed from China by agents last year.

During the Feb. 4, 2004, search of Wynne's home, agents found the federal property bag with Chen's name on it and the receipt for her money. In a search of a storage locker of Wynne's, they found Chen's blue suitcase.

A Glimpse of Truth

In all the hoopla made about Muslim charities and their alleged financing of terrorist activities and entities, the US government has not been able to prove its case against any of them. This is mainly because in my opinion they were never really interested in doing so, knowing it is a fabrication! The main objective was to paralyze these charities and suffocate them to death. Well I hope they're satisfied because they've done exactly that. The following article was published on the "India Monitor" website and I think it is a small victory for the surviving US Muslim charities, one that most people in the US will not hear about.


US Muslims not involved in aiding terrorism: Senate probe report
Monday Nov. 21, 2005, WASHINGTON: The US Senate has wrapped up a high-profile investigation into US Muslim organizations and terrorism financing, saying it found no evidence to suggest a link between the two.
The finance committee of the Senate, which went to a two-week break this weekend, concluded that none of nearly two dozen Muslim groups investigated raised funds for terrorist activities. This highly unusual inquiry took two years to complete the investigation during which the Senate committee was allowed to go through private financial information held by the government. The US Internal Revenue Service had provided the panel with financial records and donor lists of Muslim charities, think tanks and other organizations. Nine were based in the Washington area. 'We did not find anything alarming enough that required additional follow-up beyond what law-enforcement agencies are already doing,' said Sen Charles E. Grassley, a Republican from Iowa who headed the inquiry. Since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks, the US government has frozen millions of dollars in assets allegedly linked to Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups and shut down some of the biggest US-based Islamic charities. Even mainstream Muslim organizations, like the Islamic Society of North America and the Islamic Circle of North America, were investigated but have now been absolved of any involvement with terrorist activities. In September, when ISNA was still under investigation, Karen Hughes, the US undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, attended its annual convention. Some charities, such as the Illinois-based Global Relief Foundation, had their assets frozen. In 2002, the GRF was also designated a terrorist-financing entity by the US Treasury Department. In launching their inquiry in December 2003, Senators Grassley and Max Baucus, the committee's ranking Democrat, had expressed concerns that 'charities and foundations play a crucial role in terror financing.' Some Muslims, however, protested that the Senate investigation unfairly cast a cloud over many groups. 'It was really just a fishing expedition,' said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman at the Council on American-Islamic Relations. 'They didn't catch any fish.' ISNA's executive director, Louay Safi, said the group always knew there was nothing wrong with its finances. 'But it is good to see that they have come to that conclusion as well.' Mr Safi regretted that many innocent Muslim groups have been smeared in the investigation. In August 2003, US President George Bush froze the assets of five pro-Palestinian charities abroad, depriving Palestinian orphans of their much-needed aid. Thousands of Palestinian orphans and destitute families took to the streets the same month to protest President Bush's decision. 'We're very pleased but not surprised, as there's never been any funding of anything remotely related to terrorist activities,' said Nancy Luque, an attorney for Muslim charities and institutes in Herndon, near Washington. Wendell Belew, an attorney for a Muslim charity association, said: 'We're very pleased that their examination uncovered no problems on the part of our members.' His group includes two Falls Church nonprofits: the World Assembly of Muslim Youth and the Muslim World League. Several of the organizations targeted in the inquiry remain under investigation by the FBI or the Department of Homeland Security.
(Source : The Dawn)

Ode to Emmett Louis Till

Emmett Louis Till was a 14 year-old boy who was lynched in Missippippi back in 1955. I was so moved by his story that I found myself pouring my emotions into words. It is worth mentioning that I wrote this before information about a documentary that was being made about him came out.


Come here children, gather all around
Come huddle together and be still
Listen with your hearts, don't make a sound
Listen to the epic of Emmett Louis Till

A giant of a boy at age fourteen
A mountain of a man when men were few
If freedom had a face that could be seen
Then Emmett would be its crimson hue

Beaten to a pulp by the "Bible Belt"
With savagery akin to the wildest beasts
No one can feel what Emmett had felt
So toast him not at your hypocrite feasts

They thought they'd killed him by their deed
Later, they washed his blood away
Little did they know they'd sown the seed
And fertilized the soil they aimed to fray

His body lay dead, but a movement was born
His blood was spilled to fuel its flare
Fragile were the limbs they thought they'd torn
Iron was the will they'd forged from despair

Emmett, your blood still gushes strong
Your bones are still broken each and every day
Many have striven to right the wrong
But the bigotry of some still thrives today

The embers lay smoldering beneath the ash
While a storm is brewing out over the sea
The scoundrels, betrayed by a lightning flash
Shall stand exposed for everyone to see

All masks have fallen, not one remains
What monstrous features have been revealed
Crosses and Bibles, blotted with blood stains
Of those "loved" to death in order to be "healed"

Those of us who "differ" still tread your path
Emmett, freedom has turned elusive anew
The children of your slayers still wreak their wrath
On today's "sand niggers" and the Muslim few

They speak of peace as they march to war
They've scorched the fields of Liberty's bloom
Hypocrites of a breed not known before
They are the children of the womb of doom!!

Rabih Haddad
December 8, 2002
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 freedoms name,
do "choose life" as you so claim.


Rabih Haddad
Monroe County Jail
February 27, 2003

Under construction - Please do come back

Thank you Patricia Lay-Dorsey. You're a godsend!!