[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Fw: [ANSWER]: U.S. government raids Muslim organizations & homes
- To: <pck-pace@peacelink.it>
- Subject: Fw: [ANSWER]: U.S. government raids Muslim organizations & homes
- From: "Nello Margiotta" <animarg@tin.it>
- Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 11:07:22 +0100
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.