As President Barack Obama made his public appearance with Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Monday as part of his first trip to a Muslim country, U.S. federal agents were preparing to arrest Youssef Megahed in Tampa, Fla. Just three days earlier, on Friday, a jury in a U.S. federal district court had acquitted him of charges of illegally transporting explosives and possession of an explosive device.

 

Obama aliahidi, alipokutana na Gul, "kuunda mikakati ambayo inaweza kuziba mgawanyiko kati ya ulimwengu wa Kiislamu na Magharibi ambayo inaweza kutufanya tuwe na ufanisi zaidi na salama zaidi."

 

Megahed, acquitted by a jury of his peers, thought he was secure, back with his family. He was enrolled in his final course needed to earn a degree at the University of South Florida. Then the nightmare he had just escaped returned. His father told me: “Yesterday around noon, I took my son to buy something from Wal-Mart … when we received a call from our lawyer that we must meet him immediately. … When we got to the parking lot, we found ourselves surrounded by more than seven people. They dress in normal clothes without any badges, without any IDs, surrounded us and give me a paper.

 

“Nao wakaniambia, 'Tia sahihi hii.' 'Tia saini hii kwa ajili ya nini?' Namuuliza. Waliniambia, 'Tutamchukua mwanao ... ili kumfukuza.' ”

 

Megahed is being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for a deportation proceeding. The charges are the same ones on which he was completely acquitted. In August 2007, Megahed and a fellow USF student took a road trip to see the Carolinas. When pulled over for speeding, police found something in the trunk that they described as explosives. Megahed’s co-defendant, Ahmed Mohamed, said they were homemade fireworks.

 

Waendesha mashtaka walionyesha video ya mtandaoni ya Mohamed, iliyosemekana kuonyesha jinsi ya kubadilisha mwanasesere kuwa kifaa cha kulipua vilipuzi. Akiwa anakabiliwa na miaka 30 jela, Mohamed alichukua makubaliano ya kusihi na sasa anatumikia miaka 15. Megahed alikana hatia, na jury ya shirikisho katika kesi yake ilikubaliana na utetezi wake: Alikuwa abiria asiyejua na asiye na hatia kabisa ya kosa lolote.

 

Hapo ndipo ICE inapoingia. Licha ya kuondolewa mashtaka katika kesi ya jinai ya shirikisho, inabainika kuwa watu bado wanaweza kukamatwa na kufukuzwa nchini kwa kuzingatia mashtaka yale yale. Katiba ya Marekani inalinda watu dhidi ya "hatari mara mbili," kushtakiwa mara mbili kwa kosa moja. Lakini katika ulimwengu wa giza wa kizuizini cha wahamiaji, zinageuka kuwa hatari mbili ni halali kabisa.

 

Ahmed Bedier, rais wa Baraza la Haki za Kibinadamu la Tampa na mtangazaji mwenza wa "True Talk," kipindi cha mambo ya kimataifa katika kituo cha redio ya jamii ya Tampa WMNF kinachoangazia Waislamu na Wamarekani Waislamu, anakosoa mashambulizi yaliyoenea na yanayoendelea dhidi ya jamii ya Waislamu wa Marekani. na serikali ya shirikisho, ikitenga Vikosi Kazi vya Pamoja vya Ugaidi, au JTTFs. JTTFs, Bedier anasema, "haijumuishi tu maajenti wa shirikisho la FBI, lakini pia wakaguzi wa posta, mawakala wa IRS, maafisa wa polisi wa mitaa na manaibu wa sheriff, aina yoyote ya utekelezaji wa sheria," na wakati wakala mmoja unashindwa kuchukua mtu binafsi, wakala mwingine. anaingia. "Ni kama pweza," anasema.

 

Wakati hukumu ya kutokuwa na hatia iliposomwa mahakamani Ijumaa iliyopita, babake Megahed, Samir, alienda kwa waendesha mashtaka. Bedier alikumbuka: “Iliwashangaza watu wengi. Alisogea hadi kwa upande wa mashtaka, watu ambao wamekuwa wakimfuatilia mtoto wake kwa miaka kadhaa sasa, na kuwapeana mikono, akanyoosha mkono wake, na akapeana mikono na timu ya mashtaka na FBI wenyewe na kisha kupeana mikono na Hakimu. Hakimu alipeana mikono na Youssef na kumtakia 'bahati njema katika maisha yako ya usoni' ... kesi ilikuwa imekwisha."

 

Obama alisema nchini Uturuki, “[W]e hatujioni kuwa taifa la Kikristo au taifa la Kiyahudi au taifa la Kiislamu; tunajiona kuwa taifa la raia waliofungwa na maadili na seti ya maadili."

 

Until Monday, Samir Megahed praised the justice system of the United States. He told me, “I feel happiness, and I’m very proud, because the system works.” At a press conference after his son’s ICE arrest, he said: “America is the country of freedom. I think there is no freedom here. For Muslims there is no freedom.”

Denis Moynihan alichangia utafiti kwenye safu hii.

Amy Goodman ndiye mtangazaji wa kipindi cha “Demokrasia Sasa!,” kipindi cha habari cha kila siku cha televisheni/redio kinachorushwa kwenye zaidi ya vituo 700 vya Amerika Kaskazini. Alitunukiwa Tuzo ya Haki ya Maisha ya 2008, iliyopewa jina la "Alternative Nobel", na akapokea tuzo hiyo katika Bunge la Uswidi mnamo Desemba.

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