[Peace-discuss] Fwd:[ANSWER]: Statement on Dr. Sami Al-Arian's arrest

[jencart]

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STOP BUSH & ASHCROFT'S POLITICAL TARGETING!

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition statement on the arrest of Florida  Professor Sami Al-Arian

Early this morning, Thursday, February 20, 2003, FBI 
agents in Tampa, Florida, arrested Dr. Sami Al-Arian, a  Palestinian professor from the University of South Florida  (USF). As he was led into the Tampa headquarters of the  FBI, Al-Arian told reporters: "It's all about politics."

Dr. Al-Arian has gained widespread support over the last  year and a half after being placed on forced leave and 
banned from the USF campus shortly after September 11.  Almost one year ago, on February 21, 2002, the United 
States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Mac 
Cauley, issued a statement acknowledging that Dr. Al-Arian  was under investigation.

Today and for many years, Samia Al-Arian has been targeted  by the government, media and academic establishment 
because he is a consistent and outspoken supporter of the  right of the Palestinian people to live free from 
occupation, as well as a proponent of civil liberties and 
civil rights.

Dr. Al-Arian is among several others arrested by the FBI  today; there were other arrests in Florida and Illinois. 
They are among thousands of people of Middle Eastern 
decent and other immigrants who have been investigated,  arrested, interrogated, detained and/or deported since 
September 11.

Following Attorney General John Ashcroft's announcement of  the 100-count indictment that charges these men with 
allegedly "financing, extolling and assisting acts of 
terrorism," Dr. Al-Arian's attorney, Nicholas Matassini,  stated: "He's a political prisoner right now as we speak."  Matassini called Ashcroft's indictment "a work of 
fiction."

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON SAMIA AL-ARIAN

Shortly after September 11, 2001, Dr. Al-Arian appeared on  the fervently right-wing Fox TV's Bill O'Reilly Factor 
show, where O'Reilly accused him of having "terrorist 
connections." According to a document produced by USF 
faculty entitled "The United Faculty of Florida defends 
the Due Process rights, and Academic Freedom & Tenure  rights of USF Professor Sami Al-Arian," on September 27,  the USF administration suspended Dr. Al-Arian, and on 
December 19 they sent him a letter of dismissal, then 
modified this letter to state that he "wasn't fired so 
much as subject to being fired."

Since that time, Dr. Al-Arian and many supporters around  the country have been fighting to be reinstated at USF. On  April 25, 2002, the Executive Council and Delegate 
Assembly of the Professional Staff Congress of the City  University of New York, American Federation of Teachers  Local 2334, passed a resolution in support of Dr. 
Al-Arian, and on June 20, 2002, American Federation of  Teachers President Sandra Feldman sent a letter to USF  President Judy Genshaft in supporting his rights.

On December 16, 2002, a federal district court judge 
dismissed a case brought by USF which asked the court to  clarify the constitutional issues surrounding the firing. 
USF brought the case in an attempt to bolster support and  confidence in proceeding with the firing, but the court 
dismissed the case and left it to the USF administration 
to either fire or reinstate Dr. Al-Arian. USF President 
Genshaft said her plan was the former.

According to the Academic Free Speech website, which is  devoted supporting Dr. Al-Arian in his struggle to resume  teaching at USF, Dr. Sami Al-Arian's family is from 
Jerusalem and Jaffa, Palestine. He was born in Kuwait, 
lived in Egypt, and then studied at Southern Illinois 
University and North Carolina State University. He became  a professor at USF in 1986,