Fw: [ANSWER]: U.S. government raids Muslim organizations & homes

["Nello Margiotta" <animarg at tin.it>]

 A.N.S.W.E.R.
 Act Now to Stop War & End Racism
 http://www.internationalanswer.org
 
 PRESS RELEASE
 CONTACTS: Tony Murphy, 212-633-6646
            Sarah Sloan, 202-543-2777
 
 STOP OUTRAGEOUS ATTACKS ON MUSLIM AND ARAB PEOPLE 
 STOP THE ATTACKS ON CIVIL LIBERTIES
 SAY NO TO WAR AND RACISM
 
 The A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition, which is organizing the April 
 20 March on Washington against War and Racism taking place 
 at the White House, condemns in the strongest terms the 
U.S. government's raids on over 24 mainstream Muslim 
 organizations and homes in Virginia and Georgia.
 
 "These raids have nothing to do with keeping people safe 
 from 'terrorism.'  Instead they are part of an ongoing 
 campaign of anti-Arab racism and anti-Muslim bigotry Bush 
 has whipped up in the U.S. to complement his non-stop war 
 policies in the Middle East," said Larry Holmes, a 
co-director of the International Action Center, one of the 
 members of the A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition.
 
 "More and more this campaign is beginning to resemble mass 
 hysteria and internment campaigns organized against 
 Japanese Americans during World War II," added Mara 
 Verheyden-Hilliard of the Partnership for Civil Justice 
 LDEF, also with A.N.S.W.E.R.  "Already well over 1,200 
 Middle Eastern people have been the target of mass sweeps 
 and held in isolation and detention centers for over six 
 months.  Thousands of others have been interrogated, 
 questioned, and threatened."
 
 At a press conference Thursday held at the offices of the 
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Solidarity 
 USA, a DC-based organization dedicated to defending 
 Muslims, Arabs, South Asians and others from September 
 11-backlash, put out a statement spelling out the 
 government raid tactics:  At the home of Dr. Mohammad 
 Jaghlit, "Agents roamed the place, broke cabinets, threw 
 private belongings everywhere, including personal and 
 family photo pictures and albums, and left the house in a 
 total mess.  Among the very private things confiscated are 
 household members' IDs and passports, and boxes of freshly 
 printed and clearly marked cards and envelopes of 
 invitation for the Jaghlits' daughter's wedding party."

 "Peace, justice, civil rights, religious organizations and 
 all other justice-loving people have to come out strongly 
 against this repression," Holmes continued.  "Only a 
 united movement can turn back this intimidation campaign, 
 which is currently aimed at one segment of the population, 
 but is ultimately designed to silence all forms of 
 opposition to war policies, cutbacks and layoffs.  This is 
yet another example of the Bush administration using the 
 reaction to the events of September 11th to impose a 
 pre-existing, right-wing agenda."
 
 -30-
 
For more information on the April 20 March on Washington 
 Against War & Racism at the White House, go to 
 http://www.internationalanswer.org.