Category: Uncategorized

The number of children separated from one or both parents as a result of immigration enforcement is significant; the study found that for every two immigrants apprehended, one child was left behind. This suggests that potentially
thousands of children have been separated from their parents as a result of recent
immigration enforcement activities, and literally millions more may be at risk. The study found that fully two-thirds of affected children are U.S. citizens or legal residents, suggesting that the potential future costs for our country are significant. In addition, the Urban Institute found that the impact on the social structures that support children was
profoundly negative. Surely Americans should be concerned when one of the effects of
enforcing the law is that school systems and child care providers must prepare for the
likelihood of substantial numbers of their children being left without care, without warning.

Get the complete report, Paying the Price:
The Impact of Immigration Raids on America’s Children, from the Urban Institute [pdf]

More and more we find our local stories caught up in global struggles, whether our refugees come from Mexico, Guatemala, Palestine, or Albania. Today, we find that our tears come from Pakistan, where another struggle for democracy has been violently purged through assassination.

We all cry the same tears against the same violence when we cry for Benazir Bhutto. Oh, Pakistan! “My God, they Killed Her.”

By Dr. Asma Salam

God is great! The Judge has declared a mistrial in the Holy Land Foundation case. It does not sound like victory; however, when you look at the details, then we realize that it is a true victory, since not one guilty verdict was found against 197 charges against the defendants of Holy Land Foundation (the Largest Muslim Charitable organization in America).

Monday Oct 22 was a morning of test and patience for Muslims and their non Muslim friends at the Federal curt building at 1100 commerce St in Dallas. We all arrived their before 10:00am. Regardless of arriving early none of us got to sit in the court room, since we were told that it is reserved for the family, also we were not allowed on the 16th floor to observe it on video as we were told that it is reserved for media.

I did not understand the discouragement of friend’s support at the crucial moment of these defendants life. It is the same court room where we all sat with the family for many days during the trial. Anyways, we all went to the first floor and were removed from there as well. Finally, we ended up at the cafeteria area with no TV monitors to watch or hear what is going on in the court room. I am sure most of us were wondering “Are we in America?”

It was a time to persevere with patience and prayers. Some of us were using cell phones to watch the news coming out of the court room through media. When we all heard that Holy Land Foundation was fully acquitted we all made Sajuood (heads down to floor to praise God). Initially, three defendants were almost entirely acquitted, but a juror poll and further deliberations resulted in an entirely hung jury on all counts.

All praise to God, this trial is the biggest trial against a Muslim charity in the history of the US, and today I feel that there is hope people are still capable of thinking and utilizing their god gifted talents of analyzing the facts and not playing with the lives of innocent people who are just being wrongfully charged for helping orphans and widows.

I am very happy that Jurors were not biased by the wrong information and bad image that has been portrayed deliberately by some private parties to destroy the hard work of Muslim Americans who take America as their beloved country and take pride to follow the freedom of religion to help each other grow stronger.

Inshallah (godwilling) there will be no trial again. Amen. I have regained hope and this event has reaffirmed my faith that the public will understand that it is a wastage of our tax money and these defendants lives, since for last 13 years and for so much wastage of money and resources the prosecutors have no solid evidence except their prejudice and hatred against Muslims.

It is time for all Americans to show our strength in diversity to accept each other as humans and not let the administration violate our rights to live and practice religion in freedom in our homeland America.

Anyways, it was a moment to thank God for his grace and mercy to see four defendants sitting among family and friends after Isha prayer Monday night at the Richardson Mosque. We pray that Br. Ghassan, the fifth defendant, will join them soon and fill the seat that was left empty by his friends with his name on it in Monday’s get together.

Monday night at the Mosque, at the family fellowship with our Holy Land Foundation leaders felt like an Eid celebration. It is an extended Eid celebration for all Muslims to believe in the power of justice and prayer and to humble ourselves in front of God and not to give up our unity and good work in the fear of injustice and mistrust in our administration.

This victory is not a small victory, it is a tremendous achievement in the environment of paranoia against Muslims in America and world. Inshallah (godwilling) justice will prevail. Amen. Inshallah we will all live once again in America with respect and love for each other regardless of our color and creed. Amen.

If you would like to learn about defendants our community leaders and their great work to feed orphans and widows and their contributons in promoting health and quality of life in the death vally of 21st century please click on these links.

http://www.h4jusa.com/

http://freedomtogive.com/mufid

http://freedomtogive.com/shukri

http://freedomtogive.com/mohammad

http://freedomtogive.com/ghassan

http://freedomtogive.com/abdulrahman

http://www.muslimlegalfund.org/links.html

By Nick Braune

The School of the Americas (SOA) housed in Fort Benning, Georgia is sometimes called the School of Assassins. Over recent decades it has taught “counterinsurgency” techniques, torture, surveillance, and assassination skills to Latin American soldiers. I interviewed Dr. Guy Hallman, a scientist and a political activist from McAllen who recently returned from the Georgia protest.

Author: Guy, I know that you and your wife have just returned from the annual School of the Americas protest, and judging from the SOA Watch website, it looks like it was a success this year.

Hallman: Every year the numbers grows. This year 25,000 protestors attended. The SOA is widely known for causing damage in Latin America, and the blowback hits us. US citizens have been killed by SOA graduates in El Salvador, for instance, and SOA grads have put their US taxpayer-funded education to the service of drug lords in Colombia and Mexico. Why is the U.S. still funding this school?

Author: I know you have traveled to Fort Benning, Georgia each November for several years. What is it about this event that attracts you?

Hallman: I keep going back because it is the premier annual progressive event, as far as I know. Although the main issue is closing the SOA — our side was only 11 votes shy in the House this year — many other issues are raised during the four day event.

For instance, our group from the Valley brought the No Border Wall issue to the SOA and got a very good reception. The Immokalee farm laborers from Florida were present. (There is a Valley group supporting those farm workers by protesting Burger King for not raising the wages of tomato-pickers.) There were workshops on defeating torture, on anti-military recruitment, building coalitions, nonviolent resistance training, etc. There were movie screenings. I counted over 100 events not including the main march on Sunday! So, it is an important, well-rounded, progressive event.

Author: Who were some of the other attendees?

Hallman: Well, two presidential candidates were there: Democrat Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney. (SOA protest pictures are on the Green Party website right now.) Congressman Jim McGovern, who is the chief sponsor of bills to close the SOA, was also present.

A group of 27 came from St. Joseph Academy in Brownsville. There are many other interesting people there. There was one person who is suing the Fort Benning base for all the restrictions they are imposing on demonstrators. He was seen engaging military guards in conversation through the 3-layer fence, but he scared them off instead. It seems if the guards can’t shoot somebody, they don’t know what to do.

Author: The SOA protests used to be viewed as mainly a Catholic event, but it is a lot wider now, isn’t it?

Hallman: Yes, and the fact that the SOA was founded by a priest, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, may even keep some away who do not wish to identify with his church. The church might be seen as losing its way since John Paul II was elected pope; I mean, look at what a bad job our local bishop Pena is doing on justice issues — but I digress. Surely many Catholics are there, but people of different faiths or no faith participate in the event and have major roles in it.

A prominent rabbi, Michael Lerner, for instance, spoke about the Network of Spiritual Progressives (spiritualprogressives.org) urging a strategic vision of a progressive future. It is not enough to attack the badness of Bush, etc., but we must offer a replacement. I can’t do his presentation justice in this short space, but check his website.

Author: I understand the local police are always dreaming up some new rule for the demonstrators, and they even had a rule limiting the sizes of crosses people could carry. [Many demonstrators carry crosses with names of people killed by SOA graduates.]

Hallman: Yes, the cops always have something new, trying to keep us afraid and in line. Oh, and this year there was a counter-demonstration, “God Bless Fort Benning” day. “Dr.” Laura Schlesinger was there, dressed in cammies, for the “God Bless” event. Some of her ravings were disgusting.

Author: Yes, she is a joke. If she was their highlight, their counter-protest was pretty pathetic.

Hallman: The “God Bless” rally with Laura Schlesinger, was corporate sponsored (defense contractors “giving back” a little, but with tax deductions), but if not for some soldiers there [for free food], no one would have joined Dr. Laura’s counter-protest.

Author: Thanks, Guy, for this interview. And I thank the 25,000 protestors at the School of Americas (School of Assassins) this year.