America Psycho

[mattd]

COURT-KNAPPING In America, more than 1,200 people have so far been held in 
connection with the attacks on September 11th - most because of the colour 
of their skin. The majority of those arrested have nothing to do with 
terrorism, but have been jailed for minor visa violations that normally 
would be ignored. Take Ali Al-Maqtari, a Yemeni immigrant who spent eight 
weeks in jail. Al-Maqtari told the Senate Judiciary Committee about being 
interrogated for 12 hours, lied to by the FBI, accused of beating his wife, 
then locked up unable to contact his wife or solicitors. All because his 
wife wore a head scarf to a recruiting centre when she enlisted in the 
Army, spoke in a foreign language (French), and because soldiers found box 
cutters and New York City postcards in their car. Or what about Samir 
Khalaf, a Palestinian who worked at a gas station in Connecticut. He went 
to the hospital with chest pains on Sept. 12. People thought he was acting 
suspicious. They called the police, who called the FBI. After his emergency 
operation, the Feds took him - against doctors' advice - to jail. There he 
remained, charged with failure to get a work permit. However, he was in the 
country legally and was quickly cleared of terrorism suspicion and an 
immigration judge ruled at the beginning of October that he could go home. 
But then the Immigration and Naturalization Service wouldn't let him go 
until November. Michael Boyle, solicitor for Al-Maqtari, told the US Senate 
meeting discussing the Department of Justice actions that these aren't 
isolated incidents, but are "part of a pattern of excessive detention and 
disrespect for the rights of non-citizens." The war on terrorism has become 
a war on people - if you're the wrong colour, have the wrong views, or are 
merely in the wrong place at the wrong time, then you better watch out 
because you could potentially be the next terrorist. * Coalition Against 
the Terrorism Act c/o Haldane Society, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, 
London WC1R 4RL Tel: 0845 458 2966 http://go.to/ta2000 * Read full story of 
America's detainees on www.alternet.org