Jamaat al-Muslimeen International Press Release
Public Rally For Mobilization to Free Imam Jamil
"The regime has insulted every Muslim by humiliating the Imam"
(This report should be read with care because on July 29 the Atlanta
Journal and Constitution issued an incomplete and slanted report written by
Joshua Good which focused on the Juma' prayer but completely left out the
public rally. Mr. Good published a large photo of an armed New Black Panther
Party member at the rally to attempt to give an extremist angle to the
gathering. Mr. Good left the location at 4 pm and the public rally
began a little after 5 pm).
There was a public rally on July 28 in Atlanta's Malcolm X park in the
West End across from the masjid started by Imam Jamil al-Amin who is being
held by the U.S. government in the alleged shooting of two police officers,
one of them fatal. The rally began very slowly with few people after
five and ended at 8.45 pm with several hundred people in attendance.
The MC of the rally, al-Hajj Mauri Saalakhan (Justice and Peace
Movement from Washington), and the organizers Br. Khalil, Br. Sunni Ali, Sis.
Karima (Imam Jamil's wife) and others deserve congratulations for their
hard work and organizing abilities to make the rally a success. Br.
Saalakhan provided the facts of Imam Jamil's case and information on previous
attempts to 'get' him.
The speakers and attendees were drawn from all over the eastern United
States as well as from Cleveland and Detroit. They included Imams,
preachers, teachers and community workers.
The rally was disturbed several times by rain squalls but
gradually the attendees got used to it.
An imam from Whitehall, Alabama, and an organizer from there where
Imam Jamil's supporters had started a community told of the campaign
launched by the government to intimidate all Muslims and especially to
repress those close to Imam Jamil. (Families were handcuffed and interrogated
by the police and people had the FBI visiting their job locations).
An Imam from Detroit recalled the unending campaign of elimination of
leaders the government has carried out (historically). He said the time
had come for the people to fight back.
Several Black nationalist delegates including one from Malcolm X
(the martyr's) original movement, as well as an Africanist professor from a
local university also spoke.
The speeches were interspersed by inspiring comments and analysis by
the MC Br. Mauri Saalakhan who carries a key role in the mobilization
building up in support of Imam Jamil al-Amin.
Jamaat al-Muslimeen had activist delegates in the rally. Among them Br.
Kaukab Siddique, Sis. Ashira Na'im, Sis. Chekeisha el-Amin, Sis.
Stephanie (all four from Baltimore), Imam Badi Ali (Palestinian) from
Greensborough, North Carolina, Br. Abu Raheem from Germany, (and in a supporting role)
Shaikh Abdus Sattar (Iraqi) and Sis. Umm Asma from New Orleans.
CAIR's Nihad Awad was visible when the rally was starting but he seems
to have quietly slipped away once the speeches began. He had duly given
a vague statement to the Atlanta Constitution. He did not speak at the
rally.
A Caucasian ("White") shaikh from Texas made a powerful speech in
which he showed that Imam Jamil is on the side of Truth (Haqq).
Shaikh Abdus Sattar quoting from the Qur'an urged the Muslims to fight
on behalf of the oppressed people, men, women and children, against the
oppressors. The suffering of the children of Iraq and the suffering of
the oppressed communities in America, he said, are from the same source. He
acclaimed Imam Jamil as the Imam of the Muslims of America.
Br. Kaukab Siddique, Ameer of Jamaat al-Muslimeen, who initiated
the concept of the public rally, made the following points in his 40
minutes speech:
1. There are only two ways in Imam Jamil's case:
i. Crawl to the White House/Congress and lick boots.
ii. Mobilize the masses and demand the Imam's release.
2. Mobilization of millions in support of the Imam is now
necessary and possible.
3. The Zionist hand is behind the arrest of Imam Jamil.
i. The government's records show that an attempt was made to link
him to the World Trade Center bombing and various other major crimes.
ii. The records show that an expert from the anti-terrorism task
force investigated Imam Jamil for several years.
4. The Imam was planning to take 70,000 American Muslims for
Hajj to bring about internationalization of Islam in America. The Zionists
cannot tolerate an independent Imam fulfilling such a move.
5. For MASS MOBILIZATION, UNITY IS ESSENTIAL. And for unity, we
must TOLERATE DIFFERENCES IN DETAILS. The unity must be that of the
oppressed against the oppressors.
6. During Juma', Jamaat al-Muslimeen had distributed New Trend
magazines at the 14th street (immigrant) masjid and Atlanta Masjid
(W.D. supporters) and found that they were very 'laid back' about the
situation. OUR MASJIDS AND LEADERS NEED to educate themselves on reality.
If it is Imam Jamil today, tomorrow IT COULD BE YOU.
7. By putting the Imam in handcuffs and parading him on TV, the
oppressors have humiliated the entire Muslim community. Our answer
should be: we are neither fooled nor are we afraid.
8. Arrest of Imam Jamil on EID DAY is an insult to Islam and Muslims.
Let the Muslim world note what the USA is doing to Muslims.
9. Learn from the case of Shaikh Omar 'Abdel Rahman, Jihad Abdul
Mumit, Ahmad Ajaj, Victor Alvarez and many others, that the Zionists
punish innocent people and tell lies on an ongoing basis. Do not expect truth
from the Zionists who are running the power structure of America.
10. We must analyze our tactics critically and find creative new ways
of building a united front in America and in the MUSLIM WORLD to bring
about the release of Imam Jamil al-Amin.
The rally ended with maghrib prayers. Shaikh Abdus Sattar donated two
air conditioners for the steaming masjid, (Atlanta has 90 degrees
temperatures as a summer norm), one for the sisters and one for the
brothers.
The community is not well-to-do. This is where Muslims should put their
resources. Imam Jamil's initiative cleaned up a very rough (drug) area
and his community was thanked even by non-Muslims living in the area. Their
delegate came to thank Imam Jamil and to promise support.
NOTE: Sis. Karima, the Imam's wife said words of appreciation for the
placards the Jamaat al-Muslimeen delegation was carrying. One placard
said:
SLAVERY! TWO MILLION PEOPLE IN AMERICA's PRISONS
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Dear reader: assalamu alaikum You can see here that your support is
needed.
Join the MILLION SIGNATURES CAMPAIGN to free Imam Jamil al-Amin. Ask us
for a petition. It is based on four simple and rational points.
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Our web site: www.NewTrendMag.org
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To join Jamaat al-Muslimeen as a member, supporter or sympathizer,
write:
Jamaat al-Muslimeen, P.O. Box 10881, Baltimore, MD 21234
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2000-07-31 Mon 17:05ct