Laila Al-Arian wrote a fascinating summary full of insights about the award-winning documentary film about the “terrorism-trial” of her father, professor Sami Al-Arian. The essay, written for the Huffington Post, is an intimate review of USA vs. Al-Arian. Kudos to Huffington Post for running it.
If you live in or near Washington DC, you can see the film Wednesday, December 5th with a panel discussion after the film.
From the film's blurb:
“USA vs Al-Arian” is a disturbing film on freedom of speech in post 9/11 America and political persecution. The film follows the arrest and trial of Sami Al-Arian, an Arab-American university professor accused of supporting a terrorist organization abroad. For two and a half years Dr. Al-Arian was held in solitary confinement, denied basic privileges and given limited access to his attorneys. The film is an intimate family portrait documenting how a tight-knit family unravels before our very eyes as trial preparations, strategy and media spin consume their lives. Norwegian director Line Halvorsen has made a damning portrait of the case focusing on the trial’s emotional toll. This is a nightmare come to life, as a man is prosecuted for his beliefs rather than his actions.The film presents the direct testimony of jurors who recounted the pressure they received from prosecutors, as well as the general emptiness of the charges. Ron, a juror, said, "We decided that there was no evidence. It wasn't that it was weak or poorly constructed. It just wasn't there. Political beliefs, personal beliefs, social beliefs, but I saw no evidence of anybody doing anything that they were accused of."
Al-Arian's story is ultimately about the excess and lunacy of a war on terror that criminalizes political activity to the detriment of the First Amendment and the Israelization of American law -- he was never accused of anti-American activities, just anti-Israeli terrorist organizing. So now America's in the business of sacrificing the First Amendment for Israeli security. How comforting.
See the event's website
5 comments:
If any of the Kabobsters go see this film, could a review be posted? Thanks.
"This is a nightmare come to life, as a man is prosecuted for his beliefs rather than his actions."
He admitted to raising money for Islamic Jihad, knowing that these funds would be used for attacks on Israeli civilians. This man is a terrorist financier.
Everyone who heard segments of the wiretapping tapes knows he had no illusions about what the money that he was raising was going towards. This was a soldier in a war, not a criminal. He should have been dealt with as any other soldier on a battlefield - in this case, with Mossad putting a bullet in his head while he slept.
This film was broadcast on Al-Jazeera,and I've watched that film with total dispair. People all over the world are being prosecuted for their beliefs, as Bush said, "either you're with us, or against us". He has also inteligently declared that this is a crusade war against Muslims Fascists, so basically the dude believes he's right!!!
Peace,
SoulSearch
Terrorist organizing is terrorist organizing and is a crime on American soil regardless of political leanings. It's quite comical that in your mind an Arab-American could never be arrested on legit terrorism charges. Oh no, it must be the (brace yourselves) Israelization (triple word score Will, nice) of the American law. Yeah, that must be it. It's the only plausible explanation after all.
I genuinely feel sorry for many of these Palestinian activists who routinely take on lost f'in causes. I mean, there are a lot more productive things you guys could be doing than levying empty arguments for disputes where the evidence is clearly not in your favor. But sadly, I imagine that it's the only way you're able to reconcile the Palestinian plight with reality.
"where the evidence is clearly not in your favor"
do you know anything about the trial of al-Arian. clearly you do not; the reason that the jury did not find him guilt on a single count was the astonishing lack of evidence.
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