Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
Feb. 15, 2007
Dr. Al-Arian Collapses, Moved to Medical Facility

TAMPA- On Tuesday, the 23rd day of his hunger strike, Dr. Sami Al-
Arian collapsed and was later awoken by medical personnel. Yesterday
morning, Dr. Al-Arian was moved to a federal medical facility in
North Carolina run by the Bureau of Prisons.

Dr. Al-Arian’s new address is:

Dr. Sami Al-Arian (#40939-018)
FMC BUTNER
FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTER
P.O. BOX 1600
BUTNER, NC 27509

Today, two national Muslim organizations issued statements in
support of Dr. Al-Arian, urging people of conscience everywhere to
send letters and faxes in support of Dr. Al-Arian. Due to the health
concerns involved in the hunger strike, the time to act is NOW.
Please read the statements for details on HOW TO HELP.
—
I.

Dr. Sami Al-Arian Health in Jeopardy Send Fax Now!

MAS Freedom Foundation Organizes Major Fax Campaign to Judge Gerald
Lee

WASHINGTON, DC – Feb. 15, 2007 (MASNET) Due to the severe health
concerns of Dr. Sami Al-Arian, who collapsed on the twenty-third day
of his Hunger Strike for Justice, the Muslim American Society (MAS)
Freedom Foundation has organized an emergency fax campaign to Judge
Gerald Lee of the Virginia Eastern District Court.

Dr. Sami Al-Arian embarked upon a hunger strike to protest his legal
treatment, incarceration, and current eighteen month jail sentence
for his refusal to testify testifying before a grand jury. This
verdict was rendered against him despite a plea agreement he had
with the government, which included a no-cooperation clause (See:
http://www.masnet.org/takeaction.asp?id=3987).

Given the fact that sending letters to Judge Gerald Lee will take a
long period of time, MAS Freedom Foundation is urging individuals to
send faxes directly to Judge Lee’s chambers today. Additionally,
everyone is encouraged to contact at least 10 other individuals and
request that they send faxes and contact others as well. Please be
polite and respectful when writing to Judge Gerald Lee. Send your
fax to the Honorable Judge Gerald Lee at: (703) 299-3339

Below is a sample fax highlighting key points to address.

SAMPLE FAX:
To the Honorable Judge Gerald Lee
Your Honor,

Dr. Sami Al-Arian is currently on a hunger strike in federal
detention to protest his treatment by U.S. authorities. Family
members have reported that Dr. Al-Arian collapsed on the twenty-
third day of his fast and has been moved from Virginia to a medial
facility in North Carolina. He began his hunger strike more than 3
weeks ago after refusing to testify before a grand jury in Virginia.
His attorneys have indicated that an earlier plea agreement freed
him from further cooperation and that the government’s actions
amount to a form of harassment. On humanitarian grounds I
respectfully request that Dr. Al-Arian’s sentence for civil contempt
be removed.

END.

NOTE: It is critically important to indicate that you are requesting
the removal of the 18 month sentence for civil contempt. Judge Lee
only has jurisdiction over the civil contempt portion of Dr. Al-
Arian’s sentence, thus he cannot release Dr. Al-Arian. However,
Judge Lee can remove the 18 month civil contempt sentence making Dr.
Al-Arian eligible for release in April.

Please don’t forget to join MAS Freedom Foundation and thousands
across the United States on Wednesday, February 21st as we unite in
solidarity with Dr. Al-Arian’s Hunger Strike for Justice and for a
national press conference in front of the Department of Justice at
11:00am.

For more information on how you can participate in the Hunger Strike
for Justice or assist Dr. Al-Arian and his family please call MAS
Freedom Foundation at: (202) 496-1288

II.

CAIR ACTION ALERT #507

WRITE LETTERS IN SUPPORT OF DR. AL-ARIAN
Imprisoned Florida professor collapses on 23rd day of hunger strike

(WASHINGTON D.C., 2/15/07) – The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) is calling on American Muslims and other people of
conscience to write letters in support of Dr. Sami Al-Arian, a
former Florida professor currently on a hunger strike in federal
detention to protest his treatment by U.S. authorities.

Family members report that Al-Arian collapsed on the 23rd day of his
fast and has been moved from Virginia to a medical facility in North
Carolina.

Al-Arian began his hunger strike more than three weeks ago after
being given a sentence of up to 18 months for refusing to testify
before a grand jury in Virginia. His attorneys say an earlier plea
agreement freed him from further cooperation with the government.
Supporters say the government’s actions amount to a form of
harassment.

In 2005, a Florida jury rejected federal charges that Al-Arian
operated a cell for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Al-Arian later
pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was scheduled for release and
deportation in April.

The American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT), a
national coalition of major American Muslim organizations, recently
said the new prison sentence given to Al-Arian amounted to
unconstitutional “double jeopardy.”

The AMT statement said in part:

“It is becoming increasingly clear that the government is seeking to
impose legal and physical penalties on Dr. Al-Arian that it could
not obtain through the judicial process. . .We call on all fair-
minded Americans who care about the preservation of the integrity of
our nation’s legal system to speak out about this apparent abuse of
prosecutorial power. We also call on federal authorities to cease
their harassment of Dr. Al-Arian and to release him as scheduled so
that he and his family can resume their lives in another country.”

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be firm, but POLITE.)

1. CONTACT the following officials to request that Dr. Sami Al-Arian
be released from detention and allowed to leave the country with his
family. (Make sure to include your name, address and ZIP Code in the
letter)

The Honorable Judge Gerald Lee
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
401 Courthouse Square
Alexandria, VA 22314

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

Fax: (202) 307-6777
E-Mail: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Comments: 202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2461
E-Mail: comments@whitehouse.gov

Sample Letter:

Dr. Sami Al-Arian is currently on a hunger strike in federal
detention to protest his treatment by U.S. authorities. Family
members report that Al-Arian collapsed on the 23rd day of his fast
and has been moved from Virginia to a medical facility in North
Carolina. He began his hunger strike more than three weeks ago after
being given a sentence of up to 18 months for refusing to testify
before a grand jury in Virginia. His attorneys say an earlier plea
agreement freed him from further cooperation and that the
government’s actions amount to a form of harassment. I therefore
respectfully request that you support the immediate release of Dr.
Al-Arian so that he and his family may resume their lives in another
country.

2. CONTACT your own elected representatives through:
http://capwiz.com/cair/dbq/officials/

3. SEND COPIES of all correspondence to CAIR at: info@cair.com or
fax: 202-488-0833

4. COPY TO Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), chairman of the House
Judiciary Committee. E-Mail: john.conyers@mail.house.gov or fax:
(202) 225-0072

– PLEASE ANNOUNCE, POST AND DISTRIBUTE –

END.