WITNESS
In Support of Our Muslim Community
May 3, 2003
Syracuse NY
On February 26th 2003 our community was terrorized when 150 Muslim families were interrogated and asked inappropriate questions by Federal Agents in conjunction with the raid upon the Help the Needy charity. To our knowledge there has been no similar massive action against Muslim and Arab American women and children in our county. There was no local TV coverage of the Federal agents actions against the 150 families only sensational coverage of the arrest of the people involved with Help the Needy. It took several days and pressure from local religious leaders, members of the Inter-Religious council, as well as hard work and effort from reporter Renee Gadoua before our local paper reported that (click on) 150 families were terrorized. The Help the Needy charity was charged with not filing proper documents in their efforts to feed children in Iraq. But as our local paper noted:
"The same federal act used to indict three Central New Yorkers accused of illegally sending money to Iraq has not been enforced against at least a dozen local residents who openly violated U.S. law by traveling there." 'OTHER GROUP HELPING IN IRAQ NOT PROSECUTED',Syracuse Post Standard, Renee Gadoua March 7, 2003On March 4, 2003 the Federal Government released their charges against Dr. Dhafir who still sits in jail denied bail --but it is difficult to make a determination of the merit of the government's claims. We make no judgement as to the guilt or innocence of Dr. Dhafir , we ask that he be treated fairly and equitably.
What happened in Syracuse was not only mean spirited but it goes against the principles God asks to uphold as taught to us by the prophets. While Dante had his circles of hell to categorize and judge the actions of sinners the scriptures clearly condemn the actions of the Feds as most odious. Sodom and Gomorrah were decimated not for sinful behavior but for the mistreatment of strangers. Jesus' strongest rebuke is to those that injure the children of faith;
"..Whoever offends or scandalizes one of these little ones, who believes in me, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and drowned in the depths of the sea."(Mt 18:4).On February 26th strangers to our great country little ones of faith were terrorized.
For too long we have stood silent in our witness--and our collective consciousness has suffered. It is the western traditions that speak of our societal responsibility, such as bearing witness, but it is from the eastern traditions, focused more on self liberation, that we can begin to understand why it is critical to bear witness. The Hindu Bhagavad-gita tells us of the power of one thought unchecked to grow:
While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises. From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool. (Bhagavad-gita 2:62-63)Is it any wonder that God's call to love has been replaced by a God of Wrath. And Gandhi tells us that if we follow an eye for an eye we all end up blind.
It is time, we the people of faith bear witness to the truth and uphold the prophetic tradition by condemning the terrorizing tactics of Attorney John Ashcroft's minions upon the little ones of faith within the Syracuse community. While a modern day Caesar of special interest, a plutocracy of wealth as Phillips calls it may rule our country--we must not let similarly let Caesar control our spiritual lives. Join us in Syracuse to bear witness to the truth.
Itinerary
11 AM WITNESS
South Presbyterian Church
Cor W. Colvin & S. Salina
Syracuse, New York 13205
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"Up to 150 people reportedly were questioned by authorities last week. Some people, including Muslims and non-Muslims, have said law enforcement officials were intrusive and intimidating and asked inappropriate questions."
Post-Standard, The (Syracuse, NY),March 7, 2003,'SUDDABY SAYS HE'LL MEET WITH MUSLIMS'
STEREOTYPING IS WRONG
Bishop Costello
Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse
"This country is better than that," - I quote your editorial comment (March 2) on the possible aftermath of Wednesday's arrest of three local Muslim men.
As I understand the situation, charges against the three are as yet unclear, undetermined; the accusations lack definition. People who share a common faith heritage with those arrested feel themselves "suspect," have for no other apparent reason been subjected to unannounced early morning governmental interrogations about their religious backgrounds
Because one of the accused serves as imam in the criminal justice system, a call has been issued for an investigation of all Muslim prison chaplains. And a second imam who is well known at the Madison County Jail has gratuitously been denied access to congregants who are held there at the insistence of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Services.
Well, I agree that "this country is better than that." Here, persons accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Here, stereotyping and profiling are not acceptable. Malfeasance is attributed only to those actually found guilty. Casting suspicion on people who happen to share a common religious commitment endangers a basic freedom which "this country" cherishes. And denying a spiritual leader opportunity to minister to his people is simply not acceptable. This country is better than that.
The religious liberty of our Muslim brothers and sisters is being explicitly threatened. And thus everybody's freedom is implicitly compromised. This country is - must be - better than that.
Letter to Editor, Syracuse Post Standard, March 4, 2003