Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
February 9, 2004
CHICAGO TRIBUNE ARTICLE CLEAR ACT OF INTIMIDATION

TAMPA-

On Feb. 8, the Chicago Tribune published an article, “Hard-liners
won battle for Bridgeview Mosque,” that began with a description
of
recent efforts at a Chicago mosque to collect money for the legal
defense fund of Dr. Sami Al-Arian. By referring to the fundraising
effort for Dr. Al-Arian’s defense fund in such a disparaging
light, the Tribune is clearly attempting to intimidate and frighten
members of the American Muslim community from donating to a
completely legal cause.

Raising funds for the defense fund of Dr. Al-Arian, a beloved and
respected leader who worked tirelessly to empower American Muslims
and involve them in the political process, is an upright act that
should be commended. Not only is it a constitutionally protected
right to raise attorneys fees for a legal defense fund, but it is
also a moral duty that is encouraged by all faiths.

Furthermore, the Tribune article demonstrated the government’s
apparent contempt for Muslim political prisoners who receive
community members’ assistance for their piling legal fees. Though
the Constitution guarantees every accused person in the United States
the right to a defense, the government and media outlets like the
Tribune are trying to ensure that these men are denied a fair trial
with proper representation and community support. This is all the
more apparent when one considers that the fundraising story does not
seem to relate to the rest of the article, yet was deliberately
inserted in two separate places to further frighten and deviously
threaten a community under siege.

It is appalling that in a democracy, newspapers are complicit with
the propaganda arm of the government. This begs the question of
whether the media currently operate as independent, impartial
establishments, especially when it comes to reporting on the American
Muslim community.

As long as these intimidation tactics continue, the American Muslim
community�and the rest of the world which is closely watching
these Muslim political prisoner cases�will question whether a fair
trial is possible in the United States of America.

===

Action Alert:
We call upon all conscientious Americans to protest the intimidation
tactics used by newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune. Please voice
your concern with a letter to the editor and a phone call to the
reporters responsible.

CALL The Chicago Tribune at any of the following numbers:

1-800-TRIBUNE (874-2863)
1-312-222-3232

FAX your Letter to the Editors:
1-312-222-2598

EMAIL your comments to: (copy to admin@mcrcnet.org)
Ann Marie Lipinski, Editor, ctc-tribuneletter@tribune.com
Don Wycliff, Public Editor, publiceditor@tribune.com
R. Bruce Dold, Editorial Page Editor, bdold@tribune.com
Alison Scholly, General Manager, ascholly@tribune.com
Robert Blau, Editor, rblau@tribune.com
Noreen S. Ahmed-ullah, Co-author, nahmed@tribune.com
Kim Barker, Co-author, kbarker@tribune.com
Laurie Cohen, Co-author, lcohen@tribune.com
Stephen Franklin, Co-author, sfranklin@tribune.com
Sam Roe, co-author, sroe@tribune.com
Stevenson Swanson, Author, sswanson@tribune.com