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Letters to the Editor Numerous letters have been written to our local papers in support of Dr. Dhafir and against the interogation of 150 predominantly Muslim families on February 26, 2003. Some of them were published, some were not. Below you will find both published and unpublished letters. We are still waiting to recieve more letters so please check back. Also please feel free to email a letter to the editor of our local newspaper the Post Standard, make sure to type in 'Letter to the Editor' in the SUBJECT box. |
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Letters published in the Post Standard February 13, 2004 Why cheer Adams as Dhafir languishes? To the Editor: As a lifelong admirer of everything Irish and a longtime proponent of a righteous solution to the "troubles" Catholics in Northern Ireland have endured, I am confounded when Gerry Adams, a known combatant, leader of the republican movement and reported leader of the IRA, is able to march alongside Congressman James Walsh, Mayor Matt Driscoll, District Attorney William Fitzpatrick and Sheriff Kevin Walsh, while Dr. Rafil Dhafir sits in a cell in downtown Syracuse. Adams is alleged to have committed far more serious crimes than Dr. Dhafir. How can we explain why these so-called "dignitaries" will be marching with Mr. Adams and touting him as a man of peace, when Dr. Dhafir is not even allowed to be free on bail to participate in his own defense? Congressman Walsh applauds Gerry Adams for "maturing" and becoming a recognized leader of the independence movement, which many of us believe. Yet many British citizens and nearly all of the Protestants in Northern Ireland consider him a criminal. Why are Muslims singled out as criminals for attempting to help those who share a common ancestry, and Irish-Americans who have supported Sinn Fein and the IRA applauded as supporters of a just cause? It was made "legal" for Irish-Americans to do so because of their political clout in Congress. The Irish will walk proudly down the boulevards and avenues of New York City, Boston and Syracuse on March 17, beaming with pride about being Irish. And well they should. The Irish are a magnificent people. So should Jews, Italians, Germans, Poles, Russians, Chinese, Koreans, Africans and any other hyphenated Americans be proud of who they are. But the question remains: Why do Americans get upset when Arab-Americans from Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia and every other Middle Eastern country do likewise? Why in the name of God are we prosecuting a respected oncologist because he raised money to help needy people in Iraq? The government has manipulated and slanted everything he has done in order to portray him as a criminal. It's as if they decided from Day One the doctor was guilty, then began using everything they found to prove it, no matter how inconsequential or misleading the evidence was. Have we all forgotten that Lady Justice is blindfolded? Have we lost the understanding that the United States is a land of hyphenated Americans who are all equal under the law? Some Americans are not more equal than others! Gerald R. Lotierzo To go Back to Rafil's Home Page |
Many wonderful letters in support of Rafil appeared in the paper on Monday February 23, 2004 ahead of the one year anniversary of his arrest. Unfortunately, I have not as of yet obtain copies of these letters. |
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April 23 No one comes close to Dr. Rafil Dhafir To the Editor: No words can describe the love and respect people display for the good doctor; no words do justice in portraying his enormous heart that gives and gives; no words can paint a picture of his smile, which lights up a room; and no words explain the courage and kindness the good doctor is truly known for. Thus I cannot try to write this article in my typical manner of attempting to win the hearts and minds of the ignorant and blind, because we all know the case against our friend is not only false, but a weak attempt to punish a respected man because of his religion and nationality. Having stated the obvious, I send a message of support to our friend in jail and a reminder to him that he is missed by many and will not be forgotten. Muhasen Deb April 21 Instead of jail, he deserves Nobel Prize To the Editor: Dr. Rafil Dhafir is a one of the most genuine, loved and respected men not only in the Muslim community in Syracuse, but around the world. Our government has made a terrible mistake toward our beloved Dr. Dhafir. His intentions were wholehearted in sending money to Iraq to help hungry poor people. Throughout this community and the world community, if you ask anybody about Dr. Dhafir you will get an overwhelming positive response. Many people like myself would trade places with him in jail. Rather than being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. Dhafir is being persecuted because of his religious beliefs. We as a nation are blinded because of an incident that happened on the tragic date of 9/11. We have started to accuse anyone who happens to have devotion to the Islamic faith. Unfortunately, innocent people suffer the consequences. Ammar Kader |
Wednesday, August 11, 2004 Governor should apologize to Dhafir To the Editor: Thank you for your Sunday editorial about Dr. Rafil Dhafir. It hit exactly on the point that the Muslim community in Syracuse and the people who know and support Dr. Dhafir have been saying all along, and have been frustrated about - that the case against the doctor is politically motivated. Gov. Pataki brought up the always-present-but-never-declared charge that the Help the Needy charity and Dr. Dhafir were helping terrorist organizations rather than the children of Iraq. This charge was never officially brought up by the prosecution after the charity and the doctor were monitored for three years and for a year and half after the doctor's arrest.For the governor to declare such a charge is irresponsible at best and malicious at worst. If the governor is unaware of the facts of the case, then he should have asked the U.S. attorney to clarify it for him; he is, definitely, in a position to do so. If he knows the facts and still said what he said, then he cares more about scoring political points than an innocent man's life by sentencing him without even a charge. The fact is that Dr. Dhafir has been charged with white-collar crimes, of which he had maintained his innocence since he was arrested. Other people were charged with similar charges but they never spent a day in jail, let alone being denied bail for 18 months. The only difference is that Dr. Dhafir is a Muslim and as such, in the current environment, it is easy to play on people's fears and link him to terrorism as the governor just did. As a result of the governor's comments, we started to see "experts" analyze and theorize about why upstate New York has all these "terrorist cases" and different media outlets started repeating and adding their own version of these false accusations again. Also as a result, and as the doctor's lawyer stated, it would be difficult to find an unbiased jury in the entire state.The governor should be fair and non-discriminatory and should work to reduce the tension and to alleviate the fear in peoples' minds in the state. To do this, he should refrain from such provocative statements and he should apologize to Dr. Dhafir, to his supporters and to the Muslim community for the damage he did. Mohamed Khater Syracuse |
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Sunday, September 12, 2004 Editor's note: These letters were among those addressed as part of a campaign to persuade U.S. District Judge Norman A. Mordue to dismiss criminal charges against Rafil Dhafir on the grounds of selective prosecution. Dear Judge Mordue, I am a retired college teacher and I joined an organization, Voices in the Wilderness, in bringing toys and medicines to Iraq before this last war. ... I understand, now, that our government is charging Dr. Rafil Dhafir, an oncologist who works in Syracuse, for sending humanitarian aid to civilians, just as we have done. Dr. Dhafir has been held without bail since his arrest on Feb. 26, 2003. He is both an Iraqi and a Muslim and has worked for years to help and heal others. He has been singled out for this prosecution and faces a possible 265 years in prison. He is the only person in the United States to be charged criminally for providing humanitarian aid to the Iraqis. I want to support Dr. Dhafir and his efforts both here in the United States and in Iraq to alleviate human suffering, and I ask that as he comes to appear before you, that you open your own heart to this terrible situation that has taken the lives of so many of our own service people and thousands of Iraqi, and to speak to the injustice of this situation by your own actions in this case. Lynn MacMichael Multiple delegations: Dr. Dhafir is the only person I am aware of to be jailed for sending humanitarian aid to Iraq. I am a member of Voices in the Wilderness . . . I went on the 12th delegation (to Iraq) in September 1997. None of us have been arrested. Our network, based in the philosophy of nonviolence, brought relief materials to Iraq and openly challenged the sanctions . . . Tom Malthaner, It's not a crime: Why is Dr. Dhafir being singled out for prosecution? Providing care to the sick and needy is a virtue, not a crime. Elizabeth Boardman, Honor Dhafir: What can one say of someone who has worked hard for many years, at great cost and no little risk to bring help and succor to the suffering? Do we not call such people heroes? Are they not honored with laudatory stories in the press? Perhaps even given Congressional Medals of Honor? John Anderson , What about Ramsey Clark? In January 2001, I joined a delegation going to Iraq. The International Action Center of New York was going to Iraq to deliver $300,000 worth of medicine without the approval of the U.S. government. The group was headed by Ramsey Clark, a former attorney general of the United States. This was just one of at least three delegations the IAC led to Iraq. Each time there was media coverage that the group was going to Iraq without United States government approval. Dan C. Winters, Hundreds have helped: I have knowledge of hundreds of people who have traveled to Iraq during the times of the economic sanctions to bring humanitarian aid to suffering people. I was among those who did so in February 2003 . . . Virgine Lawinger, Challenging sanctions: We (in Voices in the Wilderness) organized 70 delegations to Iraq, beginning in 1996. We also worked in close companionship with other U.S. groups dedicated to "the further invention of nonviolence" as they sent relief materials to Iraq, openly challenging the sanctions . . . Kathy Kelly, Dhafir's difference: The only thing I can think of that makes Dr. Dhafir different from myself and others who engaged in acts of humanity with Iraqis is that Dr. Dhafir is Muslim and of Arab descent. Jeff Leys, |