Testimonials in Support of Rafil Dhafir

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The following testimonials in support of Dr. Rafil Dhafir were taken from; MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF PRETRIAL RELEASE FOR DR. RAFIL DHAFIR, (USA vs Rafil Dhafir, Defendant's Pretrail Release memorandum, 2003-CR-64; prepared by Royce Hawkins of the Center for Community Alternatives

The purpose of this memorandum, prepared by the Center for Community Alternatives (CCA), is to provide information about Dr. Dhafir's character and background, his strong ties to the Syracuse community, in order to assist the Court in evaluating the defendant's request for release from detention.

SUPPORT STATEMENTS ON BEHALF OF Dr. DHAFIR

In addition to the numerous letters sent to the editorial boards of the Syracuse and Rome, New York newspapers, CCA has received letters from Dr. Dhafir's colleagues, patients, and fellow Muslims. The support letters, sent on behalf of Dr. Dhafir, uniformly attest to his good character and his suitability for release pending resolution of his case before the Court.

Dr. Linda L. Shicker, Radiation Oncologist, in Rome New York, has known Dr. Dhafir as a competent, conscientious, compassionate physician:

I am a Radiation Oncologist in Rome, New York, and have known Dr. Dhafir for over five years. During that time, we have had many mutual cancer patients. He is a competent, conscientious, compassionate physician. Our mutual patients, many of whom are alive today because of him, are only too eager to tell anyone who will listen how well he has cared for them, and how much they like and admire him. If the number of phone calls I have had in the last 24 hours from our mutual patients is any indication, he has a large number of supporters here. .

Over the past five years, I have seen the quality of care Dr. Dhafir has given his patients. He is liked and respected by the Rome medical community. Professionally, I have judged him to be an excellent physician. Personally, I also consider him my friend. .

Dr. Dhafir wants to return to his patients to provide them the care they desperately deserve and need and they hope he will be returned to them. Terry Martin, whose husband was treated by Dr. Dhafir, praised Dr. Dhafir's gentle and caring nature:

My husband is Robert Martin and I'm Terry. We are writing you in regards to Dr. Dhafir with great concerns. Dr. is a great guy. Soft spoken, kindest man we ever met. He has many patients that need him. My husband is one. Dr. has helped my husband with lung cancer, and helped our family understand how to deal with it. He is so gentle and concerned. (He) always praised God for healing, never himself. We do need Dr. Dhafir to come back and save our love ones life... .

Ruth Walters, age 75, has been patient of Dr. Dhafir's for 20 years. She feels that her "life line" was cut when Dr. Dhafir was detained: Exhibit G

Anwer S. Ahmed, an Associate Professor at Syracuse University and a respected member of the local Muslim community, believes that Dr. Dhafir is a man of high character and moral values:

I have known Dr. Dhafir since I came to Syracuse in 1998. He is one of the few people who come twice a day for prayers at our mosque. So I have interacted with him at least once a day (except when either of us was out of town). .

Based on my knowledge of him, Dr. Dhafir has a strong commitment to Islam as well as to charitable causes not only in Iraq but also in the U.S. For example, he has participated in fund raising for many mosques and Muslim charities. .

Overall, I believe that he is a man of high character and moral values and (I) expect him to be acquitted of all charges. .

Finally, Linda Hinman was moved by the care that Dr. Dhafir gave her mother. For the sake brevity we have only included certain excerpts from Ms. Hinman's letter. However, we urge the Court to read the attached letter in its entirety. The pertinent parts are as follows:

Dr. Dhafir saw my mother almost immediately. In his gentle, soft spoken way, he convinced my mother to return to the surgeon's office that afternoon (directly form his office) for the biopsy she had initially refused and to also have a CAT scan and some x-rays to determine if the cancer had spread to her organs. When we returned to his office several days later for the test results, I was prepared for a referral to hospice. Dr. Dhafir was frank but gently in relating the news that her cancer has spread to her lungs and liver, but instead of the hospice referral I was expecting, he told us that he would start her on a chemotherapy treatment program the very next day, on a 3-week basis. When I asked him how much time she had left, he said that it could be several months or years; we would have to wait and see how she responded to the chemotherapy. He explained that he would administer the chemo gradually, to see how much her body would tolerate. But then he softly made the most reassuring and truthful comment: "Only God knows how much time a person has". My mother liked that. His wonderful sense of humor, his genuine concern, and soft spoken and gentle manner put my mother at ease. .

I'm sure you will get many letters attesting to Dr. Dhafir's brilliance as an oncologist. However, I know that his medical skills and expertise have little bearing on this situation. My point in writing is to stress that it doesn't make sense that a human being, a man truly dedicated to saving people's lives, could be doing something evil, something in total contrast, in another part of the world. Are you aware that unlike many physicians in today's world, Dr. Dhafir treated patients who did not have insurance and had them pay whatever they could afford, on a weekly basis? Yes, I understand he did not have the required license for his organization, but I truly believe that the money he was sending into Iraq was to help in any way the brutalized victims of Saddam Hussein's regime. Anyone who knows him has to believe he was helping out of desperation for his people's plight. Several months ago, when our country began its build up against Iraq, Dr. Dhafir was asked by patient's father if he supported Saddam. Dr. Dhafir replied that he absolutely did not support the dictator, but he want to help his people. .