[wvns] World Waits for Holy Land Fdn Trial Outcome
THE HOLY LAND FOUNDATION VERDICT:
"Strong" is not all America has to be
by Harold Knight
Saturday, October 20, 2007
http://theenemyshallnot.blogspot.com/2007/10/holy-land-foundation-verdict-strong-is.html
"The very idea of freedom presupposes some objective moral law which
overarches rulers and ruled alike." C. S. Lewis (1898 - 1963), The
Poison of Subjectivism.
Like the Holy Land Foundation trial itself—now with the community of
the defendants, their families, and their friends waiting in the most
bizarre twist of events yet, the Absent Federal Judge—much of the
following most likely makes little sense. It is all connected, but
perhaps the connections make sense only to those who understand the
grotesquerie of this trial.
To begin this post with an enormously unpopular statement about
"terrorism" and "terrorists" is at best fool hardy, more likely
self-defeating.
However, many Americans remember the late Susan Sonntag's uncanny
ability to name things as they are. Her essay in the New Yorker on
September 24, 2001, is a piece that "lives in infamy." She dared to
say, "In the matter of courage (a morally neutral virtue): whatever
may be said of the perpetrators of [September 11th's] slaughter, they
were not cowards." Most Americans, reading her statement today, would
bristle once again with the indignation with which her writing was
greeted in 2001.
Few of those who castigated Ms. Sonntag (denounced her as a "traitor"
and called her a member of a "fifth column") ever read to the end of
her essay. "Let's by all means grieve together," she wrote. "But let's
not be stupid together. A few shreds of historical awareness might
help us to understand what has just happened, and what may continue to
happen. 'Our country is strong,' we are told again and again. I for
one don't find this entirely consoling. Who doubts that America is
strong? But that's not all America has to be."
America is strong.
America's "strength" is our greatest weakness.
America (at least those in whose charge we have placed our strength)
has come to believe that we are strong enough to have our own way in
any and every situation. I have no special knowledge of international
affairs or of politics or even of history. But, as an ordinary
American, I can observe.
The indictment and subsequent trial of the Holy Land Foundation and
its leaders is evidence that America's "strength" has become our
greatest weakness. America is (seemingly) strong enough to destroy
anyone in this country or abroad who dares to think, to believe, to
act contrary to the prevailing perceived interests of those who
control America's strength (the sheer weight of our physical presence
in the world).
The "strong" in America can define who is a "terrorist," ignoring
Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Wherever
rulers repress the ruled, institutions threaten persons, or might
oppresses right, human beings have not only the right but the
responsibility to resist— whenever possible non-violently."
The "strong" of America can define out of existence freedom of speech,
freedom of assembly, and, most important, "the free exercise [of
religion]." The "strong" in our government can, apparently at will,
make decisions about the lives of American citizens based on the
desires of a foreign nation, not on either the strategic or the moral
interests of the United States.
It was not always so.
[Thomas] Jefferson as a diplomat [U.S. first ambassador to France] did
not make the mistake of confusing his own ideological sympathies with
the American national interest….he was aware that the sinews of
American strength did not lie in commerce or in wealth or in military
power, but rather in the mythic quality of the American revolutionary
victory….
Thomas Jefferson: America's Philosopher-King, By Max Lerner, page 47
(written in the early 1970s and published in 1996).
Well before the writing of our Constitution, those who struggled for
Independence and began the process of guaranteeing the freedoms of
United States citizens understood that "strength" came not from
physical or military power, that "might" (pardon the cliché) does not
make "right."
Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but ….The
only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue, and if this
cannot be inspired into our People…. [t]hey may change their Rulers
and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting
Liberty. They will only exchange Tyrants and Tyrannies.
John Adams Letter to Zabdiel Adams, June 21, 1776
My thinking may be a leap of logic. So be it. However, no one has yet
convinced me that the prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation and its
officers is "pure Virtue." The entire project of naming a resistance
movement as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization
(granted Hamas has not resisted "whenever possible non-violently")
when it operates solely in one arena of conflict where its people are
repressed, threatened, and oppressed, is an "exchange [of] Tyrants and
Tyrannies." Spying on American citizens for over seven years hoping to
catch them in some illegal activity supporting the "terrorist"
organization, and manufacturing evidence from the thousands of hours
of conversations recorded from the spying can hardly be deemed "pure
Virtue." Presenting the evidence as "documentation" of support of
resistance cum "terrorism," and at the same time name naming as
"co-conspirators" nearly every other group in this country associated
in any way with the people who resist oppression is, as far as my
limited mental capacity can determine, Tyranny.
Something has been lost from our belief in "the mythic quality of the
American revolutionary victory." We have slipped into a kind of
relativism that allows the "strong" to tyrannize the "weak." This has
happened at our own peril. If the American revolutionary victory has
any mythic quality left (that is, the power to inspire through
memory), it may be the idea that freedom is not subjective, but that
it is an objective reality, some kind of "pure Virtue" that does not
change as one group of the "strong" gives way to another.
We all know who the "strong" and the "weakened" are today. But as a
remarkable community of those whom the strong have tried to weaken
wait solemnly to hear a decision that will affect the rest of their
lives, but do not wait hopelessly or faithlessly, they understand that
"strong" is "not all America has to be."
Even George W. Bush's speech writers understand something about the
uses of "strength," whether or not he does:
Today, the United States of America is the world's foremost champion
of liberty, moving forward with confidence and strength, and an
example to the world of what free people can achieve.
===
THE PEACE AND JUSTICE FOUNDATION
What follows is an excellent summary of defense and prosecution
arguments in a HUGE precedent-setting case involving the HOLY LAND
FOUNDATION. Please pass this along to others. My congratulations to
all who have been involved in organizing community support for this
organization and its officers - this is the way it's supposed to be
done! Let me also point out the following note toward the end of this
community release: "Remember!!! People of ALL AGES need to have a
PHOTO ID with them."
This underscores a point that I made after we received criticism for
requesting the names of Muslims (and others) who were supposed to
attend a conference originally scheduled for Capitol Hill last month -
and informing them that they would also need IDs to enter the building
for the conference. Requiring Identification, in many cases, has
become one of the routine methods for trying to intimidate Muslims
from doing the right things these days. But as we often say: the time
has come for Muslims to CHALLENGE THEIR FEARS (of anything other than
ALLAH)!
May ALLAH Ta'ala give victory to our brethren in this unjustified
persecution/prosecution - and may ALLAH give victory to our
Palestinian brother, Dr Abdelhaleem Ashqar, when he is sentenced in
Chicago in November, insha'Allah. (I just learned last night that his
sentencing date has been moved again, from October to November 2007).
El-Hajj Mauri' Saalakhan
===
Read our closing argument summaries while we wait for the verdict!
PROSECUTION (GOVERNMENT) CLOSING SUMMARY:
See below for the defense (Holy Land Foundation) Closing Summary
.
· HAMAS (aka the Islamic Resistance Movement) was founded in
1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as an outgrowth of the Muslim Brotherhood
(MB) in Palestine.
· HAMAS' charter states that the purpose of HAMAS is to create
an Islamic Palestinian state throughout Israel by eliminating the
State of Israel through violent jihad (via Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades).
· Article 21 of the HAMAS charter calls for social welfare in
order to provide aid to everyone who is in need of it, be it material
or spiritual or collective cooperation to complete some works. HAMAS
is to take part in people's happiness and grief and work to strengthen
their cooperation, deepen their love, and sustain their resistance to
the enemy (Israel).
· The government argued that their expert witness, Mathew
Levitt, described the organizational structure of HAMAS as three
units. He said HAMAS has a political bureau wing, a military wing, and
a social wing. He argued the three wings of HAMAS as a pyramid divided
into three sections. The top section of the pyramid he called the
political wing, the middle section he called the military wing, and
the base (and largest) wing of HAMAS was the social wing.
· Mr. Levitt testified that although these three components
have separate responsibilities, the organization operates seamlessly,
with each component working to achieve the overall objectives of HAMAS.
· HAMAS, said Levitt, supports religious and academic
institutions that facilitate the teachings of HAMAS and introduce its
fundamentalist ideology at the earliest stages of spiritual and
educational development. This social engineering is critical to
winning the hearts and minds of the Palestinian people and to creating
a military and operational recruitment pool for HAMAS. Additionally,
HAMAS rewards past terrorist acts, and provides incentive for future
acts. They financially subsidize family members of HAMAS operatives
who are killed, injured or imprisoned, and ensure that the families
are revered in the community.
· On January 25, 1995, HAMAS was designated as a Specially
Designated Terrorist by the President in the Annex to Executive Order
12947.
· On August 29, 1995, former HAMAS Political Bureau Chief and
current Deputy Chief Mousa Abu Marzook was designated as a Specially
Designated Terrorist.
· On August 22, 2003, current HAMAS Political Bureau Chief
Khalid Mishal was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
· The defendant Mohammad El-Mezain was the original Chairman of
the Board of HLF until in or about 1999, when he became Director of
Endowments for the HLF. The defendant Mohammad El-Mezain is a cousin
of HAMAS Deputy Political Chief and Specially Designated Terrorist
Mousa Abu Marzook.
· The defendant Ghassan Elashi was the original Treasurer and
became the Chairman of the Board of the HLF in 1999. The defendant
Ghassan Elashi is related by marriage to HAMAS Deputy Political Bureau
Chief and Specially Designated Terrorist Mousa Abu Marzook.
· The defendant Mufid Abdulqader was a top fundraiser for the
HLF. The defendant Mufid Abdulqader is the half-brother of HAMAS
Political Bureau Chief and Specially Designated Global Terrorist
Khalid Mishal.
· Shortly after the beginning of the Intifada, in 1988-89, the
MB begins to open Palestinian Committees (PC) all over the world,
including the USA, to serve the Palestinian cause and the Movement.
The Palestinian Movement is assumed to be HAMAS.
· Through a search warrant, the U.S. government finds several
documents at the home of Ismail Elbarrasse (member of the PC in the
USA) that describes the PC as the oversight committee for three other
organizations. The Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP), the
Occupied Land Fund (OLF) later to be known as the Holy Land Foundation
(HLF), and the United Association for Studies & Research (UASR).
· These documents suggest that the IAP handles the education,
publications and media front. HLF handles the fundraising department.
UASR is a think tank for the strategic planning department. All three
organizations report to the PC, which is the oversight committee.
· Therefore, the government argued, the PC was a HAMAS
committee from its inception. And that the IAP, OLF, HLF, & UASR were
specialized organizations formed from their inception as HAMAS
committees. And that the entire apparatus is a HAMAS organization
operating in the USA.
· The chairman or president of the PC in the USA was Mousa Abu
Marzook in the late 1980's and early 1990's.
· Other documents found at Ismail Elbarrasse's home: A copy of
the HAMAS charter that was reprinted and distributed by the IAP. A
history of the MB complete with the MB charter. PC charter and
by-laws. One hand-written, undated, unsigned document titled "The
Occupied Land Fund Report".
· Another document found at Mr. Elbarrasse's home became a
center piece to the government's case. This document was a letter
dated July 14, 1991 addressed to one of the defendants discussing
Zakat committees and the endorsed charitable organizations whose
services reach a large segment of the children of Palestine.
· This document discusses about 20 charities in Palestine,
including the ones listed in the HLF indictment, with comments about
what percentage of the charity is "ours". Some are listed as "all of
it is ours". Some are listed as "guaranteed ours". Some are listed as
"we have nobody in it". Some are listed as "we have one or two in it"
etc….
· The government demonstrates several financial transactions
between, the PC and HLF, and the IAP and HLF, in the late 80's and
early 90's. They show $210,000 being donated by Mr. Marzook to the HLF.
· The government shows HLF providing assistance to the Islamic
Center of Gaza which was established by HAMAS spiritual leader and
founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin.
· The government demonstrates that members of the PC, IAP, HLF
and UASR attended Palestinian conventions, seminars and rallies
together in the late 80's and early 90's.
· At these festivals many songs, plays, and skits praised HAMAS
and vilified Israeli Zionists. Mousa Abu Marzook, Jamil Hammami (later
to become a HAMAS spokesperson), and Mahmoud Zahar (current HAMAS
leader as of 2006) all attended at least one of these festivals as
shown on a video tape in the late 1980's.
· The government demonstrated that officers of the PC, IAP,
HLF, and UASR had each others phone numbers. And that they sent faxes,
letters, news articles and reports to each other. They shared phone
calls, sought each others advice and shared information together. The
government summarized this as an incestual relationship.
· In 1992, when Israel deported over 400 Palestinian activists
and leaders to Lebanon, HLF offered their support. HLF sent blankets
and other necessities to them.
· HLF possessed a video of the detainees living conditions
while in Lebanon. On the video, some of these activists and leaders
identified themselves as members of HAMAS.
· The government argued that some of the identified HAMAS
members in the 1992 deportation video were later identified to be
board members on some of zakat committees that HLF sent money to.
Additionally, deceased HAMAS leader Sheik Abdel Rantisi was one of the
deportees whose family received financial assistance from the HLF.
· In October 1993, in response to a United States-sponsored
Middle East peace initiative between the Israeli Government and the
Palestinian Liberation Organization, known as the Oslo Accords, and
other significant events, the principals of the PC, IAP and HLF called
for a meeting in Philadelphia, PA (in which HLF paid for most of the
travel expenses).
· The purpose of the meeting was to determine their course of
action in opposition to the Oslo Accords or the so-called peace plan
and how to derail the process. They also discussed how to conceal
their activities from the scrutiny of the United States government.
They discussed helping the Islamists and our Brothers in Palestine.
They used a code word "SAMAH" instead of HAMAS in many conversations.
They discussed the zakat committees that HLF was sending money to in
terms of being "ours" or "guaranteed ours."
· An unidentified Israeli security officer, who testified under
the alias name of Mr. Avi as an expert witness for the government,
identified all of the zakat committees listed in the HLF indictment as
HAMAS-controlled committees.
· Mr. Avi testified that he was an expert on HAMAS and that he
was certain that each and every one of the Zakat committees in the HLF
trial were influenced and under the control of HAMAS. He said it was a
fact and was well-known public knowledge.
· During his testimony, Mr. Avi identified several individuals
at each zakat committee as being members, leaders, or activists of
HAMAS. And that the individuals he identified as HAMAS at each zakat
committee were the dominant figures, or controlling figures, for that
committee.
· Mr. Avi testified that Khalid Mishal gave an interview to the
media in 2003 naming many of the same individuals as HAMAS members.
Mr. Mishal said in the interview that HAMAS asked supporters to do
jihad with their sons and their money. He said to give your money to
someone you trust and HAMAS will get the money. He asked supporters to
focus on martyrs, prisoners, and orphans.
· The government argued that when HLF arranged conventions,
seminars and rallies, radical Islamic sheiks and HAMAS officials,
members and/or activists were flown to the United States from overseas
to energize the audience and enhance fundraising. HLF paid for the
travel of several of the sheiks and HAMAS members, including current
HAMAS leader Mahmoud Zahar and former HAMAS spokesperson Jamil Hammami.
· The government highlighted the fact that HLF gave over 1.5
million dollars to the Islamic Relief Committee in Palestine from 1988
till 1996. Then they demonstrated that this relief committee is now
considered by most to be a HAMAS controlled committee. Even Mr.
Abington (the defenses witness) agreed that this committee is thought
to be controlled by HAMAS. (Note: This committee is NOT listed in the
HLF indictment, and the donations are not part of the
indictment-listed dates of 1997 until 2001. In fact, NONE of the
details mentioned in the government's closing arguments occurred
during the required dates.).
· Starting in 2002 and continuing until 2006, Israeli Defense
Forces (IDF) periodically raided the Zakat committees listed in the
HLF case. During these raids, the IDF secured many posters and
calendars of HAMAS leaders and suicide bombers. They secured key
chains with pictures of HAMAS leaders and suicide bombers. They
secured video tapes of children performing plays celebrating HAMAS and
HAMAS leaders.
· The government claimed inaccurate or misleading statements
were made by the defendants in depositions, media interviews, and
phone conversations, and that these statements were an attempt to hide
their true intentions to support HAMAS.
· The government argued that HLF possessed a security document
instructing them on how to run a covert organization in hostile
environments. And that HLF hired a security company to check for
`bugs' in the HLF office. The government asked the jurors "is this
what you would expect to find at a charity?"
· The government argued that HLF sponsored orphans and needy
families in the West Bank and Gaza. According to the prosecution,
while the program was mantled with a benevolent appearance, HLF
specifically sought orphans and families whose relatives had died or
were jailed as a result of their involvement with HAMAS, including
suicide bombers (seventeen orphans allegedly fitting this description
were listed in the HLF indictment). This support was critical to
HAMAS' efforts to win the hearts and minds of the Palestinian people,
they said, and to create an infrastructure solidifying HAMAS' presence.
· Two of the orphans sponsored by HLF were the sons of Yahia
Ayyash (aka the Engineer of the suicide belt used in suicide bombings)
after his assassination by Israeli Security Forces in 1996.
· In closing, they summarized the process of HAMAS' social wing
as having effective influence from the cradle to the grave. Do not let
the defendants deceive you, they said. You must consider only the
evidence we have provided and use your common sense, said the prosecution.
To sign up for the Verdict Rapid Response team, please email
h4jusa @ gmail.com with your name and the most reliable number to
reach you at. This list WILL NOT be shared with any third party AT ALL.
===
DEFENSE (HOLY LAND FOUNDATION) CLOSING SUMMARY:
See below for details on how to join the Verdict Rapid Response Team.
· The HLF case is about a real charity providing real aid to
needy families. And the defendants are proud of their work and the
relief they provided.
· HLF provided relief based on "need" not "creed" and they
never looked at political affiliations when deciding whom to help.
They certified the need and provided the aid.
· The defense showed that over 145,000 Palestinians are in need
of humanitarian aid. HLF was one of only four other organizations who
were providing this absolutely critical aid to roughly 25% of the
Palestinian population. And, that after HLF was shut down in 2001, a
large void was created and many Palestinians have suffered.
· The defense argued that the Israeli Occupation of Palestine
is a brutal one and that Israel is not living up to the 4th Geneva
Convention in providing the necessary aid to lands that it occupies in
Palestine.
· They demonstrated that Israel does not provide even the least
minimum of services and many of the families live in abject poverty
due to the absence of a dependable provider.
· They demonstrated collective punishment policies, which are
practiced in a barbaric and savage manner through home demolitions,
home bombing or closure of parts of them, dismissal from work or
prevention from leaving a village or a camp, then the cases of
tree-cutting, forfeiture of land or prevention from travel, all of
which represents a heavy burden, not to mention the detention of
thousands of men and youths, along with thousands of victims and
wounded who are in need of food, medicine or health and social care.
· The defense showed the number of illegal Israeli settlements
currently in the West Bank. They argued that Israel builds illegal
settlements on the best water reserves.
· The illegal settlements in the West Bank caused many roads
and highways to be built north, south, east and west which severely
restrict Palestinian movement and daily life. This affects all
Palestinians and their economy, as they are banned from using the
Israeli-built roads.
· The West Bank and Gaza had over 475 Israeli military check
points it uses to control the Palestinians.
· The defense argued that Israel demolished Palestinian homes
without warning or compensation to the Palestinian families living in
them, leaving Palestinians homeless refugees in their own land.
· The defense argued that HLF had nothing to hide. HLF was a
transparent open book charity for all to see. HLF kept detailed
records of every transaction on every project they funded. All
financial transactions were recorded and detailed reports kept for
every penny. Receipts, documents, pictures, and videos were kept on
each project. HLF kept all employees' weekly reports and documented
all employee quarterly meetings. From receiving donations to
delivering the humanitarian aid, HLF recorded, reported, and
documented everything. HLF followed the law at all times.
· HLF did not try to hide Mousa Abu Marzook's donations to them
in the late 80's and early 90's. They reported the donation to the IRS
and kept all receipts and records. Mr. Marzook was a US Citizen. Mr.
Marzook was not designated as a terrorist at that time. There was
absolutely nothing illegal about the transaction.
· In 1997-98, HLF even hired a prominent lawyer and 14-year
elected official of the U.S. House of Representatives, John Bryant, to
seek advice from the US-based Israeli Consulate, the US State
Department, and the FBI on matters that were confusing to them. They
wanted any advice or guidance on how they were operating, and to whom
they could give money and to whom they could not. They always have and
always intended to follow the law. They wanted to know if the
government had any concerns regarding their organization.
· However, none of these government agencies gave HLF and/or
their attorney any advice regarding any of their questions. Mr. Bryant
also attempted to schedule a meeting with the then-U.S. Attorney
General Janet Reno and then-U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright,
but was unsuccessful, as they never responded to his request for a
meeting.
· The defense argued that HLF was a stand alone organization
that did not report to the PC or for that matter to any other
organization. HLF made all of its decisions independently and without
oversight.
· The defense argued that the evidence that the government is
relying on (from Ismail Elbarrasse's home) are documents seized from
outside of HLF and its employees and that these documents were
unsigned (some hand-written), undated, without providence and
completely unreliable. There was no evidence that anyone at HLF every
saw these documents. There was no evidence that anyone at HLF ever
used these documents, followed their contents, or acted upon them in
any manner.
· The defense argued that the defendants supported Islamists
and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) but not HAMAS. They demonstrated that
not all Islamist are HAMAS. The word Islamist is a very broad term.
Islamists are devout, pious Muslims, according to defense witness Mr.
Edward Abington.
· They demonstrated that not all members of the MB are HAMAS.
The government's attempt to say otherwise is a selective
interpretation, ignoring the greater context and meanings of these words.
· The defense highlighted the fact that the letter addressed to
the defendants discussing each Zakat committee and what percentage is
"ours" was hand-written, unsigned, and could not be shown to have ever
been seen or read by the defendants. And, that this document does not
refer to HAMAS anywhere in it. "Ours" could mean Islamists or MB or
many other things.
· The defense argued that the defendants wanted to help the
Palestinian people, to alleviate their suffering and to make a
difference in their lives. Never did HLF give credit to HAMAS, work
with HAMAS, or try to benefit HAMAS.
· All the conversations, meetings, transactions, phone calls,
phone numbers, conventions, seminars, plays, skits and rallies were
all 100% legal protected 1st Amendment Rights. Freedom of speech.
Freedom of religion. Freedom of assembly. And absolutely nothing was
illegal about any of them. All events were held in an open public forum.
· HLF sponsored thousands of orphans. All of them received
approximately $25 to $75 per month. Every orphan of martyrs and
prisoners received the exact same monthly sponsorship as all of the
others. HLF showed neither preference to which orphans they sponsored
nor any bias. HLF provided aid to needy orphans regardless of who the
parents were or what they did or did not do. They established the
need. They provided the aid. Equally.
· HLF provided humanitarian aid all over the world. They gave
to the needy in Kosovo, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Jordan,
Lebanon, and the USA. They delivered tons of flour, bread, rice, oil
and salt. They delivered medical and educational supplies.
· The defense established that the United States of America
provided aid through USAID to the same Zakat committees listed in the
HLF indictment during the same time period of the indictment 1997 thru
2001.
· The defense demonstrated that, according to congressional
record, several of the Zakat committees have been suspected of being
HAMAS committees over the years but have been vetted (exonerated) by
U.S. investigations in the past.
· According to congressional record, USAID said that it uses
the Department of Treasury's list of designated organizations when
determining whether or not to provide aid to them.
· The defense established that the United Nations, CARE, and
many other international organizations provided humanitarian aid to
the same Zakat committees during the same time period.
· From 1995, when the U.S. Treasury Department 1st issued a
list of Specially Designated Terrorists, until 2007, not one of the
Zakat committees listed in the HLF indictment has ever been designated.
· The defense established the fact that the Palestinian
National Authorities (PA) are controlled politically by the FATAH
party. And that the FATAH party is at war with HAMAS party in
Palestine. The two parties are bitter enemies who hate each other.
· All Zakat committees operating on the West Bank and Gaza must
be licensed by the PA every two years. All Zakat committees are
quasi-government entities. The PA appoints BoD members to the Zakat
committees. The PA can open, close, inspect, and control the Zakat
committees whenever they wish.
· All Zakat committees listed in the HLF indictment have
current licenses from the Palestinian National Authorities (PA). All
Zakat committees listed in the HLF indictment are still open and
operating business as usual until today.
· According to the defenses expert witness on Palestinian civil
societies, Dr. Brown, all Zakat committees listed in the HLF
indictment are known by Palestinians as neutral regarding politics and
agendas. They are non-partisan. They are efficient. They are trusted.
They only help facilitate getting Muslims Zakat to the needy families.
· Dr. Brown testified that HAMAS never received any credit from
anyone or any media or any organization for any of the work performed
by the Zakat committees. The defense argued that it would be
impossible to "win the hearts and minds" of the Palestinians without
ever getting credit for the work.
· The defense argued that the government did not bring ONE
witness to testify that HAMAS received credit for any Zakat committees
work.
· Dr. Brown testified that in a deeply divided society, the
Zakat committees must give aid blindly, regardless of politics to all
needy Palestinians. Being associated or controlled by any political
party would damage their effectiveness and ability to serve the entire
community.
· The defense also demonstrated that Israel, Jordan and Egypt
have been the controlling authorities over these same Zakat committees
at different times, from the 1970's until today, and that they always
issued and renewed these Zakat committees licenses to operate in
Palestine. They were never closed or accused of being HAMAS-controlled
organizations.
· Israeli official documents even contradicted the government's
expert witness, Mr. Avi, when he testified that one of the Zakat
committees was determined by Israel to be a HAMAS controlled
organization in 1991. Without a doubt, he said. However, in 1993, when
Israel was the controlling authority over this Zakat committee, it
actually approved the expansion of the hospital which at that time was
their largest and most aggressive project to date.
· According to the defenses expert witness, Mr. Edward
Abington, a former U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem from 1993 till
1997 and then the 2nd highest ranking intelligence official in the
U.S. State Department from 1997 till 1999, NONE of the Zakat
committees listed in the HLF indictment were ever considered under the
control of HAMAS or operating on behalf of HAMAS.
· Mr. Abington testified that he was under direct orders from
the US State Department and the President of the United States NOT to
meet with or establish any relationship or dialogue with HAMAS or
HAMAS representatives during his tenure as Consul General in Jerusalem.
· Mr. Abington testified that he met DAILY with the CIA and US
State Department intelligence agencies (who had daily access to
Israeli intelligence) and that they never mentioned any of the Zakat
committees as being part of or controlled by HAMAS.
· Mr. Abington testified that he personally visited each and
every one of the Zakat committees listed in the HLF indictment, and
that he had no reason to suspect that they were operating on behalf of
HAMAS.
· Mr. Abington testified that the United States does not always
rely on Israeli intelligence, because they have found Israeli
intelligence to be misleading, political and sometimes agenda-driven.
· The defense argued that out of the 20 or 30 speakers alleged
by the government to have HAMAS ties, only three of them have ever
been identified as Specially Designated Terrorists by the United
States Treasury Department, and that was after the fact. Also, Mr.
Jamil Hammami, a former HAMAS activist, was also sponsored by the U.S.
government for a U.S. speaking tour.
· The three that are identified, Mr. Marzook, Mr. Zahar, and
Mr. Hammami, were never used, contacted or relied upon after the
designation.
· The defense also discussed that the level of proof necessary
to get any individual or any organization listed on the Dept of
Treasury's Specially Designated Terrorist List is extremely low.
· All that is required is to show "just cause" which is the
lowest bar or burden of proof required in our judicial system.
· However, what the jury is being asked to do in this trial is
to find all of the Zakat committees to be controlled by HAMAS "beyond
a reasonable doubt," which is the highest bar or burden of proof
required in our judicial system.
· The defense asks the jury to find the defendants NOT guilty
on each and every count in the HLF indictment.
===
What will happen – Verdict Rapid Response Team
The jury will tell the judge that they have reached a verdict.
The judge will call the lawyers to arrive at the court as quickly as
possible. The lawyers will notify the Hungry for Justice coalition.
A few Head Callers will be selected to call and text everyone on the
Verdict Rapid Response Team.
Those that can will head to the court house for the announcement of
the verdict and a press conference that will follow.
The coalition will send out final comments addressing the verdict as
soon as possible. Keep close watch for the updates to follow.
To sign up for the team, please email h4jusa @ gmail.com with your
name and the most reliable number to reach you at. This list WILL NOT
be shared with any third party AT ALL.
===
Standing in Solidarity: A Snapshot of the daily vigil,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaMXfBM-itk
Faces of the Holy Land Foundation Trial: Spend time with the families
of the defendants, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yA43MS4Tg4
A Daughter's Perspective: Noor's thoughts,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Sq7ZBbDGo
The Holy Land Foundation Trial: Interviews with lawyers and national
figures, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8E7Pv6SkXg
Holy Land Foundation Poem: Audio of Shukri's touching poem, in
English, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u-vazWzaV8
===
Blogs and Website:
Here's the websites that are sponsoring the campaign to support the
HLF defendants:
*********************************************************************
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