Tarik Shah - Show Support

[Lois Gilbert]

I hope you recall the case of bassist Tarik Shah, an African-American jazz
musician of Muslim faith who has been arrested on "suspicion of conspiracy"
for some things he is accused of saying in conversation. I'll append a
short statement as a reminder about his case at the end of this Email. But
for now, I wanted to let you all know that after six months in solitary
confinement, Tarik's case is finally up for a hearing this coming Wednesday,
November 30th, at 2:3O p.m. at the U.S. Courthouse, 5OO Pearl Street at
Centre Street (3 blocks north of Chambers St. above the northeast corner of
City Hall Park) on the 12th floor, Manhattan, 212-8O5-O5OO or -O3OO. I
think the closest subway stop would be the IRT Lexington Ave. line # 4, 5 or
6 to Brooklyn Bridge / City Hall (or by way of music directions, it's not
far from J&R Music World), but you can call the transit information line for
more directions: 718-33O-1234. And I think we should all be there to show
solidarity for Tarik Shah as well as for freedom of speech, freedom of
assembly, and freedom of religion, all Constitutional rights guaranteed to
every citizen.

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Lois, what's your take on this whole Tarik Shah thing?

[Lois Gilbert]

Dennis, I just don't know. The information is very sketchy and who do we believe our gov't and the media reports. I have never met Talik as I recall, but I have heard only nice things about him.

When I googled his name, the info is sketchy, with Speakeasy coming up first.
I've also heard nothing since his hearing last Wednesday.


But this is the article from the Daily News


Two busted in
Al Qaeda plot in U.S.

Scouted L.I. for camp - feds

BY ROBERT F. MOORE and BILL HUTCHINSON
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS


Dr. Rafiq Sabir in Florida (above). Tarik Shah was picked up in New York.

The son of a former Malcolm X aide was nabbed yesterday, along with a Florida doctor, in a plot to start an Al Qaeda training camp in the U.S. - even scouting out a Long Island warehouse for a terror school, officials said last night.
Tarik Shah, 38, a self-proclaimed martial arts expert from the Bronx, and Dr. Rafiq Sabir, 50, presented themselves as a "package deal" to help Muslim "brothers" wage jihad here and in the Middle East, said Manhattan U.S. Attorney David Kelley.

Kelley said Shah - son of Lieutenant X, one of Malcolm X's top aides - even bragged to an undercover FBI agent and a federal informant that he could kill with prayer beads.

Sabir, a former New York doctor who moved to Boca Raton, Fla., in 2002, vowed to treat wounded jihadists in Saudi Arabia, where he was scheduled to fly this week, officials said.

"Both swore an oath of allegiance to Al Qaeda and [Osama] Bin Laden in front of the informant and [an] FBI undercover agent posing as [an Al Qaeda] recruiter before they were nabbed this weekend," a statement released by Kelley said.

The oath left the two men with the "impression that they had become members" of Al Qaeda, the statement said.

Officials said Shah, who also went by the names Tarik Jenkins and Abu Musab, took steps to find a secret location in the New York area to house a terror training camp. "At one point, in the company of the [informant], Shah allegedly inspected a warehouse on Long Island to determine its suitability as a training facility," said the statement.

Shah and Sabir, both American citizens, were charged with conspiring to provide material support to Al Qaeda. If convicted, they each face 15 years in prison and $250,000 fines.

Both men were arrested Friday morning, Shah at his home on Grant Ave. near E. 163rd St. in the Bronx and Sabir in Boca Raton. Shah was scheduled to appear in Manhattan Federal Court tomorrow.

Sabir - who previously worked at Harlem Hospital and Nassau University Medical Center and who once operated a storefront office at a Harlem mosque - has a court date tomorrow in a federal courtroom in Florida.

His ex-wife Ingrid Doyle, 47, of Manhattan, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that Sabir was born into a large Catholic family in New York and converted to Islam while in high school.

"While we were married he was a lovely father and husband and nothing if not a hardworking man," Doyle said.

Last night, as the results of the joint FBI and NYPD operation were revealed, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said it is "particularly gratifying that someone using New York City as a base for terrorist support is now in custody."

Federal agents began investigating Shah and Sabir in 2003, when the two began meeting with a confidential informant to talk about ways they could help Al Qaeda, the terrorist network responsible for the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, authorities said.

Officials said the talks were secretly recorded.

"During these conversations, Shah repeatedly indicated his desire to train Muslim 'brothers' in the martial arts in order to wage jihad and also regularly discussed his desire to find people who were willing to press the fight," Kelley's statement said.

Shah was so gung-ho about helping the terrorists that he presented to the informant a "training syllabus for hand-to-hand combat" and a videotape so that AlQaeda bosses in the Middle East could evaluate him, authorities said.

"During one meeting with the [informant] ... Shah physically demonstrated how he had fashioned his prayer beads into a weapon which could be used to strangle a person," the statement said.

Shah also was interested in getting training in "chemical stuff" and firearms, officials said.

But last night, Shah's mother, Marlene Jenkins, of Albany, blasted the charges as "ridiculous."

"He's no terrorist," Jenkins told the Sun-Sentinel.

Sabir allegedly told the informant that once he returned to Saudi Arabia, where he claimed he had worked at a Saudi military base, he would secretly treat wounded terrorists.

Sabir, who was educated at City College and Columbia University's medical school and owes $500,000 in student loans, had been set to fly to Saudi Arabia this Thursday, according to prosecutors.

When cops raided his home in a gated community, Villa of San Remo, Sabir told them, "'I know you have a job to do. I'm a doctor, and I know my rights,'" a police source said.

Sabir was well known in Harlem, where he once kept a storefront office below the Masjidus Sabur mosque on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.

"He helps people," said one mosque member.

[musicmargaret]

Dear Dennis and Lois,

I do know Tarik Shah somewhat, both as a musician and as a person, and we also have quite a few mutual friends. (By the way, the article Lois posted in is very old, from last May, and I'd say "The Daily News" is not exactly the Bible either.) I attended the court hearing on November 3Oth, and if no one else is going to report back about it, then I guess it's on me. So I'll write up a little summary as soon as I get a chance and get back to you. But whether people personally know the individual defendants or not, I hope they quickly come to recognize that some fundamental Constitutional rights have been completely trampled in the government's rush to catch a purported [t-word].

[Lois Gilbert]

MM

As you know from our private emails, I was hoping you could report for us first hand. Thank you and Bless You

Lois

[musicmargaret]

Okay, thanks, Lois. Since I’ve already written in about the Tarik Shah case, I’ll just restate very briefly that the Tarik Shah I know is a fine jazz musician of African-American heritage and Muslim faith who has played and recorded with Betty Carter, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Ahmad Jamal, Melba Joyce, Abbey Lincoln, Claudio Roditi, Donald Smith, and many others. And though Tarik has had a life in the music at fairly stellar levels, he has also long been a humble mainstay in small Harlem jazz clubs such as St. Nick's Pub, playing there regularly twice a week and often encouraging and supporting younger musicians. Meanwhile, he taught martial arts to children, supplemented his musician's income as a baker, selling his delicious pies from the back of a car, and to this day is one of the most beloved members of the Harlem and Bronx communities.

However, last spring Tarik Shah was arrested on "suspicion of conspiracy" for some things he is accused of saying in conversation with fellow Muslims, and he had already spent six months in solitary confinement when his case came up for the hearing in Federal court before Judge Preska on Wednesday, November 3Oth, ‘O5 at the U.S. Courthouse, 5OO Pearl Street at Centre Street, Manhattan.

Many of us were there to show solidarity for Tarik Shah, as well as to support freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion, all Constitutional rights guaranteed to every citizen. Last I heard, we still had those rights, and everyone is to be presumed innocent until proven guilty of actually having committed a crime. In fact, the concluding sentence of the U.S. District Attorney’s May 29th press release on this case states, “The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” And as reported in “The New York Times” of August 5th, “There are no allegations that Mr. Brent or Mr. Shah were actively planning any violent terrorist action.”

So what is the justification for six months in solitary confinement, with no end in sight?

I’ve been asked to recount for Jazz Corner what happened at the hearing on November 3Oth, so I’ll start by saying that upon entering the courthouse building, would-be spectators had to go through a metal detector and leave their cell phones with a guard (who had a very large collection of them in baskets), but no one was asked to show I.D., no one was questioned in any way, and once past the metal detector, no further interest was shown in the spectators. So those of you who didn’t show up for fear of getting on a government sh*t list have nothing to fear in that regard.

It’s also important to know (and I took some comfort in this) that the defendants walked across the courtroom and took their seats without handcuffs or shackles and were even able to wave and smile at spectators. I observed no display of weapons by courtroom security people. If these defendants are actually considered by the government to be dangerous, there was very little indication of it in the courtroom that day.

Exactly what took place at the hearing was very difficult for a lay person to follow, and I’m grateful to a member of the press who kindly agreed to explain some of it to me. One reason it was hard to understand was that most of it seemed to have been pre-arranged in an anteroom off to the side of the courtroom among the various attorneys, defendants, et al. before the actual hearing, and of course members of the public have no way of knowing what went on there. But I’m told that in that process, the defense and prosecution give some forewarning of their plans, some amount of bargaining may take place, certain conditions are agreed upon for the day’s proceedings, and the defendants are coached by their attorneys on how to conduct themselves and what to expect.

Then all the parties emerged into the courtroom and arranged themselves in assigned positions. The judge sat high up on a sort of throne quite far from the spectators and looking down upon everyone else in the room, the defendants sat to one side with a row of large bodyguards seated behind them, and a slew of attorneys and other legal personages sat and stood in the center section, mostly with their backs to the spectators and without microphones, so not much of what they said could be heard clearly, another reason for bewilderment amongst the spectators, who filled the benches in the rear of the courtroom.

As I said, Tarik Shah and his co-defendant Dr. Rafiq Sabir had already been held in prison in solitary confinement since last spring, but in August the government arrested a third man, Mahmud Faruq Brent of Maryland, who said that Tarik Shah had taught him martial arts, and apparently based on this, the prosecution added Mr. Brent to the case of the other two, thereby also adding another defense attorney, a batch of new charges, and a lot of new material termed “evidence” by the prosecution, including videos and transcripts.

There was no apparent defense effort to prevent or protest this move, nor was there any defense effort to say that if Tarik Shah had to go through another prolonged period of imprisonment as a result of this procedure, at least he should be moved out of solitary confinement for that additional time. At six months, this already seems cruel and unusual punishment, especially considering that he is not charged with actually committing any crime.

So an adjournment was requested and granted by the judge to give the third defense attorney (for Mr. Brent) time to familiarize himself with the case so far and to give everyone time to study the new charges and the new “evidence,” and the next public hearing in the case will be February 17th at 9:3O a.m. at the same courthouse: 5OO Pearl Street at Centre Street (3 blocks north of Chambers St. above the northeast corner of City Hall Park) on the 12th floor, Manhattan, 212-8O5-O5OO or -O3OO. The closest subway stop is the IRT Lexington Ave. line # 4, 5 or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge / City Hall (or by way of music directions, not far from J&R Music World). You can also call the transit information line for more directions: 718-33O-1234.

I’ve seen almost no press coverage of the case between last June and now, but the following terse report appeared in “The New York Times” of December 1st and may also be helpful:

<< >< >< < >> <> > > >

www.nytimes.com/2005/12/01/nyregion/01mbrfs.html

"THE NEW YORK TIMES"

Metro Briefs

Published: December 1, 2005
NEW YORK

MANHATTAN: TERROR DEFENDANT ARRAIGNED

Mahmud Faruq Brent, a Maryland hospital technician, pleaded not guilty
yesterday in Federal District Court in Manhattan to charges that he trained
in a terrorist warfare camp in Pakistan. Arrested on Aug. 4, Mr. Brent is
accused of traveling, shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, to camps run by
Lashkar-e-Taiba, a group designated as terrorist by the State Department.
The complaint says Mr. Brent discussed his training with Tarik Shah, a New
York jazz musician who is accused in the same indictment of aiding Al Qaeda.
Mr. Shah and a third defendant, Rafiq Sabir, a physician, restated their not
guilty pleas yesterday.

Julia Preston (NYT)

<< >< >< >< > > >

I’m told that Tarik Shah can receive mail c/o Unit 1O-S, reg. #53145-O54, Metropolitan Correctional Center, 15O Park Row, New York, NY 1OOO7. (Please do not send anything potentially troublesome for him.) His defense attorney is Anthony Ricco, Esq., 2O Vesey St., room 4OO, New York, NY 1OOO7, 212-791-3919. Tarik’s wife told me a bank account is being set up to receive donations, but I still don’t have details on that.

I am deeply disturbed about Tarik Shah’s plight, and I also apologize for not speaking out on behalf of the other defendants as strongly as I have for Tarik, a musician and someone I’ve known and respected for years. Knowing him makes any charges of intended violence impossible to believe. But in a situation like this, it really shouldn’t matter whether we know someone personally or what his profession might be.

<< >< >< >< > > > >

[Lois Gilbert]

MM

Thank you so much for the enlightening post and information. Who is Tarik's atty? Is he still in solitary confiment and has he been denied bail? These are things that are a little sketchy to me. Also what happened to a right to a speedy trial. I know I'm just venting, but maybe we could all vent...with a petition or a letter

Peace and blessings
Lois

[musicmargaret]

Thanks, Lois. I did give Tarik Shah's attorney's name and contact information in my previous lengthy post (probably too much to read and absorb in one gulp). His attorney is Anthony Ricco, Esq., 2O Vesey St., room 4OO, New York, NY 1OOO7, 212-791-3919. And yes, Tarik Shah has been held without bail and in solitary confinement all this time. And I think a petition and/ or letters and every other legitimate form of support and protest would be most welcome.

[musicmargaret]

Update on the Tarik Shah case, and statement by Howard Mandel,
President of the Jazz Journalists Association
=============================================

"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." -- Wendell Phillips

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

"Those who profess to favor freedom, yet deprecate agitation, are men who
want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." -- Frederick Douglass

I'll try not to repeat too much of my December 8th posting, but for those in the New York area, as I mentioned before, Tarik Shah's next court hearing comes up on Friday, February 17th, 'O6 at 9:3O a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse, 5OO Pearl Street at Centre Street (3 blocks north of Chambers St. above the northeast corner of City Hall Park) on the 12th floor, Manhattan, 212-8O5-O5OO or -O3OO. The closest subway stop is the IRT Lexington Ave. line # 4, 5 or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge / City Hall (or by way of music directions, not far from J&R Music World). You can also call the transit information line for more directions: 718-33O-1234.

There is urgent need for us to be there in large numbers to stand with Tarik
Shah in solidarity, as well as for freedom of speech, freedom of assembly,
freedom of religion, and the right to a speedy trial, all Constitutional
rights guaranteed to every citizen. Last I heard, we still had those
rights, and everyone is to be presumed innocent until proven guilty of
actually having committed a crime. In fact, the concluding sentence of the
U.S. District Attorney's May 29th press release on this case states, "The
charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the
defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty." And as
reported in "The New York Times" of August 5th, 'O5, "There are no
allegations that Mr. Brent or Mr. Shah were actively planning any violent
terrorist action."

So what is the justification for six months in solitary confinement, with no
end in sight?

At the last hearing, would-be spectators had to go through a metal detector
in the courthouse lobby and leave their cell phones with a guard, who had a
very large collection of them in bins, but no one was asked to show I.D., no
one was questioned in any way, and once past the metal detector, no further
interest was shown in the spectators. So while it's possible the whole
courthouse is wired for sound and photography, your identity won't be known
(unless it already is).

I've seen almost no press coverage of the case since last June, but now we
have the following statement from Howard Mandel, president of the Jazz
Journalists Association, who is to be applauded for taking his stand.
Calling the case "shameful," he wrote:

<< >< >< >< >< > > >

"Tarik Shah is the jazz bassist and martial arts teacher held since last May in solitary confinement and without bail set on suspicion of terrorist activity. He is a journeyman musician, no star, and may, perhaps, have planned as rumored to train al-Queda enthusiasts to wield machetes while rampaging through New York City. However, Shah is also an American citizen, and our Constitution presumably protects us -- remember innocent 'til proven guilty, and rights to speedy public trial? According to the Times he was snared by a police informer. His lawyer calls the accusations ridiculous. The government's offering no details. The media has ignored the story. Shah's jazz-world friends are mostly stunned and don't know what to think, but believe in the premises of U.S. law. Shah's late November hearing was brief and unproductive; he's scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska on February 17. Did someone say a vigilant press is the watchdog of liberty?"

<< >< >< > <>< > > > >

I'm told that Tarik Shah can receive mail c/o Unit 1O-S, reg. #53145-O54,
Metropolitan Correctional Center, 15O Park Row, New York, NY 1OOO7. (Please do not send him anything potentially troublesome for him.) His defense attorney is Anthony Ricco, Esq., 2O Vesey St., room 4OO, New York, NY 1OOO7, 212-791-3919, TonyRicco@aol.com. I am awaiting details on a bank account where donations can be sent, as well as the URL for an incipient Web site for Tarik.

Sincerely,
Margaret Davis
musicmargaret@earthlink.net.

P.S. I've compiled a few press articles and a press release from the
District Attorney's office from the Web and can Email you this material upon
request.

<< >< > <> <>< > >< > >

[musicmargaret]

Hello again, all. My middle initials seem to be P.S. these days, but here's some more long-awaited information regarding Tarik Shah: His Web site can now be found at http://tariksfriends.faithweb.com, and there you will find a Paypal button to make secure donations and an Email address to send Email messages via his wife. And there's also a good photo of Tarik.

[Lois Gilbert]

This is from our dear MusicMargaret

Dear friends,

There are some new developments regarding the case of Tarik Shah, with
a summary of previous information below for those who are not familiar
with his situation or who may have forgotten the details.

The newest development, not a good thing for Tarik Shah, is that the
government has added still another defendant to the case, one
Abdulrahman Farhane, a Brooklyn bookstore owner who was arrested just
this past week and is said to have had discussions with Tarik Shah
about sending funds to the Middle East to be used to purchase weapons
with which to make war on the West.

So far as I know, it has not been alleged that Tarik Shah sent any
funds, or even that any funds were sent, just that he discussed this.

Previous allegations were that Tarik Shah discussed teaching martial
arts to Al Qaeda members or sympathizers.

So far as I know, it has not been alleged that Tarik Shah actually
provided any illegal training, just that he talked about giving
martial-arts training.

There is now a Web site for Tarik Shah,
http://tariksfriends.faithweb.com, which includes a fine photograph of
him playing his bass, his wife's Email address for contact, new
contact information for an attorney who is co-counsel and who I'm told
WILL reply to press inquiries, and a click-box for donations.

For press persons who have called or Emailed Tarik Shah's attorney
without reply, we are now assured that his co-counsel will respond to
press inquiries. She is:

Erika McDaniel Edwards, Attorney at Law
Donaldson, Chilliest & McDaniel, LLP
1O3 East 125th Street
New York, NY 1OO35
(212) 722-49OO
Fax (212) 722-4966
ErikaMcDan@aol.com

For those in the New York area, Tarik's next court hearing, which is
open to the public, comes up on Friday, February 17th, 'O6 at 9:3O
a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse, 5OO Pearl Street at Centre Street (3
blocks north of Chambers St. above the northeast corner of City Hall
Park) on the 12th floor, Manhattan, 212-8O5-O5OO or -O3OO. The closest
subway stop is the IRT Lexington Ave. line # 4, 5 or 6 to Brooklyn
Bridge / City Hall (or by way of music directions, not far from J&R
Music World). People can also call the transit information line for
more directions: 718-33O-1234.

As I wrote before, there is urgent need for us to be there in large
numbers to stand with Tarik Shah in solidarity, as well as for freedom
of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and the right to
a speedy trial, all Constitutional rights guaranteed to every citizen.
Last I heard, we still had those rights, and everyone is to be
presumed innocent until proven guilty of actually having committed a
crime. In fact, the concluding sentence of the U.S. District
Attorney's May 29th, 'O5 press release on this case states, "The
charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the
defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty." And
as reported in "The New York Times" of August 5th, 'O5, "There are no
allegations that Mr. Brent or Mr. Shah were actively planning any
violent terrorist action."

So what is the justification for eight months in solitary confinement,
with no end in sight?

Most likely, on February 17th Tarik Shah will be arraigned on the new
charges and the lawyers will ask for more time to review voluminous
material newly presented as evidence in connection with Mr. Farhane's
arrest, and another public hearing will be scheduled for later on, and
Tarik Shah will go back into solitary confinement for some additional
number of months to add to the eight months he has already spent
there.

This is more or less what happened in the last hearing when a new
defendant was added to the case by the government, after which Tarik
has spent several more months in solitary confinement.

At the last hearing, would-be spectators had to go through a metal
detector in the courthouse lobby and leave their cell phones with a
guard, who had a very large collection of them in bins, but no one was
asked to show I.D., no one was questioned in any way, and once past
the metal detector, no further interest was shown in the spectators.
Also, journalists were free to speak with Tarik Shah's attorney for a
little while after the hearing.

Following is a brief summary of what transpired earlier:

For some time now I have been publicizing the plight of bassist Tarik
Shah, a fine jazz musician of African-American heritage and Muslim
faith who has played and recorded with Betty Carter, the Duke
Ellington Orchestra, Ahmad Jamal, Melba Joyce, Abbey Lincoln, Claudio
Roditi, Donald Smith, and many others. And though Tarik has had a life
in the music at fairly stellar levels, he has also long been a humble
mainstay in small Harlem jazz clubs such as St. Nick's Pub, playing
there regularly twice a week and often encouraging and supporting
younger musicians. Meanwhile, he's taught martial arts to children,
supplemented his musician's income as a baker, selling his delicious
pies from the back of a car, and to this day is one of the most
beloved members of the Harlem and Bronx communities.

However, last spring Tarik Shah was arrested on "suspicion of
conspiracy" for some things he is accused of saying in conversation
with fellow Muslims. He is suspected of having thoughts, spoken words,
and/ or companions the government doesn't like, and he has been held
in solitary confinement ever since.

Again, here is the brief statement by Howard Mandel, president of the
Jazz Journalists' Association, who is to be applauded for taking his
stand. Calling the case "shameful," he wrote:

"Tarik Shah is the jazz bassist and martial arts teacher held since
last May in solitary confinement and without bail set on suspicion of
terrorist activity. He is a journeyman musician, no star, and may,
perhaps, have planned as rumored to train al-Queda enthusiasts to
rampage through New York City. However, Shah is also an American
citizen, and our Constitution presumably protects us -- remember
innocent 'til proven guilty, and rights to speedy public trial?
According to the Times he was snared by a police informer. His lawyer
calls the accusations ridiculous. The government's offering no
details. The media has ignored the story. Shah's jazz-world friends
are mostly stunned and don't know what to think, but believe in the
premises of U.S. law. Shah's late November hearing was brief and
unproductive; he's scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge
Loretta Preska on February 17. Did someone say a vigilant press is
the watchdog of liberty?"

[John P. Cooper]

This thread has no posts b/c no one knows what to believe except what is being said here.

I don't know this musician. Why should I simply believe the press releases here?

Whre are all the forum gadflies who always have opinions about everything?

[musicmargaret]

John Cooper wrote, "This thread has no posts b/c no one knows what to believe except what is being said here. I don't know this musician. Why should I simply believe the press releases here? Whre are all the forum gadflies who always have opinions about everything?"

John, the most likely reason this thread has no posts is that people are scared.

I DO know this musician.

What you are reading are not "press releases."

Why do you need "forum gadflies" to tell you what to think? I have offered a collection of press clippings and legal documents to anyone who wants to know more. If you decide to educate yourself on this matter, you'll then be able to form your own opinion.

Or if you're in the New York area, you can also come to the hearing this Friday at 9:3O a.m. at the courthouse. As mentioned, it's open to the public.

[John P. Cooper]

Originally Posted by musicmargaret

John Cooper wrote, "This thread has no posts b/c no one knows what to believe except what is being said here. I don't know this musician. Why should I simply believe the press releases here? Whre are all the forum gadflies who always have opinions about everything?"

John, the most likely reason this thread has no posts is that people are scared.

I DO know this musician.

What you are reading are not "press releases."

Why do you need "forum gadflies" to tell you what to think? I have offered a collection of press clippings and legal documents to anyone who wants to know more. If you decide to educate yourself on this matter, you'll then be able to form your own opinion.

Or if you're in the New York area, you can also come to the hearing this Friday at 9:3O a.m. at the courthouse. As mentioned, it's open to the public.

I don't live in NY, so I am out of the picture.

I don't know anything about this situation except what I have read in this htread. I never heard of this musician/suspect before.

The forum gadflies don't need to tell me what to think, but I am interested in what other people have to say....and no one has anything to say.

I don't have the time or inclination to educate myself on this subject based upon selected press clippngs and legal documents.

Many people speak out against government policy every moment of every day. I don't think people are scared to post in this thread.

Anyway...that's all I got.

Maybe some others will post here.

[musicmargaret]

Sorry, people, I'm not sure why it says "Show Support This Wednesday" in the heading above and don't know how to fix it (are you there, Lois??), but now the next time to show support will be at the next public hearing in this continuing nightmare, Friday, March 17th at 9:3O, same place. But just now I'm writing to let everyone know that there are two new articles in today's "New York Times":

<< >< >< > >< > >>

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/18/ny.../18terror.html

February 18, 2006

Defendants in Terror Case Seek Removal From Solitary

By Julia Preston

Three Muslim men accused in an elaborate federal sting operation of plotting to provide training and money to terrorists have been held for months in solitary confinement, locked in cells at least 23 hours a day with the lights always on, their lawyers said yesterday.

At a hearing in New York federal court, the lawyers said the harsh conditions have left the men disoriented and diminished their ability to understand the charges against them (my emphasis added). The three men are Tarik Shah, a New York jazz musician; Dr. Rafiq Sabir, a doctor from Florida; and Mahmud Faruq Brent, a paramedic from Washington, D.C. A fourth defendant, Abdulrahman Farhane, a Brooklyn bookseller and also a Muslim, was arrested and imprisoned last week.

Edward David Wilford, a lawyer for Mr. Sabir, said all four defendants will ask the judge to review the terms of their confinement and to be put with the general inmate population.

Mr. Shah and Dr. Sabir, who were arrested on May 27, are accused of conspiring to give martial arts training and medical help to al Qaeda operatives. Mr. Brent is charged with having received training in late 2001 in a Pakistan camp belonging to another terror group, Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Mr. Farhane, who has emerged as a central figure in the case, is
accused of plotting with an F.B.I. informer to send money overseas to buy weapons and communications equipment for Muslims fighting United States forces in Afghanistan in late 2001. Mr. Shah took part in some of those discussions, according to the charges.

Because of the terror charges in the cases, prosecutors had sent the men to maximum security detention.

None of the men are charged with directly planning or taking part in terrorism (my emphasis added). They are said by prosecutors to have spoken about their plans with the informer, a Yemeni named Mohamed Alanssi, who set himself on fire in front of the White House in November 2004, apparently to protest his handling by the F.B.I.

At the hearing, in Federal District Court in Manhattan, the lawyers noted that none of the men has a prior criminal record or been convicted of any crime (my emphasis added).

Hassen ibn Abdellah, the lawyer for Mr. Brent, told Judge Loretta A. Preska that Mr. Brent has not been allowed a visit from his family since he was arrested on Aug. 4. Mr. Brent, Mr. Shah and Dr. Sabir are being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, while Mr. Farhane is being held at another federal jail in Brooklyn.

Mr. Wilford said that trial evidence that the prosecutors sent to the Manhattan jail on Dec. 19 for the defendants to study was not turned over to any of them by the authorities until late January. He said there have been occasions in which relatives of Dr. Sabir who arrived for visiting appointments at the jail were turned away.

The conditions are "designed to break your will and your ability to
focus," Mr. Wilford said. He said he believed that prosecutors had
insisted on those conditions because "the buzzword al Qaeda" had been raised in the case.

The courtroom was packed for the hearing yesterday, with relatives and friends of the defendants in long purple and blue robes, the women with full head scarves, and the men with their heads covered with caps. When Mr. Brent appeared, his relatives stood up in court and waved and called out to him, saying "God is great" in Arabic.

Mr. Shah appeared at times confused, smiling and laughing as the judge asked for his plea to a new charge of terror financing that was lodged against him last week. All three men pleaded not guilty to a new indictment.

Karl Metzner, a prosecutor, made no comment on the defense complaints about the jail conditions.

<< >< > <> <<> >< > > >

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/...ity-sting.html

February 17, 2006
Three Plead Not Guilty to New NY Terror Indictment
By REUTERS
Filed at 4:19 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York jazz musician, a Florida doctor and a Maryland medic pleaded not guilty on Friday to a new indictment in an expanding probe of support for terrorism that stems from an FBI sting operation.

Lawyers for the three men complained about their prison conditions during the hearing in Manhattan federal court.

The three Muslim men, Tarik Shah, 43, Rafiq Sabir, 51, and Mahmud Faruq Brent, 31, prayed with relatives and supporters before pleading not guilty of conspiring to aid terrorist organizations in the Middle East between 2001 and 2005.

A fourth defendant, Brooklyn bookstore owner Abdulrahman Farhane, 51, also appeared after pleading not guilty last week to the new indictment, which accuses him of introducing Shah to an FBI informant and agreeing to help transfer funds to buy weapons for use by jihad fighters in Afghanistan and Chechnya.

Sabir's lawyer, Edward Wilford, told the hearing he planned to file a motion on behalf of all the defendants seeking to release them from solitary confinement, where he said they were being held inside 24 hours a day under prison lights.

Farhane's lawyer, Michael Hueston, said his client was not allowed to shower for three days after he was denied bail and jailed last week.

After the hearing, Shah's lawyer, Anthony Ricco, said it did not make sense for the government to argue such defendants were held in solitary for their own protection when they could be put into the general jail population upon conviction.

"We are very concerned about men who have never been in jail before being held in conditions designed to punish," he said. (my emphasis added)

Much of the evidence in the case comes from tapes of conversations between the defendants and the main FBI informant in the case, Mohamed Alanssi. Alanssi set himself on fire in front of the White House in November, 2004, before he was due to testify in a separate terrorism trial.

Shah has already been accused of agreeing to provide martial arts
training to al Qaeda members, while Sabir is accused of agreeing to give medical help to wounded al Qaeda fighters.

Brent attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan run by the
militant Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to the indictment.

<< >< >< >< > >< >>

Please visit http://tariksfriends.faithweb.com for frequent updates!

[John P. Cooper]

So does Tarik Shah or his attorney deny the allegations made against him?

All I could see in the posts above iwas :

Mr. Shah appeared at times confused, smiling and laughing as the judge asked for his plea to a new charge of terror financing that was lodged against him last week. All three men pleaded not guilty to a new indictment.

[musicmargaret]

John, pleading not guilty MEANS denying the allegations.

Also, once again, from the "Times" coverage, please note:

"None of the men are charged with directly planning or taking part in terrorism"

and

"None of the men has a prior criminal record or been convicted of any crime."

[John P. Cooper]

MM-

I looked at the various pieces up there, but I could only spot the denial of the most recent allegation. What of the earlier allegations? Di they deny those? Is it in there and I missed it?

The fact that none of the guys are charged with directly planning or taking part in terrorism means little or nothing. They could have been planning to aid terrorists by training them. Do they deny that?

And the fact that none of the guys has a prior criminal record counts for little or nothing. And that's only what their attys proclaim. Just b/c I don't have a criminal record doesn't mean I can't go out and have one tomorrow and it doesn't mean that someone has never committed a crime.

Like I said, I never heard of any of these guys before, so I am just reading/skimming what you are posting.

[musicmargaret]

John, you wrote, "I could only spot the denial of the most recent allegation. What of the earlier allegations? Di they deny those?" All the defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the charges (though there are only a few charges). I have made several reports to JazzCorner on this case, and if you'd read through them, you would know that.

You wrote, "The fact that none of the guys are charged with directly planning or taking part in terrorism means little or nothing." Sorry, but I think that's a ridiculous statement.

"They could have been planning to aid terrorists by training them. Do they deny that?" That was one of the charges (boiled down to a few words), and they have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

"And the fact that none of the guys has a prior criminal record counts for little or nothing. And that's only what their attys proclaim." The fact that they don't have criminal records means a lot, and it's not what their attorneys proclaim, but what police records show. Believe me, if there are police records on someone in court, they will be no secret.

I don't know why you are having so much trouble with this matter. On the one hand, you're interested enough to ask questions, but on the other, you're not interested enough to read through my reports or to look at newspaper articles or legal documents offered to you.

With all due respect, I really can't continue this dialogue.

[John P. Cooper]

Originally Posted by musicmargaret

John, you wrote, "I could only spot the denial of the most recent allegation. What of the earlier allegations? Did they deny those?" All the defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the charges (though there are only a few charges). I have made several reports to JazzCorner on this case, and if you'd read through them, you would know that.

You wrote, "The fact that none of the guys are charged with directly planning or taking part in terrorism means little or nothing." Sorry, but I think that's a ridiculous statement.

"They could have been planning to aid terrorists by training them. Do they deny that?" That was one of the charges (boiled down to a few words), and they have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

"And the fact that none of the guys has a prior criminal record counts for little or nothing. And that's only what their attys proclaim." The fact that they don't have criminal records means a lot, and it's not what their attorneys proclaim, but what police records show. Believe me, if there are police records on someone in court, they will be no secret.

I don't know why you are having so much trouble with this matter. On the one hand, you're interested enough to ask questions, but on the other, you're not interested enough to read through my reports or to look at newspaper articles or legal documents offered to you.

With all due respect, I really can't continue this dialogue.

MM-

All I am looking at are your posts in this thread. Where in those posts does it say that they denied all the charges? If I missed it, point it out in your posts above. What's the big issue about pointing out where it is in your post/s? If I can't see it, just point it out to me.

Why is the possible act of aiding terrorists by training them a "ridiculous statement" as you state in your 2nd paragraph?

You tell us that they have denied all the charges. OK, but where does it say that in the posts above? I don't see it. If I missed it, just point it out. What's the big issue about pointing out where it is in your post/s?

The fact that they do not have previous criminal records doesn't mean a damn thing. No criminal has a criminal record until they are caught and have a criminal record.

Yoour posts do not show that the police say there are no criminal records. The newspaper reports are quoting their attys statement to that fact. They are not quoting the police.

The only reason I am having 'trouble' is because the statements you make are not directly addressed by the reports you are citing. Most of those reports are focused on the issue of the main guy being in solitary for so long.

I am asking you basic questions which your reports do not address and you are not giving me the answers.

Most of what I read above seems to be someone's spin on the situation.

If you are unwilling to continue this dialogue, so be it. Right now, most of what I see above are posts and newspapaer reports spun to make the guys seem like totally innocent victims of the judicial system. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. But from what I have read above or been able to decipher above, I don't see them denying the initial charges nor proclaiming their innocence.

Anyone else see it up there? Parse it out.

[John P. Cooper]

Originally Posted by musicmargaret

I hope they quickly come to recognize that some fundamental Constitutional rights have been completely trampled in the government's rush to catch a purported [t-word].

"t-word"? Why the euphemism?

Why didn't you simply write "terrorist"?

[musicmargaret]

On Saturday, March 11, 2006 at 10:50 AM, Erika McDaniel Edwards
[co-counsel of attorney Anthony Ricco] wrote to Margaret Davis:

Mr. Shah has a new attorney named Joshua Dratel. He can be reached
at 212-732-O7O7, jdratel@joshuadratel.com.

<< ><> >< <> >< >< > >>

There doesn't seem to be a Web site www.joshuadratel.com to go with
his Email address, but there are a lot of links to be found on the
Web, and Joshua Dratel seems to be a powerful defense attorney in this
type of case. From the American Civil Liberties Union site:

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is a
non-profit organization comprised of 10,000 lawyers and 28,000
affiliate members representing every state. The NACDL was founded in
1958 to promote study and research in the field of criminal law; to
disseminate and advance knowledge of the law in the area of criminal
practice; and to encourage the integrity, independence and expertise
of defense lawyers in criminal cases. Joshua L. Dratel is a
nationally recognized criminal defense lawyer in New York City, a
member of NACDL's Board of Directors, and Co-Chair of its Select
Committee on Military Tribunals, and the co-editor of The Torture
Papers: The Legal Road to Abu Ghraib.

Another link shows that Mr. Dratel was named president of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers last year.

An article he wrote on terrorism prosecutions that was published in
"The Champion" in Sept. / Oct., 'O4 can be seen at this link:
http://tinyurl.com/s96zb .


I have more contact information for Mr. Dratel, but please see the request from Tarik's sister (also an attorney), below.

I am very hopeful that things will get better for Tarik now with this impressive new legal representation.

I believe if we are champions for justice, justice shall prevail!

Please be reminded that Tarik's next court hearing, which is open to
the public, comes up on Friday, March 17th, 'O6 at 9:3O a.m. at the
U.S. Courthouse, 5OO Pearl Street at Centre Street (3 blocks north of
Chambers St. above the northeast corner of City Hall Park) on the 12th
floor, Manhattan, 212-8O5-O5OO or -O3OO. The closest subway stop is
the IRT Lexington Ave. line # 4, 5 or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge / City Hall
(or by way of music directions, not far from J&R Music World). People
can also call the transit information line for more directions:
718-33O-1234.

Faithfully,
Margaret Davis

<< > <<> >< > <>< >< > >

On Saturday, March 11, 2006 at 3:01 PM, Kalimah Jenkins at
kjjesq@msn.com wrote to Margaret Davis at musicmargaret@earthlink.net:

Good Afternoon, Ms. Davis. This is Tarik's sister and I want to first
thank you and everyone on your list for your continued support of my
brother. I do not have your list members, but I have been receiving
all of your emails.

I was wondering if you could do me a favor and forward the following
to your list members:

Tarik's family wants to thank you for all of your support and as you
are probably aware, we have made a decision to change counsel. Mr.
Joshua Dratel has agreed to take my brother's case, but has to obtain
approval from Judge Preska first. He will be making that request this
week, hopefully before the March 17th court date. If Mr. Dratel is
appointed, he is going to be inundated over the next couple of weeks
getting up to speed. The discovery* from the government is quite
voluminous. While we recognize your frustration with being unable to
contact Tarik's former counsel, the family is requesting that at this
juncture, you refrain from attempting to contact Mr. Dratel at least
for now. As Ms. Davis noted in her e-mail, Mr. Dratel comes highly
recommended and is a very popular defense attorney. We are thankful
for his decision to take my brother's case. We don't want Mr. Dratel
to be deterred or interrupted, however, by the receipt of multiple
inquiries regarding the case. Thank you so much for your continued
support.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions that I can
answer.

Kalimah Jenkins
518-33O-1163
kjjesq@msn.com

<< >< >< >< >< >< > >

* A quick note from Margaret: The word "discovery," used in this
sense, is a complicated legal term, but I think basically it means
inspection of documents and other materials that may be entered as
evidence in the trial by the opposing side.

So in other words, please direct your inquiries to Kalimah Jenkins for
the time being. She is Tarik's sister and also an attorney, so she
should be an ideal source of information.

[steve(thelil)]

Originally Posted by John P. Cooper

"t-word"? Why the euphemism?

Why didn't you simply write "terrorist"?

You know, you have the option of not writing anything else when you have nothing else to say.

[John P. Cooper]

Originally Posted by steve(thelil)

You know, you have the option of not writing anything else when you have nothing else to say.

A lesson which you preach well, but exercise poorly....and in such a timely manner!

[musicmargaret]

Dear all,

Bassist Tarik Shah has now been held in solitary confinement in "the Tombs" for 1O months without trial.

Last week word came that there is a change of attorney for Tarik Shah, in my opinion sure to prove a very positive development.

His new attorney will be Joshua Dratel (subject to approval from the Judge), and attorney Dratel seems to be a powerful defense attorney in this type of case. From the American Civil Liberties Union site:

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) is a non-profit organization comprised of 1O,OOO lawyers and 28,OOO affiliate members representing every state. The NACDL was founded in 1958 to promote study and research in the field of criminal law; to disseminate and advance knowledge of the law in the area of criminal practice; and to encourage the integrity, independence and expertise of defense lawyers in criminal cases. Joshua L. Dratel is a nationally recognized criminal defense lawyer in New York City, a member of NACDL's Board of Directors, and Co-Chair of its Select Committee on Military Tribunals, and the co-editor of "The Torture Papers: The Legal Road to Abu Ghraib." An article he wrote on terrorism prosecutions that was published in "The Champion" in Sept. / Oct., 'O4 appears on the Web at this link: http://tinyurl.com/s96zb. Another link shows that attorney Dratel was named president of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers last year.

I am very hopeful that things will get better for Tarik now with this impressive new legal representation.

But with the addition of each new defendant in the case, and now with the change of attorneys, there are more long delays in the case, as attorneys are given time to study new charges and new material entered as potential evidence against one or more defendants and go through various legal procedures. And all these delays have resulted in more time in solitary confinement for Tarik Shah and the other defendants.

The next public court hearing in this case comes up tomorrow, Friday, March 17th, 'O6 at 9:3O a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse, 5OO Pearl Street at Centre Street (3 blocks north of Chambers St. above the northeast corner of City Hall Park) on the 12th floor, Manhattan, 212-8O5-O5OO or -O3OO. It's important to be there on time or early, because people arriving late will not be admitted to the courtroom. The closest subway stop is the IRT Lexington Ave. line # 4, 5 or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge / City Hall (or by way of music directions, not far from J&R Music World). People can also call the transit information line for more directions, 718-33O-1234, or get door-to-door directions via subway within the five boroughs at the site
www.trips123.com/trips123/plantrip_frame.html

Even more than before, there is urgent need for us to be there in large numbers to stand with Tarik Shah in solidarity, as well as for freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and the right to a speedy trial, all Constitutional rights guaranteed to every citizen.

Following is a message from Tarik Shah's sister, attorney Kalimah Jenkins:

On Saturday, March 11, 2006 at 3:01 PM, Kalimah Jenkins at
kjjesq@msn.com wrote to Margaret Davis at musicmargaret@earthlink.net:

"Good Afternoon, Ms. Davis. This is Tarik's sister and I want to first thank you and everyone on your list for your continued support of my brother. I do not have your list members, but I have been receiving all of your emails. I was wondering if you could do me a favor and forward the following to your list members: Tarik's family wants to thank you for all of your support and as you are probably aware, we have made a decision to change counsel. Mr. Joshua Dratel has agreed to take my brother's case, but has to obtain approval from Judge Preska first. He will be making that request this week, hopefully before the March 17th court date. If Mr. Dratel is appointed, he is going to be inundated over the next couple of weeks getting up to speed. The discovery* from the government is quite voluminous. While we recognize your frustration with being unable to contact Tarik's former counsel, the family is requesting that at this juncture, you refrain from attempting to contact Mr. Dratel at least for now. As Ms. Davis noted in her e-mail, Mr. Dratel comes highly recommended and is a very popular defense attorney. We are thankful for his decision to take my brother's case. We don't want Mr. Dratel to be deterred or interrupted, however, by the receipt of multiple inquiries regarding the case. Thank you so much for your continued support. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions that I can answer."

Kalimah Jenkins
518-33O-1163
kjjesq@msn.com

<< >< >< >< >< >< > >

* A quick note from Margaret: The word "discovery," used in this sense, is a complicated legal term, but I think basically it means inspection of documents and other materials that may be entered as evidence in the trial by the opposing side.

So in other words, please direct any inquiries to Kalimah Jenkins for the time being. She is Tarik's sister and also an attorney, so she should be an ideal source of information.

If you want to read the latest actual charges against Tarik Shah in this case, which supersede any and all earlier charges, or if you want to see photos or read the earlier history of the case, please go to the newly updated site http://tariksfriends.faithweb.com.

Thank you for caring.

[musicmargaret]

Dear all,

I'm really too upset to write coherently about yesterday in court,
compounded by the fact that I'd only had two hours of sleep the night
before, so please forgive me if this is not the most reliable of
reports. But as I notified you all before, Tarik Shah had decided a
change of attorney was essential to his defense, and he and the family
had obtained the services of Joshua Dratel, a powerful and highly
reputed defense attorney, and president of the New York chapter of the
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in 'O5. But Mr.
Dratel's appointment had to be approved by Judge Loretta Preska (my
own descriptive modifiers about her reluctantly deleted by me after
due consideration). In yesterday's public pre-trial hearing, after
chief counsel for the government registered not an objection but a
"concern," stating that while this was not unprecedented it was highly
unusual, Judge Preska refused to approve Joshua Dratel and instead
appointed a lawyer who was next in rotation and available to the
court, whose name I believe is Mr. Lin. And she sent Tarik and his
co-defendants back into solitary confinement, with their next chance
of anything being done about getting them released into the general
prison population being October 3Oth, the date set for arguments in
the case.

Tarik Shah has already been in solitary confinement for 1O months.
This will mean another seven months in solitary confinement.

I didn't get Mr. Lin's contact information but can get it for anyone
interested.

The other thing that happened in court yesterday was that the attorney
for co-defendant Dr. Brent asked to have his client released on bail,
stating that he is a practicing physician and not a threat to the
public and that putting up his property in order to obtain bail would
assure the court that he would return to stand trial. But the Judge
said Dr. Brent's attorney should have filed a motion to have his case
severed from the others first, so the request was refused, and Dr.
Brent also went back into solitary confinement.

So far as I know, there will be no more proceedings open to the public
(at least not until next October, if then), so if you didn't go to
witness and stand up for Tarik Shah, you've missed your chance at this
time.

You can still write letters to Tarik Shah: c/o Unit 1O-S, reg.
#53145-O54, Metropolitan Correctional Center, 15O Park Row, New York, NY 1OOO7. (Please do not send him anything potentially troublesome for him.)

And please keep checking http://tariksweb.faithweb.com for further
news.

Oh, P.S. I'm told the Federal prison holding Tarik and the
co-defendants is NOT the one known as "the Tombs" as I had written
previously, so I apologize for my mistake.

[Lois Gilbert]

The family wants to thank all who have sent in donations for Tarik's
legal defense. Some have not put return email addresses or phone
numbers on their correspondence and it would be difficult for me to
sit and write a letter to each of you. I would like to personally
thank you, however, so if you can either include an email or phone
number, I would be able to do so more appropriately.

We have received about $1,200 in donations this past week and the
family has already sent off the initial retainer to Tarik's new
attorney. Several of you have asked me what the cost of the defense
will be so that you can know how much of a donation you should make.
While we are unable to put an exact figure on it, we are estimating
around $250,000. But please know that we are not expecting anyone to
bear that burden. We are his family and will absolutely do ALL that
we can.

With that said, any donation, and I mean any, would contribute to the
cause. We would not shun you for $5 or $10, because it will all
count in the end. Once again, checks can be mailed directly to me at
PO Box 407, Clifton Park, NY 12065. You can put in the memo line:
Legal Defense Fund or leave it blank if it makes you feel more
comfortable.

Thank you so much again.

Kalimah Jenkins, Tarik's sister
kjjesq@msn.com

[musicmargaret]

I've had a wonderfully inspiring Email from Marlene Jenkins, Tarik's Mom. She wrote that Tarik's new attorney, Joshua Dratel, has been hard at work on Tarik's case and has now filed many motions with the court -- over 5OO pages' worth! It's so good to know that he finally has a lawyer making a serious effort to help him.

With unfailing humor, Marlene added, "We have a great deal of reading to do, no time to be bored. When this is over, I'll probably know as much law as his attorney. It's definitely a learning process. Never thought I would be doing this in my senior years. But you never know what life has in store for you."

A while before that, Tarik's wife Zakkiyyah told me that in solitary confinement (it's been 14 months now), Tarik is grateful. "How can he possibly be grateful?" I demanded. "He is grateful because he has a roof over his head and food to eat, and he knows that many others do not," she said.

I hope this conveys something of the courage and grace of these people.

I'm sorry to report that I don't know of any new articles about the case in the press lately. I haven't seen the August issue of "JazzTimes" yet, but if there's anything more about Tarik there, I'll let you know.

By the way, you might find this interesting and valuable:

www.antiwar.com/roberts/?articleid=6237 .

Please note that it was written by someone who used to be with "The Wall Street Journal" and was assistant Treasury Secretary under Ronald Reagan.

Faithfully,
Margaret


Remember! http://tariksfriends.faithweb.com

[fasstrack]

I played w/Tarik 20 years ago---give or take---in a band. We know each other very little. Tarik perhaps talked too much and used woefully poor judgement at worst, but he surely does not deserve to be where he is. It's really an outrage but sadly a sign of these barren times for civil rights.

Interested parties (preferably those who know Tarik) should get in touch with Jose Santiago of the news department at WBAI FM. I have spoken to him and he is interested.

(212) 209-2800 ask for the news department and Jose.

[musicmargaret]

Thanks, "Fasstrack." I just wrote to Jose Santiago (and have sent several others at WBAI my Tarik Shah updates), and I gave him Email and phone contact information for Tarik's wife, mother, sister, attorney, and co-counsel, as well as the URL for Tarik's Web site, http://tariksfriends.faithweb.com. So I hope this will result in sympathetic news coverage by the great station WBAI and contribute to growing public pressure to let the man go.