Dec. 14, 2005
St. Petersburg Times
By Kevin Graham
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TAMPA – Upset that Sami Al-Arian remained in federal prison after a jury last week couldn’t convict him on terrorism-related charges, civil rights activists and family friends called on President Bush to step in.

“I think you owe one to Dr. Sami,” Pilar Saad, an Al-Arian family spokeswoman, said to Bush in front of microphones and television cameras.

The former University of South Florida professor mobilized Muslims across the state to vote for Bush, she said, and now it’s time for the president to return the favor.

More than 30 people, including Al-Arian’s wife, Nahla, and daughter Leena, gathered on the steps of the federal courthouse in downtown Tampa on Tuesday to demonstrate. They called on the U.S. government to respect jurors’ verdicts and not retry Al-Arian and one co-defendant on deadlocked charges or try to deport Al-Arian.

Saad said he has earned the right to be a U.S. citizen – a status federal officials have denied him. He’s encouraged fellow Muslims to be patriotic and participate in democracy, she said.

Until federal prosecutors decide their next step, Al-Arian should be released, said members of the Friends of Human Rights group, which organized the gathering.

“Pull back those bars and let those men go home to their families,” said Warren Clark, pastor of First United Church (UCC) of Tampa. “It has been long enough, and they have suffered already.”

Sameeh Hammoudeh, one of Al-Arian’s three co-defendants, remained in prison after jurors acquited him and Ghassan Zayed Ballut of all charges. Hammoudeh has been in jail since 2003.

Because of a plea agreement in June, Hammoudeh and his wife will soon be deported back to Ramallah, Palestine. The couple was convicted on federal tax, immigration and mortgage fraud charges.

Al-Arian, Ballut, Fariz and Hammoudeh were on trial for six months, accused of financing and promoting Middle East terrorism. Al-Arian was acquitted on eight of 17 charges, and Fariz was acquitted on 25 of 33 charges.

One remaining charge against Al-Arian and Fariz, a racketeering conspiracy charge, carries a potential life sentence.

Ahmed Bedier, local director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said jurors sent a message with their verdicts.

“The jury has assured he is not a threat to society,” Bedier said.”He should be released right away.”

Melva Underbakke, a member of the Friends of Human Rights, said she attended Al-Arian’s trial almost every day. She also worked with Al-Arian at USF, where she was an adjunct professor, teaching English as a second language.

Underbakke was one of several demonstrators holding signs that read, “The Jury Has Spoken,” “Free Sami Now” and “No New Trial.”

Nahla Al-Arian simply held hands with those gathered as they bowed their heads during prayer. She declined to speak to the crowd or reporters, saying only that she was “anxious and tired.”

Al-Arian’s daughter, Leena, said her father remained in good spirits. And she’s hopeful that he won’t be behind bars much longer.

“I hope the Justice Department listens to the jurors,” she said, “that they just end this and that my father can come home. Enough is enough.”