This Sunday there will be a benefit for Tarik Shah, a bass player
who was caught in a government sting and arrested. He has been in jail
(and either has been denied or can't make bail) since late May. The benefit
will be at the Harlem State office building, 2nd floor (Windows over
Harlem). W125th and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. 1-7 PM
This hits home because I played in a band with Tarik and knew him a
bit in the 80s, and the whole thing sounds like primo BS under the
aegis of the Patriot Act.
Briefly, what went down was: Tarik (who is supposedly a martial
arts expert besides being a good player with a respectable resume) was lured
into meetings with an informant with whom he discussed training radical
Muslims in "urban warfare". They are alleged to have gone and checked out a site on Long Island for this purpose. Also the government alleges that he discussed with this same informant opening a machine shop to manufacture weapons to distribute to "brothers". He also is supposed to have been recorded saying things like "my career as a jazz musician is
my greatest cover". There is a co-defendant, a close friend who is a doctor living in Boca Raton named Rafiq Sabir. The official charge against both is "conspiracy to commit material support to Al Qaeda". Maximum sentence and fine are 15 yrs./$250,000.
I wasn't there obviously, but I can see holes in the government's case already. For one thing, Tarik was stopped by cops in NY and his car searched a while back. His cell phone was confiscated because it allegedly had stored the # of a "known terrorist". Even if that were true he would have to be among the stupidest individuals to ever have lived not to be on guard after that. It makes no sense that he would run his mouth to a new aquaintance in that time frame. Even if he did run his mouth the way he is alleged to have, how does that amount to conspiracy? Even the government case does not charge either him or
Sabir with having
done anything. (Neither is accused of following up on any of these alleged plans). And both are rotting in jail.
It's not like we were tight or anything, but I remember Tarik as a warm person, serious musician, and devoutly religious. (It was around 1987 we hooked up). Anything is possible, I guess, but this doesn't sound like him. It doesn't add up. (especially the laughable comment about a career as a jazz musician being a great cover. What musician would say that?).
And it galls me especially that he'll never get a fair trial in this paranoid post-9/11 environment. He's rotting in jail just as countless other people have been for the past four years because Ashcroft and his colleagues then and successors now have been given license to do whatever the---they want. And it's not only open season on Muslims of foreign birth. Tarik is a New Yorker.
Again, the benefit is Sunday, and it would be nice to see people of this forum in the NY area show up. For those who aren't, please pass this info along. Below is a link to the one news story about this I found still on the Web. I will ask on Sunday about a defense fund and post it after.
Thanks.
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http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=804575
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