Fulan: 2010 (A Witness & A Call)

A Witness and a Call

From your imprisoned brothers in the Guantanamo of Britain (Belmarsh Prison)
To the Muslims all over the World:

This is the second letter in which we describe to you the oppression we experience at the hands of the British, as a result of what you know of the policies of this country and its engagement in all forms of oppression as done by other countries like Israel and US against the Muslims, but (this oppression is done) in a manner that fools the weak and simple minded.

We had mentioned to you before that the situation here in Belmarsh is akin, without any difference except in its portrayal from that which occurs to your Muslim brothers in Guantanamo, and their newspapers, and some of the more truthful journalists testify to this; but the government tries to conceal all this from the media and strives to do as it wishes in a secretive manner.

When the government began to find out that the knowledge of its oppression had begun to leak into the public domain it brought a TV crew which began to take photos of Belmarsh prison which had become a source of shame for it, like Guantanamo became a shame on US, in an attempt to enhance its image. It further took photos of some of the short term benefits, such as the provision of good food and interviewed some of the prisoners who were benefiting from some of these benefits, and likewise photographed some of activities that occur within the prison, making the prison out to be a paradise that someone outside it would desire.

Frankly, your brothers here didn’t know of this deception that was happening in this land, nay, they thought it was restricted to our home lands, but it became clear that all the lies that are told in our lands, were taken and derived from the policies of this country and its government.

The situation of your brothers has become unacceptably bad, for some of your brothers almost lost their minds, and others have begun to suffer from psychological diseases. This is not as a result of nothing; rather this was a pre-planned evil and malevolent policy to cause your brothers to reach these levels.

 

Your Brothers in the Prisons of the UK (In What State Does this Letter Reach You?)

All praise if to Allaah Alone, Cherisher and Sustainer of the universe and Peace and Blessings be upon His Messenger, his Family, His Companions and all who follow them in righteousness until the Last Day.

{Indeed those who fear Allaah from amongst His slaves, they are the (true) scholars.}
(Al-Faatir:28)

This is an open letter from your Muslim brothers imprisoned in British prisons for the sake of their deen!

To the scholar and student of theoretical knowledge!
To the student of Islamic universities and Arabic language institutes!
To the author and translator of glossy books!
To the worshipper of the books of fiqh and Arabic lexicology!
To the orator, teacher, speaker and lecturer!
To the one whose opinion is sought and lectures are listened to!
To the one whose name lives on posters, leaflets, books and magazines!

As-Salaamu Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.

Praise be to Allah who said:

{Remind, for indeed the reminder is of benefit to the believers}
(Adh-Dhaariyaat: 55)

Peace and Blessings be upon His Messenger (saas) who said: “The Scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets’” May Allah be pleased with Ali bin Abi Taalib, who is reported to have said: “We do not judge the truth by the people but we judge the people by the truth.”

In what state does this letter reach you? Is your stomach full and posture comfortable? Is your garment soft and perfumed? Are your wives and children near you to bring coolness to your hearts? Do you feel at ease in the expanse of your dwelling? Is your skin supple and smooth?

We write to you from a cold, bare cell that has a toilet in one corner. We write to you seated upon wooden chairs and hard beds. We write to you with hungry stomachs awaiting our next meal at the wings of our captors. We write to you clothed in coarse prison garments with unperfumed bodies and rough, chapped skin. We write to you whilst we are far estranged from our families, children and loved ones. We write to you from behind bars.

 

100 Standing: A Chance to Relive the Rewards of Persecution

Once a man from Kufa came to Hudhaifahb al-Yamanand asking him about his life as a companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Hudhaifah replied, ‘By Allah, we struggled hard.’

The man responded, ‘By Allah, if we lived at that time, we would never have allowed the Prophet ﷺ to walk on the ground and would have lifted him on our shoulders.’

Hudhaifah replied, ‘If only you had seen us with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the night of the Battle of Ahzab in the storm of wind and cold.’

As Muslims living in the West in the 21^stcentury, we often fantasize about how glorious it would have been to live at the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and among his companions. We like to think, like the man from Kufa, that we would have been the best of believers and struggled day and night sacrificing our wealth, our families, our reputations and our lives for the sake of protecting the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims. We often overlook the immense hardship and tribulations the companions actually went through in the process, when to disobey a command of the Prophet ﷺ was not a matter of a difference of opinion but the difference between Iman and kufr.

The persecution of the early Muslims by the pagan chiefs of Makkah took numerous forms including the organisation of a complete social and economic boycott which lasted three years. The target of the boycott was not just the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his followers but of the entire Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib clans, whose chiefs and notables, primarily Abu Talib, had been providing protection to him, despite their own disbelief in his message.

The decree declared that nobody should buy or sell with these two clans; no caravan coming from abroad was permitted to deal with them; there was to be no intermarrying with them; nobody was allowed give a gift to them, bring them food, or enter their homes. Ultimately, there was to be no socialising with the Muslims or their protectors – nobody was permitted to talk to them, sit with them or visit them. They were to be treated as Untouchables.

The objectives of the boycott were twofold; firstly, to dehumanise the tribes. Social activities such as visiting their homes would allow other tribes to view the horrifying effects of the economic sanctions – to hear the cries of starving babies, to see the anguish of helpless mothers and to feel the pain of an embattled community. For if their misery was to be witnessed, natural human emotions would be aroused to alleviate their suffering and end the boycott. Only by blinding their eyes to the plight of the Banu Hashim and Banu ‘Abdul Muttalib, could the conscience of the other tribes remain at peace. Secondly, it was to serve as a warning to non-Muslim sympathisers and protectors, such as Abu Talib, that they too would be punished and suffer due to their association with and assistance to Muhammad ﷺ and the Untouchables. In other words, they too would become contaminated.

It was a full three years before the boycott ended due to Allah’s mercy and then the courage of a handful of individuals who dared to break the sanctions. The question each of us must ask ourselves is that had we been living in Makkah at that time, would we have had the fortitude to live in such conditions with faith firmly rooted in our hearts and if we were not members of these two clans, would we have had the bravery to break the sanctions and stand for social justice with the oppressed?        

 

US & UK Mailing Lists Updated: Fraternal Sacrifices and Familiar Solitude

Yet another Eid has passed without hearing the sacred words of praise, feeling the customary hug from family members, or smelling the familiar foods. This month’s update brings its share of sorrow for many mothers.

We ask Allah to ease the hearts of the prisoners and their families and bestow on them His Mercy and to strengthen them with patience.

On November 1, 27 year old Rezwan Ferdaus, was sentenced to 17 years for two counts of terror-related charges in an entrapment case. He faced a possible 35 year sentence if he had opted to go to trial. Rezwan appreciated the support of family and friends, smiling as they shouted “We love you, Rezwan!” Tariq Mehanna’s parents were also present in a show of support. Rezwan’s mother, strong yet distraught, was visibly angered, “Investigate your government…They’ve been lying a lot,” she instructed the press.

Also on November 1, Shkumbin Sherifi and Nevine Elsheikh pleaded guilty to one count of murder for hire. They face a possible ten years and $250,000 fine when sentenced in February 2013. Without this plea, they faced near life sentences but are now government witnesses in Skumbin’s brother’s, Hysen Sherifi‘s, upcoming trial, set to start on Monday. Hysen, sentenced to 46 years for terror-related charges earlier this year, now faces a life sentence. Weighing the astronomical odds of fighting another entrapment case, the Sherifi family elected to have at least one son possibly return to see his dying father and live some semblance of a normal life.

The recent forced pleas remind us of the true nature of “terror” prosecutions; that in no way do they attempt to uncover truth or relegate justice. Despite destroying lives, families and communities, convictions and pleas are meaningless with respect to establishing guilt, which is why supporting our incarcerated brothers and sisters is a moral obligation, especially when they may be innocent in more ways than one.

It has been one month since the extradition of five British Muslims to the US, and families have not received any verbal or written communication from their loved ones. It is presumed that Adel Abdel Bary, Babar Ahmad, Khalid al-Fawwaz, Mustafa Mustafa, and Syed Talha Ahsan are being held incommunicado, sending a loud message to the international community of what American justice sounds like; oppressively silent.

Ahmed Ajaj, Adham Hassoun, and Randall Royer (currently in transit), who were removed from ADX Florence last month, have all been returned to the supermax prison. Abdulwali Muse (the Smiling Somali) is back in Terre Haute, and those who sent cards or letters to Adnan Mirza or Gregory Vernon Patterson last month may want to consider resending as they may have been in transit and have possibly not received mail.

The Supreme Court rejected the final appeal of the Holy Land Foundation Charity, a dismal but not unexpected decision for Shukri Abu Baker, Ghassan Elashi, Mohammad el-Mezain, Mufid Abdulqader, and Abdulrahman Odeh, serving a cumulative 180 year sentence for sending aid to Palestine.

There is a possibility that Wadih elHage (not listed) may have his life sentence commuted after lawyers present evidence from Fazul Abdullah Mohammed’s autobiography.

In the UK, Irfan Nasser, Irfan Khalid and Ashik Ali are undergoing trial for an alleged bomb plot for which they had been under surveillance since 2010.

It is feared that Mahdi Hashi is the latest victim of torture and detention by proxy or rendition after the Home Office mysteriously revoked his British citizenship following his refusal to become a government informant. Friends and family are demanding answers to his disappearance and evidence for the claims of “extremism” made by Home Office.

Courts in Canada have given the green light for the extradition of Sayfildin Tahir Sharif, an Iraqi born Canadian, to the US allegedly for connections to suicide bombings in Iraq.

As always, remember them and their families in your duas, and be sure to let us know of any returned mail, incorrect addresses, missing prisoners, or updates you would like to share.

 

Babar Ahmad: Persevere! Persevere!

Persevere! Persevere!
Life is too dear
To worry and care
Or fret and fare

Persevere! Persevere!
Never live in fear
Like the lion in its lair
For only cowards never dare

Persevere! Persevere!
When life seems unfair
Don’t you shed a tear
For relief is always near

Persevere! Persevere!
When it’s all too much to bear
A way out will appear
Like a breeze of fresh air

Persevere! Persevere!
Even after many a year
From some place or somewhere…
Victory will soon be here!

-Babar Ahmad #A9385AG
HMP Long Lartin, May 2012

 

Video Coverage of the May 23 Stop Extradition Event

 

Djamel Beghal a Calusualty in the Advent of America & Europe’s War on Islam

Written by Arnaud Mafille
Wednesday, 12 October 2011

Ten years after the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, many in America, in Europe or in the Muslim world now challenge the western presence there. In 2001, some of those sentiments already existed but were covered by the trauma of 9/11.  In that context of fear and emotion, the announcement of the arrest of a European “al Qaeda lieutenant” was a key element to conduct and justify the invasion of Afghanistan both in France and the UK.

On 7 October 2001, allied armed forces officially launched “Operation Enduring Freedom”, the invasion of Afghanistan. The enemy had been designated and the US and the UK governments had secret evidence proving that Osama bin Laden was behind the attacks and the Taliban were the helpers of Al Qaeda. Questions regarding the official line were not given any weight.

Emotion and fear were also at their pinnacle in France. When George W. Bush Jr sent an ultimatum to the Taliban regime only few days after the 9/11, the French population was wondering if their military should be part of the foreseeable invasion of Afghanistan. 

 

The Legal Black Hole: Talha Ahsan and Babar Ahmed

 

Life is One Big Road

Sign To Put Babar Ahmad on Trial in the UK

 

UK’s feeble torture inquiry boycotted by Human Rights Groups

Ten human rights groups said last week they would boycott a UK government inquiry into allegations that its secret services were complicit in torture of detainees in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The groups, including Human Rights Watch, Liberty, Reprieve and Amnesty International, sent a letter to the Detainee Inquiry saying they would no longer participate after receiving information on the protocol and transparency of the inquiry, siting a lack of credibility and transparency, and the claim that arrangements for it are “secretive, unfair and deeply flawed”.

They argue that the inquiry conducted in the manner described to them would not comply with Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights on the prohibition of torture. The joint letter states:

We are particularly disappointed that the issue of what material may be disclosed to the public will not be determined independently of Government and, further, that there will be no meaningful participation of the former and current detainees and other interested third parties. As you know, we were keen to assist the Inquiry in the vital work of establishing the truth about allegations that UK authorities were involved in the mistreatment of detainees held abroad. Our strong view, however, is that the process currently proposed does not have the credibility or transparency to achieve this. If the Inquiry proceeds on this basis, therefore, and in light of indications from the lawyers acting for former detainees that they will not be participating, we do not intend to submit any evidence or attend any further meetings with the Inquiry team.

Amnesty International released a public statement  on its decision to boycott the inquiry saying, “[c]rucially, [AI] believes that the Detainee Inquiry risks failing in its intended aim to systematically get to the truth of these allegations, and ensure that such abuses never happen again.”

The Detainee Inquiry released the protocol exactly one year after UK Prime Minister David Cameron said he would set up an inquiry to investigate the allegations of torture. The announcement came after 12 ex-detainees brought civil cases against the government, claiming that British agents took part in their mistreatment while they were held in prisons in foreign countries, including Pakistan and Morocco.

Key sessions will be held in secret and the cabinet secretary will have the final say over what information is made public. Those who alleged they were subject to torture and rendition will not be able to question MI5 or MI6 officers, and will foreign intelligence agencies will not be questioned.