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Shackled
Dreams: A Palestinian's Struggle for Truth,
Justice, and the American Way
by Sami A. Al-Arian
"Shackled
Dreams" is a must-read for anyone interested
in the status of civil rights in post-Sept.
11 America and the plight of pro-Palestinian
activists. It describes the life and work
of Dr. Sami Al-Arian, a former University
of South Florida professor targeted by John
Ashcroft's Justice Department as a result
of his extraordinary efforts to raise awareness
about human rights violations against Palestinians.
The final
section of the book contains illuminating
interviews, speeches and articles by Al-Arian,
who has been detained in Florida since Feb.
2003, where he is awaiting trial. More than
anything, "Shackled Dreams" sets
straight misconceptions about Al-Arian's
case, tireless work and his beliefs.
About the
Author
The son of
Palestinian refugees, Dr. Sami Al-Arian
came to the United States in 1975, where
he has since lived with his wife of 25 years,
Nahla, and his five American-born children.
Dr. Al-Arian
has been professor at the University of
South Florida, where he taught computer
science since 1986 and received two awards
for outstanding teaching. In 1990, he co-founded
the World and Islam Studies Enterprise (WISE),
a research and academic institution dedicated
to promoting dialogue between the Muslim
and Western worlds.
Dr. Al-Arian
has been a tireless voice for freedom and
justice at home and around the world. In
1997, he cofounded the Tampa Bay Coalition
for Justice and Peace, a local coalition
opposed to the unconstitutional use of secret
evidence and other civil rights violations,
as well as ongoing media attacks against
Arabs and Muslims. He also co-founded the
National Coalition to Protect Political
Freedom, the nation's leading coalition
challenging the use of secret evidence,
and was elected as its first president in
2000. Dr. Al Arian is the recipient of three
Civil Rights Awards from the American Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the
American Muslim Council (AMC), and American
Muslim Alliance (AMA).
Dr. Sami
Al-Arian was arrested by federal authorities
in February 2003 on spurious charges of
supporting terrorism. He still awaits his
trial.
Reviews
"The
case of Dr. Sami Al-Arian will be seen by
history as a defense of the best aspects
of the U.S. Constitution that Sami has embraced,
and in which he continues to have faith."
--C. Peter Erlinder, William Mitchell College
of Law.
"In
learning to fight McCarthyism through Jeffersonian
liberalism, [Sami] became absolutely convinced
that the American Muslim must find ways
to replace the culture of bullet with the
culture of ballot."
--Agha K. Saeed, American Muslim Alliance.
"Were
it not for the suffering of... Sami Al-Arian,
we Americans might still proudly proclaim
that our judicial system deems the accused
innocent until proven guilty."
--Charles E. Butterworth, University of
Maryland.
Related Item
Dr. Sami Al-Arian's
poetry book "Conspiring Against Joseph
- Reflections of a Prisoner of Conscience
in a Federal Penitentiary"
Links
Free
Sami Al-Arian website
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