Siah
04-09-04, 10:40
Fanaticism’s Ugly Head
By Mike Whitney
Al-Jazeerah, September 4, 2004
My favorite John Ashcroft story is one that slipped by the media almost entirely unnoticed. It involved a computer science student in Idaho who was accused of aiding terrorism by running a web site that covered issues related to Muslims.
That was enough to bring the Justice Department to his front door where he was quickly trundled off to prison.
The Justice Department (as many have noted) now functions according to Christian “Sharia Law”; applying the same mottled standards of righteousness as the Taliban.
Consistent with these newly minted principles of justice, Sami al Hussayen stayed in jail for a year and a half before he had his day in court.
The Associated Press reported: “The government alleged Al-Hussayen, 34, used his computer expertise to create an Internet network that helped finance and recruit terrorists, and the case was seen as an important clash between free speech and the war on terror.”
Unfortunately, for Mr. Ashcroft, his “Muslim purging” tactics were “unanimously” rejected by a jury. Sami was exonerated.
The system still works, when it’s not being exploited by Bible-wielding fanatics pursuing their personal vendetta against Islam.
Ashcroft, of course, was having none of this. There’s no way that mere justice was going to interrupt the machinations of personal rectitude.
Instead, al Hussayen was called up on immigration charges and, just three months after the court had found him innocent, he was shipped off to Saudi Arabia.
Sami’s story is illuminating in many ways, but particularly in showing how basic standards of justice have been steadily corrupted by the current administration.
The benchmark for justice used to be “innocent until proven guilty.”
Following 9-11 that quickly changed to “guilty until proven innocent”, with vast numbers of Muslims illegally incarcerated without any constitutional protections.
The Sami al Hussayen case takes this trend even one step further to “guilty EVEN IF YOU ARE PROVEN INNOCENT”.
There’s really no way that citizens can defend themselves from the fanatical reach of the state. The thin protection of the law has been bludgeoned into a lifeless shell that serves no purpose other than garnishing the rhetoric of presidential speeches.
Sami’s story illustrates the inexorable persistence of extremism; a force that never sleeps and always needs feeding.
aljazeerah.info (http://www.aljazeerah.info)
By Mike Whitney
Al-Jazeerah, September 4, 2004
My favorite John Ashcroft story is one that slipped by the media almost entirely unnoticed. It involved a computer science student in Idaho who was accused of aiding terrorism by running a web site that covered issues related to Muslims.
That was enough to bring the Justice Department to his front door where he was quickly trundled off to prison.
The Justice Department (as many have noted) now functions according to Christian “Sharia Law”; applying the same mottled standards of righteousness as the Taliban.
Consistent with these newly minted principles of justice, Sami al Hussayen stayed in jail for a year and a half before he had his day in court.
The Associated Press reported: “The government alleged Al-Hussayen, 34, used his computer expertise to create an Internet network that helped finance and recruit terrorists, and the case was seen as an important clash between free speech and the war on terror.”
Unfortunately, for Mr. Ashcroft, his “Muslim purging” tactics were “unanimously” rejected by a jury. Sami was exonerated.
The system still works, when it’s not being exploited by Bible-wielding fanatics pursuing their personal vendetta against Islam.
Ashcroft, of course, was having none of this. There’s no way that mere justice was going to interrupt the machinations of personal rectitude.
Instead, al Hussayen was called up on immigration charges and, just three months after the court had found him innocent, he was shipped off to Saudi Arabia.
Sami’s story is illuminating in many ways, but particularly in showing how basic standards of justice have been steadily corrupted by the current administration.
The benchmark for justice used to be “innocent until proven guilty.”
Following 9-11 that quickly changed to “guilty until proven innocent”, with vast numbers of Muslims illegally incarcerated without any constitutional protections.
The Sami al Hussayen case takes this trend even one step further to “guilty EVEN IF YOU ARE PROVEN INNOCENT”.
There’s really no way that citizens can defend themselves from the fanatical reach of the state. The thin protection of the law has been bludgeoned into a lifeless shell that serves no purpose other than garnishing the rhetoric of presidential speeches.
Sami’s story illustrates the inexorable persistence of extremism; a force that never sleeps and always needs feeding.
aljazeerah.info (http://www.aljazeerah.info)