Trial Date Zealotry

madis senner

Because he has been denied bail it has been difficult for Dr. Dhafir to defend himself. The original trial date has been pushed back to September 27, 2004 to give him more time to prepare. But the sentiment expressed with the original April 19th trial date still holds.

The prosecution's decision to commence the Help the Needy and Dr. Rafil Dhafir trial on April 19, 2004, the anniversary date of the Oklahoma City Bombing, illuminates the intent and spirit of the Ashcroft's CNY representatives.

Clearly the April 19th trial date is meant to raise the specter of terrorism. Yet Federal prosecutors Suddaby, Greene and Olmstead have consistently claimed that Dr. Rafil Dhafir is not a terrorist and will not be tried as such. The April 19th trial date flies in the face of their words.

For some the symbolism of April 19th goes well beyond the Oklahoma City bombing. Consider the special meaning for Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City Bomber: :

"Prosecutors believed that McVeigh's attack was motivated by anti-government feelings over the failed 1993 raid on the Branch Davidians, an apocalyptic group that stockpiled arms in its Texas compound. In addition to the Waco anniversary, it appears that April 19th also was significant to McVeigh. It was the day in 1943 that Nazis moved on the Warsaw ghetto to destroy the Jewish population. It was also the exact day, in 1995, when a Christian Identity activist, Richard Snell, was due to be executed in prison for murder charges. Snell had planned to bomb the Oklahoma City federal building twelve years earlier. Hours before his death, Snell caught glimpses of the bombing and proclaimed, "Hail his victory."

Was it only coincidence the Murrah Federal Building was destroyed on the day of Snell's death? Mark Juergensmeyer, author of the book, Terror in the Mind of God, thinks not. He cites an activist who claims that McVeigh had visited Elohim City, the Christian Identity encampment where Snell once had been based and was there exposed to the militant theology of the Christian Identity movement, which is based on racial supremacy and biblical law." Unmasking Religious Terrorism by Jay Gary, Mar 30, 2001

By selecting April 19th as the trial date the prosecution is doing more than trying to influence the jurors into associating Help the Needy with the Oklahoma City bombing and terrorism. It is indirectly conjuring up all the illusions and associations of hate as seen in the likes of Timothy McVeigh. When we examine the Bush-Ashcroft-Neocon axis in detail we find that some of their most ardent devotees share much of McVeigh's ideology. Many are religious zealots that have an apocalyptic vision of the world (See Armageddon Lobby)--some are dispensationalists who ache for Armageddon in the Middle East. Still others like Franklin Graham, whom President Bush chose to lead his inaugural service and the service in immediate aftermath of the September 11th attack (2001) claimed that "Islam attacked us."--De facto declaring Holy war. (See Our Fundamentalist President). In a small way by selecting April 19th as the trial date the prosecution is playing to that audience.

As a person of faith I am disturbed that the prosecution would choose to demonstrate hate rather than healing on April 19th. Instead of honoring the dead and trying to find reconciliation the prosecution has instead chosen to perpetuate the cycle of violence. In the eyes of Ashcroft, Suddaby, Greene and Olmstead it appears that there is no better way to honor the Oklahoma City bombing than by prosecuting and persecuting someone of the Muslim faith that they deem is a terrorist. Where is the love that Jesus taught so well and that John Ashcroft claims to be so devoutly following? How are we to ever heal and mend as a country if it every chance our leaders choose to push hate instead of healing at moments when we could transcend our differences. Remember in the immediate Post 9-11 aftermath the world declared 'we are all Americans now'. And what would they say today?

While zealotry encompasses many things, its most hideous aspect is when the Zealot chooses to ignore the laws they are meant to obey, such as thou shall not kill, and instead defines him/herself with the righteousness of their acts. Hate, violence and even murder are justified because they are doing God's work--They view themselves as upholders of the law, sometimes even claiming to be chosen by God, so they feel justified in breaking the rules they so righteously claim to covet. Similarly the prosecution's decision to use April 19th as the trial date for Rafil is another example of its righteous zealotry; that includes among other things the inappropriate interrogation of up to 150 Muslim families, the continual incarceration of Dr. Dhafir and the abuse of his sixth amendment right to legal counsel (See Bail Motion Info). It is their righteous zeal that threatens our greater Syracuse New York community and our country as well.

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