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The Muslim Solidarity
Committee is an organization in the Capital District of New York (Albany) set
up to defend
Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain, 2 Muslim men from the Capital District who have been
framed by the US government and convicted of terrorism related charges. Both men were sentenced to 15-years in
prison. The 15-year sentences were
actually ½ what was indicated by the federal sentencing guidelines. It
is felt that the community support -- which included almost 1000 signatures
on a petition, dozens of letters to the judge and vigils, forum and other
activity -- had an effect on the judge’s sentences. During the
sentencing, the courtroom was packed with supporters and a vigil was held
outside of the courthouse. There has been an appeal and the Muslim
Solidarity Committee, formed to support Aref and Hossain, will continue to function.
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Journey for Justice
Deliver the Petition for
Yassin Aref
by walking from Albany to Binghamton, NY - July 12 to July 23, 2013
A Victim of
Mistaken Identity
Yassin Aref, a Kurdish imam, was entrapped by a criminal con
artist hired by the FBI. Despite no evidence that Yassin
supported any terrorist activity, the post-9/11 climate made the jury
afraid to acquit him or his co-defendant, Mohammed Hossain.
(For more information on Yassin and his case, see
this article in New York Magazine, 'Little
Gitmo.' )
Through
a recent FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) request, Yassin's
defense attorneys learned about secret evidence that misidentified Yassin as an Al-Qaeda agent. This evidence, which led
to his conviction, was apparently shown to the trial judge and appeal
court, but not to the defense.
The
government convicted the wrong man. Yassin is not
a terrorist.
Now
the defense has prepared a motion to reopen the case based on this dramatic
new evidence of mistaken identity. We are asking you to sign a
petition to the judge who will, we hope, consider this
motion. The petition  requests that the judge give serious
consideration to Yassin's motion to reopen the
case.
To publicize the importance of this
motion, and to emphasize to the judge that Albany has not forgotten this
case, Lynne Jackson, accompanied by other supporters, will walk
133 miles from Yassin's home city
of Albany, New York to hand-deliver the petition to the judge, who is
located in Binghamton, New York.
The "Journey for Justice",
sponsored by Project SALAM) will start at 6:00 PM on Friday, July 12, 2013
at the Masjid As-Salam in Albany, New York and end on Tuesday, July 23 at
11:00 AM at the Federal Court House, 15 Henry Street, Binghamton, New York.
Please sign
our petition to the judge,
asking him to seriously consider reopening Yassin's
case.
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Pictures by
Jeanne Finley
(starting upper left: Alaa Muhiddin, daughter of Yassin Aref, March up Central
Ave., Rally at Mosque)
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On August 4, 2012, the Albany Community held its 8th
anniversary protest of the arrest of Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain.
Supporters
marched up Central Ave., in Albany to the Masjed
As-Salam, where Aref was the Imam and Hossain a member.
The Albany community has supported the Aref and Hossain family and
the arrested men from the beginning and continue our support 8 year
later.
On the march
and at the rally other cases of “preemptive” prosecution were also
protested.
The march and
rally were organized by Muslim Peace Coalition, Project Salam, and the
Albany chapter of the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms and
support by many Albany area peace and social justice organizations.
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Get your copy of the new book, “Rounded Up: Artificial Terrorists and
Muslim Entrapment After 9/11,” by Shamshad
Ahmad. Shamshad Ahmad is the
president of the Masjid As-Salam Mosque where Yassin
Aref was the Imam and Mohanned
Hossain a member.
Click below to order the book online from
The Troy
Book Makers or Amazon.com
Rounded Up is also
available at these Capital District bookstores:
Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
(Albany), Market Block Books (Troy), Open Door Bookstore (Schenectady), The
Bookloft (Great Barrington, MA), Borders Books
and Music at Crossgates (Albany), Clifton Park,
and Saratoga; and East Line Books (Clifton Park).
You can also purchase both Rounded Up and Yassin
Aref’s memoir, Son of Mountains, together for $35 (20% off cover prices) at
http://shop.thetroybookmakers.com/muslimsolidaritybundle-p-75.htmlRead a column about
the book by Carl Strock, a columnist for
the Schenectady Gazette
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Over 100 People took to the Streets in Albany to
protest on the 5th Anniversary of the Arrest of Yassim Aref and Mohammed Hossain.
On Tuesday, August 4, 2009 over 100 people marched
through the streets of Albany, NY to protest the FBI crime of tricking Yassim Aref and Mohammed Hossain into doing something that could look as if it
was illegal and then putting them in jail for 15 years. The protesters marched from downtown
Albany to a rally at the Masjid As-Salam Mosque, where both men worshiped.
The march and rally was sponsored by the Muslim Solidarity Committee and a
number of other local peace and justice groups. The Troy Record article on the march and
rally can be found on the link below. Click
here for the Troy Record Article on the March and Rally
For some thoughts on the 5th
anniversary of the Arrest by Joe Lombardo, please click here
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Jeanne Finley
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Jeanne Finley
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Jeanne Finley
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Click this link for a new years message from Yassin
Aref.
View the trailer for the new
documentary by Ellie Bernstein on the cases for Aref
and Hossain
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4th Anniversary Commemoration of the Arrests of YASSIN AREF
& MOHAMMED HOSSAIN
100
people marched from the Masjid As-Salam Mosque to down town Albany where a
vigil in support of Yassim Aref
and Mohammed Hossain was held on Friday, August
22, 2008.
On
Saturday, August 23, 2008, 55 people attended a conference on the case
along with other similar frame-up cases of Muslims. Out of the Saturday conference, a new
organization called the Muslim innocents project was formed. A link to the new web site will follow as
soon as it is set up.
Below
is a picture of participants at the conference
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For more information: Joe Lombardo 518-439-1968 or
jlombard@nycap.rr.com
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Aref & Hossain writings
News Media
Press Releases
Picture of Solidarity Committee Activities
Legal Activity
Aref & Hossain family support
Links
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