US Supreme Court Denies Mehanna Appeal

TMO 

Tarek Mehanna’s appeal to the US Supreme Court was rejected on Monday, October 6, 2014. Mehanna of Sudsbury, Massachusetts, is serving a sentence of 17 1/2 years on account of visiting Yemen to study Arabic and later translating Islamic texts for the website At Tibyan, which the government has construed as “supporting terrorism.”

“Where, exactly, does free speech end and unlawful terrorist coordination begin?” commented Mark Joseph Stern in Slate. “Translating, publishing, and praising ideological texts, no matter how morally vile, is generally considered to be a basic free speech activity. Everyone knows that the First Amendment protects translations of Mein Kampf. Why did Mehanna’s translation of jihadist hosannas land him behind bars?”

This question gains weight with the news this week that the Supreme Court also refused to hear appeals from two other Muslim men, who have suffered intolerably for no crime: Ziyad Yaghi, a North Carolina native and Guantanamo inmate Abdul Razak Ali.

“Petitioner raised arguments based solely on issues of undisputed fact: he was arrested in Pakistan, not in Afghanistan, he had nothing to do with the September 11th attacks or terrorism, and he was not engaged in hostilities against the United States or its allies at any time. Petitioner’s “malfeasance” that apparently warrants his life imprisonment without charge was simply an eighteen day stay in the same guesthouse as a man who the government once believed to be affiliated with al-Qaeda, but, as the evidence showed below, is now no longer believed by the government to have been associated with al-Qaeda,” wrote Abdul Razak Alik on August 23, 2014.

“The questions Petitioner asks in his petition are whether he can be held, indefinitely, based simply on the fact that he was staying in the same guesthouse in Pakistan as someone else who happened to once have been accused of being connected with Al-Qaeda, rather than upon actual evidence of Petitioner’s own overt acts hostile to the United States or its allies; and, where, as here, Petitioner was not alleged to have been engaged in an armed conflict against the United States in Afghanistan (or anywhere for that matter) prior to his capture. If the answer to those questions is yes, then Petitioner also asks whether there is any limit to the duration of his detention. It is clear that the government has avoided discussing or answering these questions, because its basis for holding Petitioner is based not on the law, but on its ever-expanding and elastic view of the law.”

As convincing as this argument may seem to loyal Americans, we need to be asking these questions of our government until they listen. This is very frightening, that the Supreme Court’s reaction to an obviously innocent person is to ignore his case because he is Muslim. And this doesn’t even just apply to foreigners.

Tarek Mehanna had no idea his actions were criminal . He possessed the self-confidence and outspoken attitude of a relatively affluent, American born male. His brother gave an interview on WGBH News on September 25, 2014 stating:

“The FBI was approaching my brother since 2004. So, we saw a lead up to something happening. and that kind of peaked in 2007 before we graduated from pharmacy school. He was arrested in 2008, he was let off on bail, and at that point we didn’t know what to expect. So when it happened again in 2009, at that point we didn’t know what to expect… My parents did discourage him from online activities, but his response to them was it’s free speech and it’s protected.”

Mehanna’s lawyers argued that he didn’t give any tangible support to al-Qaida, and his online activities were protected free speech.

However, five years later, Mehanna’s father Ahmed said his family had not even had “one iota of hope” that his son would get a hearing before the high court, in light of the news reports on ISIS.

“Unfortunately, the Supreme Court is affected by such a saga and such media frenzy,” Ahmed Mehanna said. “It is a very, very sad day.”

Mehanna’s prosecutor, US Attorney Carmen Ortiz, is the same one who is pursuing the prosecutions of youths accused in relation to the Boston Marathon bombings. She claims Mehanna was “using the Internet to encourage others to support terrorism.”

“I’m disappointed to see even the highest court still submissive to the executive branch’s fabrication of charges. It’s clearly the First Amendment [at issue], and they refused to even look at it.”

Mehanna was threatened with prosecution after refusing to act as an informant for the FBI. He is accused of support for terrorism, though his support never included picking up a gun or fundraising. The government alleges that Mehanna “intended” to go to Iraq to take up arms against the US, although there is no evidence of this.

Why Was Aafia Siddique's Appeal Withdrawn?

Scholar, teacher: Stripped Naked, Forced to Desecrate the Qur'an. Horrific Injustice. Why Was Aafia Siddique's Appeal Withdrawn? 


"With the attention and celebration that greeted the selection of Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai and India's Kailash Satyarthi for the world's most coveted peace prize, one would think that the American establishment has a special regard for young, accomplished (and committed) Muslim women. An honest review of the record would show that quite the opposite is true," writes Mauri Saalakhan of the Peace and Justice Foundation. "While Malala Yousafzai is being celebrated for her accomplishments and yet unfulfilled future potential, Aafia Siddique is wasting away in a maximum security prison cell on a military base in the land of 'liberty and justice for all!'"

On October 9, 2014, Dr. Aafia Siddique's family issued an announcement that US District Judge Richard Berman, without any warning, had ordered the case closed for the appeal of her conviction.

Aafia's sister, Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui told Al-Jazeera that she is convinced that "coercion tactics" were used to make her withdraw her appeal because according to their last communication, Aafia said she was "determined to fight her case."



Aafia, who is being held in solitary confinement, has not been allowedphone calls to her family in Pakistan since initiating her appeal.

"We have not been allowed [in-person contact] with her at any time. There is a prison rule that she gets to speak to family for 300 minutes per month - as long as the family pays for the call. We did get that order, and the only time that was implemented was when there were worldwide demonstrations - at those times there were calls. But since filing the appeal they have kept Aafia completely incommunicado," stated her sister.

"This is not Aafia's decision. I know because my last conversation with her was that she was visited [in her dreams] by our prophet Muhammad, saw, and he was pleased with my efforts and the appeal. She said it is for this reason I consent,and if we don't connect again DO NOT believe any statement to the contrary on my behalf."

"Since then we have had absolutely no contact with her. I know she did not withdraw of her own free will. She has been coerced. God knows how much torture [she's been forced to endure], complete solitary and manipulations.... It horrifies me to even think about what she has been forced to go through."

Previous reports about her treatment at Carswell included stripping her naked and forcing her to walk on the Quran in order to be allowed to attend hearings - one reason she has held back from the appeal until receiving spiritual permission. Therefore it makes no sense that Aafia would withdraw her appeal now. She has nothing to lose by appealing.

Reuters reports that Aafia wrote a statement, "I refuse to participate in this system of total injustice that has punished and tortured me repeatedly, and continues to do so, without my having committed a crime." She wrote that she wanted to be sent home to Pakistan through diplomacy, not through the legal system.

The openly hostile judge, the very same judge who sentenced her in early 2010, is reported to have ordered the case closed. Even if the appeal had continued, he likely would have ruled against her, he said. The Nation, Pakistan, reported that US District Judge Richard Berman stated he had "allowed" Dr. Aafia Siddiqui to withdraw what could be the last appeal of her conviction on charges of attempted murder. Berman claimed that Siddiqui, who is serving an 86-year sentence in a prison medical centre in Texas, had 'clearly and unequivocally' stated her intent to end the appeal.

According to Salman Khan of the Free Aafia Movement, the ruling came as a shock as they had hoped that the application for a retrial would receive a fair judgment. Despite vehement attempts to protest his inclusion, he said they were unable to have him removed from proceedings.

"Just to reopen the trial costs $150,000, and then to remove him it would have cost us a further $100,000," Khan said.

In 2003, Aafia was wanted by the FBI for questioning for possible ties to al Qaeda and was detained by Pakistani authorities. This tiny woman was named as one of the FBI's most wanted "terrorists." She was handed over to US agents and held incommunicado in Afghanistan for five years.

Siddiqui was never charged with links to terrorism. The FBI agents, US soldiers and interpreters said that as they were about to interrogate her at an Afghan police compound in Ghazni, Afghanistan, she supposedly grabbed a rifle and began shooting at them. None of them were wounded, but she was shot in the abdomen when they "returned fire." At her trial, Aafia's lawyer argued that there was no evidence the rifle had been fired. No bullets, shell casings or bullet debris were recovered.

Before the US brought her captive to the US, Siddiqui's family says Aafia was raped and tortured at the US military's Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Aafia has become a popular figure in her home country of Pakistan, which has influenced a wide variety of Islamic fighting groups to attempt to win her release. It is hard to think of any other woman in the world who is so deeply loved by millions of people around the world.

In 2011, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan took a Swiss couple hostage and said they could be freed if Siddiqui were released. In Afghanistan, the Taliban asked for her release as part of a deal to free US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl. ISIS proposed swapping American journalist James Foley for her, but the US refused and allowed his execution.

http://newtrendmag.org/ntma1572.htm

Supreme Court Rejects Tarek Mehanna’s appeal

No Justice for Muslim Political Prisoners.
Supreme Court Rejects Tarek Mehanna’s appeal;
Ziyad Yaghi, Abdul Razak Ali also denied appeal
by Sis. Karin Friedemann [Boston]

On Monday, October 6, 2014 the US Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Tarek Mehanna, a Massachusetts resident who is serving a 17 1/2 year sentence for translating ancient Arabic texts on jihad for the Islamic website At Tibyan.

Mehanna claims he was threatened with prosecution after refusing to act as an informant for the FBI. He is accused of support for terrorism, though his support never included picking up a gun. The government alleges that Mehanna “intended” to go to Iraq to take up arms against the US, although there is no evidence. Mehanna is guilty of nothing more than saying in passing that Iraqis have a right to defend themselves.

“I’m disappointed to see even the highest court still submissive to the executive branch’s fabrication of charges,” Mehanna’s father, Ahmed Mehanna, 64, said. “It’s clearly the First Amendment [at issue], and they refused to even look at it.”

Mehanna’s prosecutor, US Attorney Carmen Ortiz, is the same one who is pursuing the prosecutions of youths accused in relation to the Boston Marathon bombings. She claims Mehanna was “using the Internet to encourage others to support terrorism.”

Boston FBI Agent Vincent Lisi in charge of framing the case against Mehanna stated, “From his travel to Yemen to receive training to kill American soldiers to his material support for terrorism at home, it was clear Mr. Mehanna trained to be a terrorist.”

Prosecutors say Mehanna traveled with Ahmad Abousamra to Yemen in 2004 to join a terrorist training camp, while Mehanna insists he traveled there to learn Arabic. He had expressed some light-hearted interest to a friend in checking out the famous al Qaeda training camps, but they don’t really exist as tourism adventure spots anymore in this decade now that Reagan is no longer president. Mehanna never did go to any camp to participate in any weapons training, and even if he had, that is not the same thing as signing up for a war against the US. Mehanna’s lawyers said he didn’t give any tangible support to al-Qaida, and his online activities were protected free speech.

“We are disappointed that the Supreme Court declined to hear the case,” a lawyer for Mehanna, P. Sabin Willett told ABC News.

Mehanna’s father said his family had not even had “one iota of hope” that his son would get a hearing before the high court, in light of the news reports on ISIS.

“Unfortunately, the Supreme Court is affected by such a saga and such media frenzy,” Ahmed Mehanna said. “It is a very, very sad day.”

“Everybody agrees that Mehanna supported al-Qaida’s cause; At Tibyan is a fairly popular terrorist forum, and Mehanna translated its content with the clear intention of swaying opinion toward the jihadist cause. But translating, publishing, and praising ideological texts, no matter how morally vile, is generally considered to be a basic free speech activity. Everyone knows that the First Amendment protects translations of Mein Kampf. Why did Mehanna’s translation of jihadist hosannas land him behind bars?” writes Mark Joseph Stern in Slate.

“Where, exactly, does free speech end and unlawful terrorist coordination begin?”

Mehanna had no idea his actions were criminal. He possessed the self-confidence and outspoken attitude of a relatively affluent, American born male.

“A major issue that seems to remain open as a result of the Court’s decision is the extent to which a defendant must “coordinate” his or her activities with the FTO [Foreign Terrorist Organization] in question in order to be convicted under § 2339. The Court had previously held in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, 130 S. Ct. 2705 (2010), that § 2339 “reaches only material support coordinated with or under the direction of a designated foreign terrorist organization” (emphasis added),” writes Alex Ely in lawfareblog.com.

Andy Wang of lawfareblog explains, “The 1996 “material support” provision, 18 U.S.C. § 2339, criminalizes the providing of “material support or resources” to a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). Providing “material support or resources” can mean the providing of “any property... or service” to the FTO... The government succeeded in convicting him under the material support provision, and the First Circuit affirmed the conviction.”

“Mehanna’s petition opens with a statutory argument—that his actions were not criminal under any reasonable definition of the word “coordination.” Noting that he only translated the texts—at his own discretion—and that the translations were not committed, directed, paid for by, performed in concert with, or presented to any FTO, Mehanna argues that he could not possibly have “coordinate[d]” with any FTOs... he merely translated the texts at his own discretion and disseminated them to other users on the internet.”

Mehanna concludes, “If the government’s low bar for what actions and speech constitute “coordination” is allowed to stand, it would impose unconstitutional sanctions for merely talking or associating with people on the internet.”

However, Mehanna’s vacation to Yemen, the government argued, was enough to let the conviction stand, brushing aside the issue of whether translations alone can constitute sufficient coordination and material support.

This week the Supreme Court also denied appeal to Ziyad Yaghi, another American-born Muslim found guilty of suspicious vacationing after he went to Egypt in search of a bride and tried to make a stop in Jerusalem; and Guantanamo inmate Abdul Razak Ali.

UK Terror Case against Moazzam Begg Collapses

TMO 

On October 1, 2014 the UK dropped all seven charges against Moazzam Begg, Outreach Director of the Muslim prisoner advocacy organization CAGE, due to “lack of evidence.” The judge, Mr. Justice Wilkie, then “entered a formal verdict of not guilty” and “ordered that Begg be set free immediately.”

CAGE has insisted all along that Begg’s arrest last February was politically motivated, targeting him for his work on exposing complicity between the Asad regime and illegal torture and rendition in Syria. His arrest took place the day before his research report on Syria was to be released to the public. This was the second time that a major Western country has held Moazzam Begg without trial and so serious questions must be asked about why this has been allowed to happen for a second time.

Andy Worthington wrote that “it was impossible to believe that Begg, one of the most scrutinized Muslims in the UK, would have engaged in any activities that could be construed as terrorism.” 

Begg says he suspects the explanation for his wrongful imprisonment probably embraces incompetence, Islamophobia, maliciousness and fear. “I think we will know the answer one day and it will be very embarrassing.”

The “new information” which emerged just in time for his pre-trial hearing includes the minutes of meetings that MI5 had neglected to hand over to police and prosecutors, in which Begg had explained that he was planning to visit Syria in part to investigate the agency’s involvement in kidnapping a man in Syria and bringing him to Libya for torture. MI5 told him they would not stop him.

The Crown Prosecution Services issued a statement that said: “If we had been made aware of all of this information at the time of charging, we would not have charged.”

West Midlands police officers are reportedly furious that MI5 had withheld the minutes of its meetings with Begg for so long. They said that MI5 had pressured local police to arrest him.

It has also emerged in court that not long after that meeting with MI5, Begg’s car was bugged for more than a year. Begg says it is inevitable that he will be bringing civil proceedings against MI5 and the government.

He told the Guardian he “feels cheated” by the prosecutors’ decision to abandon the case against him. “I wanted my day in court; I was spoiling for the fight. I wanted to challenge every allegation in the case against me. I believe that if I had put my case before a jury I would have been acquitted.”

Begg told the Guardian that the Belmarsh high-security prison in south London where he was detained without bail was much more pleasant than the three years he spent in Guantanamo, where he was hooded, handcuffed in stress positions, kicked in the head by US soldiers who threatened his family members with harm.

Nevertheless, he is still “bewildered” that so many British Muslims have faced arrest and imprisonment after returning from Syria. Some, he says, spent no more than a couple of weeks there, during which many were deeply disturbed by the brutality of Isis.

“People returned specifically because they did not want to be part of that … they wanted to come back,” said Begg.

“In Denmark and Germany they are not arresting returnees from Syria. We need to find another way. Not to take young men, some as young as 19, and put them away for 15 years because they made a misjudgment about the way the British government would view them.”

While in Syria, Begg helped to run a training camp in the countryside near Idlib, north-west Syria, where opponents of the regime could undergo military- style physical exercise training and acquire the rudiments of first aid. This, Begg insists, was not an act of terrorism, but an attempt to help people defend themselves against war criminals.

The charges against him involved claims that he attended a terrorist training camp in Syria “knowing or believing instruction or training was provided there for the purposes of terrorism” between October 9, 2012 and April 9, 2013 and that he possessed documents for a purpose connected to terrorism and terrorist funding.

“I was never afraid to go to court. Any right-minded person on a jury would have seen very early on that I am not the terrorist here,” he says.

Amandla Thomas-Johnson, spokesperson for CAGE, said, “Moazzam Begg and his family have suffered over the past 7 months not only because of his incarceration but also because of the financial sanctions imposed upon him, as a result of which his bank accounts (including joint accounts) were frozen or shut down. His wife was unable to pay her utility bills that were held in their joint names without receiving a license from the Treasury, and it became a criminal offense to even try and support his family with money and food during this period. Our thoughts are with his family and we share in the joy of receiving him home again.”

“We call on the CPS to review all ongoing Syria-related terrorism trials to review the evidence and drop charges. We believe many of these trials and the campaigns against Muslim charities and individuals working in Syria are politically motivated fishing expeditions using the wide scope of terror laws and Prevent policy to criminalize Muslims.”

“We also ask that the British state reviews its policies of harassment intimidation and politically motivated prosecutions of Muslims involved in the Syria crisis.”

Mirza Begg, brother of Moazzam Begg, told CAGE, “We are just so happy to have Moazzam home with us in time for Eid.”

Moazzam Begg freed: UK drops charges

Blatant Attempt to Stop Humanitarian Aid to Islamic People in Syria Fails on Legal Grounds. 

http://newtrendmag.org/ntma1570.htm


On Wednesday, October 2, 2014 Moazzam Begg was released from prison after all charges against him were dropped due to "insufficient evidence" that Begg's trips to Syria involved terrorism. Begg's lawyer, Gareth Peirce, who described her client as "a good man trying to the right thing in a very difficult world," told the Guardian that "he should never have been charged, as his activities did not amount to terrorism."

The former Guantanamo inmate had received a generous payout after suing the UK for wrongful imprisonment that enabled him to buy a house in England for his family. Begg became a tireless activist for prisoner rights and served as Outreach Director for CAGE. He was re-arrested in February by the Crown Prosecution Service the day before his report on Syria was scheduled to be released. He was being held without bail in prison, until his sudden release Wednesday.

Government prosecutor Christopher Hehir told the court, "The prosecution have recently become aware of relevant material, in the light of which, after careful and anxious consideration, the conclusion has been reached that there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction in this case. The prosecution therefore offers no evidence." Mirza Begg, brother of Moazzam Begg said, "We are just so happy to have Moazzam home with us in time for Eid."

Andy Worthington wrote that "it was impossible to believe that Begg, one of the most scrutinized Muslims in the UK, would have engaged in any activities that could be construed as terrorism."

UK security services had already interviewed Begg before his last trip to Syria in April 2013. Knowing that he was doing research on the US torture rendition program under the Assad regime, they did not prevent him from traveling. However, his passport was taken away upon his return. It is remarkable that the British government has now admitted that they had no case against Begg and dropped the charges - especially compared to the common practice in the US of using prejudice to sway the jury to convict Muslim defendants in the absence of clear and convincing evidence.

Neither the Crown Prosecution Service nor the local police would say what "new material" had impacted the government's decision that the standard of proof had not been met. The local Muslim community and other supporters were extremely active in advocating for Begg and insisting on his innocence and his importance to human rights activism. It is probable that public pressure played a role in his release, especially at this time when the suspicion and demonization of British Muslims that have gone to Syria has increased in intensity.

Amandla Thomas-Johnson, spokesperson for CAGE expressed relief that the ordeal, which had largely paralyzed the prisoner advocacy organization, was over.

"Moazzam Begg and his family have suffered over the past 7 months not only because of his incarceration but also because of the financial sanctions imposed upon him, as a result of which his bank accounts (including joint accounts) were frozen or shut down. His wife was unable to pay her utility bills that were held in their joint names without receiving a license from the Treasury, and it became a criminal offense to even try and support his family with money and food during this period. Our thoughts are with his family and we share in the joy of receiving him home again."

"We call on the CPS to review all ongoing Syria-related terrorism trials to review the evidence and drop charges. We believe many of these trials and the campaigns against Muslim charities and individuals working in Syria are politically motivated fishing expeditions using the wide scope of terror laws and Prevent policy to criminalize Muslims. We also ask that the British state reviews its policies of harassment intimidation and politically motivated prosecutions of Muslims involved in the Syria crisis."

"Everything is terrorism and for those who fear losing their jobs and government funding, terrorism is everything. It is time to change the narrative," wrote Begg the month before his arrest.

Moazzam Begg's past articles can be found on the CAGE website. For example his interviews with British Muslims fighting in Syria and explanation of fighting groups: http://cageuk.org/article/syria-britain%E2%80%99s-new-war-teror and his Islamic explanation of Jihad. http://cageuk.org/article/jihad-and-terrorism-war-words

It remains to be seen whether Begg's written report on torture rendition involving Syrian prisons, confiscated by British police, will now be allowed to be published.

Freeing the Traumatized Mind

TMO 

When looking at the huge death toll and physical destruction taking place in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere, the average person can acknowledge that abuse is taking place. However, the general world population seems to be under some kind of spell or confusion making it impossible for the people who are supposed to be in charge to stop the abuses from occurring. This leaves it up to the victims to rectify the situation.

Perhaps the Muslim world could gain some insight as to how to proceed by looking at victims of domestic abuse and exploring the emotional realms in which the abuser leaves thorns preventing life from going forward in a smooth manner. If ongoing conflict and negativity have become habitual, as in Israel vs. Palestine, this may imply the abuse was caused not by personal, political or economic circumstance – but by the narcissistic personality. The narcissist literally believes himself to be more worthy than other people.

To a person without a highly developed conscience, others exist only to mirror positive images of themselves. If you mention feeling hurt by their actions, their instant response will be to feel indignant – not concerned for your discomfort. They will become enraged that your stated view of them is less than perfect. This psychological profile explains why mentioning what Israel did makes you an “anti-Semite.”

A narcissist does not seek out relationships in order to engage in personal sharing or free trade. They literally do not possess that emotional capacity. Other people exist only to provide their “Narcissistic Supply,” whether it’s financial funding or admiration, or else ongoing personal attention thus validation in the form of back and forth hostilities.

An empathic person cannot even imagine entering a relationship without the sincere goal of sharing.”One must first learn to recognize that psychic abuse is indeed taking place in order to stop further psychic attacks. In order to get our souls back and to protect ourselves from further psychic soul intrusion, we must invoke powerful spiritual tools,” writes Kaleah LaRoche, author of “Spiritual Recovery From Narcissistic Abuse.”

“The psychic cord, or invisible energy stream, between you and the narcissist is very real! It is the continuation of this psychic energy stream after the relationship has ended that keeps you engaged with that person.”

This “psychic cord” when viewed in political terms has been referred to as “the colonial mindset.” Entire human societies have struggled throughout history with the problem of narcissistic abuse from populations who had a misguided sense of entitlement. The Stages of Healing available to the domestically abused can also be applied to political situations affecting populations traumatized by narcissistic abuse.

The most difficult, first step is to realize the reality of evil, politely described as personal limitations. Our decades long attempts to negotiate with the oppressor have failed. Why? We cannot blame ourselves or Hamas. The problem lies in the mind of the aggressor. He has some kind of inability to comprehend you as human.

“He doesn’t have the inner capacity to care about you or your needs. Your needs are of no concern to him. He is on a one-sided quest to get what he wants and you are simply a tool to help him get it… There is truly a dark force at work in the unconscious reality of the narcissist,” writes LaRoche.

A sensitive person could be left quite traumatized by a human interaction that was not based on returning given respect. “There is a psychic intrusion into the world of those intimately involved with the narcissist.”

“Narcissism effects the victim on a very deep soul level. It is a type of “soul rape” that leaves the victim feeling very violated on many levels.”

The first step forward towards healing for those wronged is to forgive themselves for not recognizing that they were being lied to and betrayed by someone who wasn’t thinking of them in terms of a peaceful and respectful coexistence.

“If we don’t understand narcissism or know what to look for how can we know if we are being conned? writes LaRoche.

“On the most part we want to believe the best about people. We want to believe that everybody pretty much wants what we want; love, caring, nurturing, respect and honesty. Our minds have difficulty comprehending the psychopathic or narcissistic reality. It is a reality so far from our own that we cannot conceive of it. The reality of a narcissist is twisted, distorted and confused. But we cannot see this in the beginning.

“The goal is to get yourself back! Your Life-force doesn’t and never did belong to the narcissist in your life! Your life-force energy belongs to you! If you don’t work hard to cut the psychic chords between you and your abuser, the recovery process can drag on for a very long time.”

Naturally, those whose lives have been destroyed will be feeling a deep sense of violation. Healing can only begin when the violator is no longer the center of your life.

Alexander Burgemeester mentions in “Victims of NPD Relationships: Stages of Recovery” that there is a specific process an abused person has to go through in order to be free from being constantly attacked.

The first stage of recovery is when you realize he is not your friend. It has just dawned on you that you’ve been in a relationship with someone who has no empathy. You are exhausted and tired of living in fear. Researching and networking will empower you.

An undervalued yet very important stage of healing from injustice is the Anger Stage: You are angry what has been done to you but also at yourself for letting this happen to you and your family. 

The Affirmative Action Stage is when you begin to effectively make life decisions. This is when you learn how to protect yourself. This is a time of great upheaval. The narcissist will fight you tooth and nail to win and will be very vicious at this stage.

The Mirroring Stage is when you mirror the narcissist’s behavior back at them, effectively scaring them off. Counter-threatening – involving the Court – is the mode of action most recommended for women involved in domestic disputes. Sometimes it takes many instances of “mirroring” before the stubborn narcissist finally “gets it” that the relationship is over.

The final stage of healing from oppression is a stage of realizing that there was nothing you could have done to prevent the nightmare that you just lived through. You start looking working toward your new future and close the door on the narcissist.

Severe Sentences for al Qaeda Spokespersons: Son Targeted

Severe Sentences for al Qaeda Spokespersons: Son Targeted
Life in Prison for Association with Shaykh Osama bin Laden

by Karin Friedemann [Boston]

Suleiman Abu Ghaith has not been accused of having a role in the plot to attack the World Trade Center or of knowing about it, but on September 8, 2014, he was sentenced by federal court in Manhattan to life in prison for associating with and disseminating messages on behalf of Osama bin Laden.

Abu Ghaith's attorney, Stanley Cohen argued that Mr. Abu Ghaith was an Islamic theologian, speaking for Muslims more broadly and had not been specifically referring to Al Qaeda in the videos. Cohen said the prosecution had "gone out of its way to exploit the anguish and pain of 9/11 to fill an enormous evidentiary vacuum," making it "literally impossible for a jury of New Yorkers to look objectively" at the case.

"The government opened with 70 references to 9/11 and Osama bin Laden. They closed with 167 references to Osama bin Laden and 9/11. During the cross examination of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith you saw a ten minute video of the World Trade Center on fire."

In early 2013 Abu Ghaith reportedly testified that he described being consulted by Bin Laden on the night after the 9/11 attacks for his opinion. Abu Ghaith testified that he told Bin Laden that "America, if it was proven that you were the one who did this, will not settle until it accomplishes two things: to kill you and topple the state of Taliban."

On September 12 he agreed to Bin Laden's request that he make a public statement. Bin Laden said, "I am going to give you some points and you build around them that speech."

The US indictment states that on September 12, 2001, Abu Ghaith, appearing with, among others, Bin Laden and Bin Laden's then-deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, spoke on behalf of al Qaeda and warned the United States and its allies that "a great army is gathering against you" and called upon the "nation of Islam" to do battle against "the Jews, the Christians and the Americans." Abu Ghaith addressed the US Secretary of State, warning that "the storms shall not stop, especially the Airplanes Storm" and advised Muslims, children, and opponents of the United States "not to board any aircraft and not to live in high rises."

He attributed the Sept. 11 attacks to the United States' policies toward Muslims. "The American people must know that they bear full responsibility."

"There are clear requirements under the law. You know, if you want to turn around and indict people for words, there's about 270 Congressmen and women right now that have said some pretty incendiary things about a lot of things, maybe we should start there," Cohen said.

"From the very beginning, this case was wrapped in a shroud of secrecy, and an inability to get access to people."

Cohen said the judge refused to allow the defense to introduce testimony from Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who pled guilty to being the "mastermind" of 9/11 and is detained at Guantánamo Bay. Cohen had argued that Mohammed, with his unsurpassed knowledge of Qaeda operations, could help clear his client. That the government does not consider Mohammed's testimony to have relevance certainly sheds doubt upon Mohammed's testimony, which was obtained under torture.

Cohen had sought a sentence of 15 years for his client, saying that a life sentence would be "the harshest of penalties for talk — and only talk." Comparing Abu Ghaith to "an outrageous daytime 'shock-radio' host," Cohen emphasized that his client had played no role in specific acts of terrorism.

Asked whether he had ever taken part in any plan to kill Americans or anyone else, Abu Ghaith said no. He had hoped that his speeches and videos would have led the United States to say, "Let's go and sit down and talk and solve this problem."

Abu Ghaith also testified that Bin Laden wanted him to lecture in the Qaeda camps because the trainees had a "hard life."

"I need you to change that," Bin Laden told him. He said Bin Laden wanted him to make them be merciful.

US prosecutor, Michael Ferrara taunted Abu Ghaith, "You're telling this jury that Bin Laden asked you to speak at those training camps where men were armed and learning how to use guns because he wanted you to talk about mercy?"
"Yes," Mr. Abu Ghaith replied.

Abu Ghaith's assets have been seized by the US government.

On September 19, 2014 Adel Abdul Bary another Islamic media spokesperson, who was extradited from the UK to the US, accepted a plea bargain to get a reduced sentence of 25 years, 14 of which he has already served in prison. The US government dropped his murder charges in exchange for his guilty plea.

Abdel Bari was accused of issuing statements on behalf of Egyptian Islamic Jihad to several press organizations. His indictment states that Bary "transmitted, via international telephone calls to the media, the contents of al Qaeda's claims of responsibility for the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which killed 224 people. The next day, he transmitted threats of future attacks by the same terrorists, to media organizations in France, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Bary additionally arranged for messages to be transmitted to and from members of the media to his co-conspirators, including Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The FBI now claims that the defendant's son, Abdel-Majed Abdel Bari, an amateur rapper who became religious, is the masked man in the beheading videos of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and British aid worker John Haines.

http://newtrendmag.org/ntma1569.htm