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Attorneys file motion to dismiss criminal charges against Al-Arian
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North Carolina Sen. Larry Shaw elected new chairman of CAIR
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Parody of real life Muslim American experiences wins online film contest
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Obama offers new start with Iran, says U.S. committed to diplomacy
Attorneys file motion to dismiss criminal charges against Al-Arian:
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Dr. Sami Al-Arian’s attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss the criminal contempt charges against him in federal court.
The motion, filed on March 23, contains three grounds for the dismissal of the charges. It argues that the orders to testify before the grand jury violated the 2006 Plea Agreement between Al-Arian and the government. Second, it states that the government has provided the Court with insufficient evidence for the case to proceed to the jury. Finally, upholding the indictment would undermine the integrity of the Court and the legal process.
The motion also exposes the underlying reason for the continuing legal saga: While Al-Arian was originally told that the subsequent plea agreement would not only close the matter in Florida, but also end all business with the U.S. Government, Eastern District of Virginia Prosecutor Gordon Kromberg now admits that he wanted Al-Arian to testify in order to revisit the same issues litigated in Florida, in spite of the acquittals.
In a hearing earlier in March, Judge Leonie Brinkema questioned the Justice Department’s tactics in pursuing a criminal contempt case against Al-Arian. Al-Arian, who taught computer science at the University of South Florida, was charged in 2003 of being a leader of a terrorist group. After a six-month trial in 2005, a jury acquitted Al-Arian on many of the charges and deadlocked on others, with 10 of 12 favoring acquittal. When prosecutors decided to retry him on the remaining charges, Al-Arian agreed to a plea bargain. He was sentenced to nearly five years in prison. The exact terms of the plea bargain are now in dispute. Al-Arian contends that the agreement would have finally ended his dealings with the Justice Department, and that he was to be deported immediately after serving his prison time. Prosecutors say that nothing in the plea deal barred them from demanding Al-Arian’s grand jury testimony. When Al-Arian refused to testify despite a grant of immunity, they charged him with criminal contempt. Brinkema is scheduled to issue a ruling on April 24.
— Associated Press Writer Matthew Barakat contributed to this report.
North Carolina Sen. Larry Shaw elected new chairman of CAIR:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Council on American-Islamic Relations elected Sen. Larry Shaw of North Carolina as its new board chairman, the group announced in March.
Shaw, a long-standing member of the North Carolina Senate General Assembly, said he looks forward to partnering with the Obama administration to protect civil liberties and to help improve America’s international image.
"CAIR exists to uphold the right to liberty that Americans are guaranteed under the Constitution," Shaw said in a statement. "We will challenge any attempts to erode constitutionally-protected liberties. We will also continue to work to ensure that American Muslims play a positive and productive role in our society."
Shaw also serves as the chairman of the Transportation Committee and vice chairman of the Finance Committee. He was the country’s highest-ranking Muslim elected official before the election of Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) in 2006.
Prior to becoming a public official, Shaw gained extensive business experience in the food service industry. He has been on CAIR’s national board for three years.
Parody of real life Muslim American experiences wins online film contest:
SAN FRANCISCO – "Arab in America," a short film that chronicles the journey of an American-born character named "Osama Ahmed Abou-Bakr" and his plight to find a job in America’s post-9/11 atmosphere, is the grand prize winner of this year’s "One Nation, Many Voices" online short film contest.
The plot highlights the hardships of Middle Easterners and Muslims living in the United States. "Osama," a recent college graduate, cannot get anyone to hire him, so he resorts to a drastic measure: he changes his name from "Osama Ahmed Abou-Bakr" to the more appealing "Samuel Adam Baker."
Instantly, he is offered a high-paying job at a prestigious company. However, concealing his true identity turns into a daunting task that unfortunately "Sam" cannot keep up and eventually comes clean.
The script is loosely based on real-life events that continue to plague 24-year-old filmmaker Nabil Abou-Harb and his family. Abou-Harb’s grand-prize winner earned a $25,000 cash prize and a broadcast debut on Link TV, which co-sponsored the competition with the non-profit group One Nation.
"Since its inception in 2007, the ‘One Nation, Many Voices’ film contest continues to grow as a safe space where Americans can explore what it means to be Muslim today," said Kim Spencer, president of Link TV, in a statement.
Last year’s top winner, a music video by Lena Khan called "A Land Called Paradise," has been licensed by the State Department for use on its America.gov Web site and for presentation to 30 foreign embassies.
— On the Web: www.LinkTV.org
Obama offers new start with Iran, says U.S. committed to diplomacy:
WASHINGTON — In an unprecedented appeal to Iran, President Barack Obama called on March 20 for a new beginning of engagement to turn decades of animosity and mistrust between the U.S. and Iran.
"My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community," Obama said in a message marking the start of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, reported Agence France-Presse.
Tensions between both countries soared under the Bush administration, which accuses Tehran of developing a secret nuclear weapons program.
Iran insists that its nuclear program only aims at procuring power to feed an increasing local consumption.
Obama said he wanted to speak clearly to Iranian leaders about the need of a new era of engagement.
"I would like to speak directly to the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said in a conciliatory tone that contrasted sharply with Bush’s hardline approach. "We seek the promise of a new beginning."
To stress the seriousness of Obama’s overture, the White House distributed the videotaped message with Farsi subtitles and posted it on its Web site. Obama, who has pledged to engage with Washington’s adversaries, said the United States wanted Iran to take its "rightful place in the community of nations."
Tehran hailed Obama’s olive overture, but urged the American president to back his words into actions.
"We welcome the wish of the president of the United States to put away past differences," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s press advisor, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, told AFP. "But the way to do that is not by Iran forgetting the previous hostile and aggressive attitude of the United States. The American administration has to recognize its past mistakes and repair them as a way to put away the differences."
The Iranian official said Obama has talked of change but had "not taken any concrete steps to repair the mistakes committed against Iran. He has to go further than words and take action. If Obama shows willingness to take action, the Iranian government will not show its back to him."
(IslamOnline.net & News Agencies)
(IslamOnline.net & News Agencies)
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