MICHIGAN
Support builds for detained Muslim leader
By Jane Cutter
and Andrew Freeman
Ann Arbor, Mich.
On Dec. 14, three Immigration and Naturalization Services
(INS) agents arrested Rabih Haddad in his home in front of his
wife and four children. Haddad, an immigrant from Lebanon, is
an active and well-respected member of Ann Arbor's mosque--the
Ann Arbor Islamic Center. Haddad is also a board member of the
Global Relief Foundation, an Islamic charity.
Rabih Haddad is being held indefinitely without bond at the
Monroe County jail on charges of a technical violation of his
tourist visa, despite the fact that he has an application
pending for permanent resident status through labor
certification and employment sponsorship pursuant to the Life
Act of 2000.
Michael Steinberg, a lawyer from the American Civil
Liberties Union, stated that it is very unusual for the INS to
take action in cases that have pending paperwork. This
indicates that Haddad's imprisonment is part of a wider pattern
of racial and religious profiling and erosion of civil
liberties under the guise of "fighting terrorism."
Community support continues to grow for Haddad's release.
One week after Haddad was arrested, at least 300 people came
out for a vigil and candlelight march in his support at the Ann
Arbor Federal Building. Participants included many members of
Ann Arbor's Muslim community as well as other anti-racist and
anti-war activists.
Speakers at the vigil included U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers,
representatives of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination
Committee, George Lambrides of the Interfaith Roundtable in Ann
Arbor and people from other community organizations. Hundreds
also came out for Haddad's bond hearing in Detroit, which was
continued to Jan. 2.
At a media conference on Dec. 18 at the Ann Arbor Community
Center, Haddad's wife, Salma Al-Rashaid, shared the pain and
distress her husband's arrest has created for her and her four
young children. On the eve of Eid il-Fitr, one of the holiest
days in the Islamic calendar and an important time for family
to celebrate together, the INS took Haddad away from his home
and would not say where he was going.
Other speakers at the news conference included Tariq Colvin
of the Muslim Community association of Ann Arbor, Phillis
Engelbert of the Ann Arbor Ad Hoc Committee for Peace, Michael
Steinberg, and Joseph Dulin, principal of Roberto Clemente High
School and founder of National African American Parent
Involvement Day.
The media conference, sponsored by the Ann Arbor Ad Hoc
Committee for Peace, also condemned the racist profiling of
Arab and Muslim men. Print, television and radio reporters
attended.
Targeted for community work?
An immigration judge ordered Haddad's bond hearing closed on
Dec. 19, so that the public was not allowed to witness the
proceedings. At that hearing, despite four character witnesses
and evidence of enormous community support, Haddad was not
granted bond and was held pending continuation of the hearing
on Jan. 2.
It is hard not to conclude that Haddad has been targeted for
his work in the community.
Rabih Haddad has been a very visible representative of the
Muslim community in Ann Arbor, especially since the Sept. 11
tragedy. He spoke at a town hall meeting sponsored by Rep.
Rivers.
Since the start of the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan, he has
also spoken out repeatedly on behalf of the Afghan people.
Haddad is on the board of trustees of the Global Relief
Foundation. The U.S. government froze the assets of the GRF.
Government officials alleged that the GRF "supports
terrorism."
At the press conference, reporters asked about GRF's alleged
link to terrorism. Tariq Colvin of the Muslim Community
Association explained that GRF is a legitimate charity that
provides support to widows and orphans in various parts of the
world. The GRF has also provided aid to Afghan refugees.
Reprinted from the Jan. 10, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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