All we say to America is, "Be true to what you said on paper." If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn't committed themselves to that over there.

But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right.   Martin Luther King Jr., April 3, 1968

Educators for Civil Liberties

For, if they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night.
James Baldwin in a letter to Angela Davis, 1970

 

Signatories

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Ask the Attorney General to lift the SAM on Syed Hashmi

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Statement of Concern

Syed Fahad Hashmi is a Muslim American citizen being held in a federal jail on two counts of providing material support and two counts of making a contribution of goods or services to Al Qaida. As his case goes to trial, we wish to register our concern about the conditions of his detention, constraints on his right to a fair trial, and the potential threat his case poses to the First Amendment rights of others. . . . Read more.

The Statement of Concern has been signed by more than 500 scholars and writers including Norma Alarcon, Bettina Aptheker, Seyla Benhabib, Marshall Berman, Wendy Brown, Susan Buck-Morss, Judith Butler, Kathleen Cleaver, Noam Chomsky, Joshua Cohen, David Cole, Angela Davis, Mike Davis, Jodi Dean, Michael Dawson, Michael Denning, Jigna Desai, Lisa Disch, Ariel Dorfman, Martin Duberman, Lisa Duggan, Thomas L. Dumm, Susan Faludi, Kathy E. Ferguson, Eric Foner, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Todd Gitlin, Michael Hardt, Tony Judt, Ira Katznelson, Duncan Kennedy, Jill Lepore, Wahneema Lubiano, Manning Marable, Kirstie M. McClure, Ali Miller, Mark Crispin Miller, David Montgomery, Carlos Munoz, Cary Nelson, Anne Norton, Christian Parenti, Charles Payne, Rosalind Petchesky, Frances Fox Piven, Katha Pollitt, Gyan Prakash, Adolph Reed Jr., David Roediger, Andrew Ross, Saskia Sassen, Anna Marie Smith, Neil Smith, Rogers M. Smith, Philippa Strum, Mark Lewis Taylor, Joan C. Tronto, Martha Vicinus, John R. Wallach, Lawrence Weschler, Melissa S. Williams, Richard Wolin and many more. See signatories.

About the Case

Syed Fahad Hashmi is a 27-year-old Muslim American citizen. He is currently being held in solitary confinement in a federal jail on two counts of providing material support—and two counts of making a contribution of goods or services—to Al Qaida. His trial is set for July 2008. If convicted, he faces seventy years in prison. His case raises concerns about the conditions of his detention, his ability to receive a fair trial, and threats to the First Amendment rights of others. . . . Read more.

Events

May 20, 9am
US District Court,
Southern District of NY
Rally to Free Fahad

May 5, Brooklyn College
The Constitution Comes Home

Updates

Media

More about "material support" laws

Chronicle of Higher Education: Academics Protest Jailing of Muslim Student.

Other organizations of interest

Free Fahad

Center for Constitutional Rights

Council of Peoples Organizations

Desis Rising Up and Moving