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Fulan: 2010 (A Witness & A Call)

19 May

A Witness and a Call

From your imprisoned brothers in the Guantanamo of Britain (Belmarsh Prison)
To the Muslims all over the World:

This is the second letter in which we describe to you the oppression we experience at the hands of the British, as a result of what you know of the policies of this country and its engagement in all forms of oppression as done by other countries like Israel and US against the Muslims, but (this oppression is done) in a manner that fools the weak and simple minded.

We had mentioned to you before that the situation here in Belmarsh is akin, without any difference except in its portrayal from that which occurs to your Muslim brothers in Guantanamo, and their newspapers, and some of the more truthful journalists testify to this; but the government tries to conceal all this from the media and strives to do as it wishes in a secretive manner.

When the government began to find out that the knowledge of its oppression had begun to leak into the public domain it brought a TV crew which began to take photos of Belmarsh prison which had become a source of shame for it, like Guantanamo became a shame on US, in an attempt to enhance its image. It further took photos of some of the short term benefits, such as the provision of good food and interviewed some of the prisoners who were benefiting from some of these benefits, and likewise photographed some of activities that occur within the prison, making the prison out to be a paradise that someone outside it would desire.

Frankly, your brothers here didn’t know of this deception that was happening in this land, nay, they thought it was restricted to our home lands, but it became clear that all the lies that are told in our lands, were taken and derived from the policies of this country and its government.

The situation of your brothers has become unacceptably bad, for some of your brothers almost lost their minds, and others have begun to suffer from psychological diseases. This is not as a result of nothing; rather this was a pre-planned evil and malevolent policy to cause your brothers to reach these levels.

Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on May 19, 2013 in Letters from Fulan, Risala

 

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Abu Qatada A Step Closer to Freedom (But Still a Prisoner of the UK System)

09 Feb

The fifty-one year old Omar Othman, Abu Qatada al-Filistini, a Palestinian refugee with Jordanian nationality  has spent the last six years in various maximum security prisons for Category A offenders. Since his original detention in October 2002, every attempt to deport him to Jordan has been frustrated. The law lords ruled three years ago that he could be sent back but the Strasbourg decision overturned that ruling.

The Home Office clashed openly with judges on Monday when it criticised a decision to free on bail, Abu Qatada, who is accused of posing a grave threat to British national security. The decision by Mr Justice Mitting will see Abu Qatada, once described as Osama bin Laden’s righthand man in Europe, walk out of Long Lartin maximum security prison in Worcestershire after more than six and a half years in detention without trial – the longest period in modern times [see footnote].

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) has imposed some of the most draconian bail conditions seen since 9/11, including a twenty-two hour curfew, but this did little to assuage the anger of the Home Office ministers or politicians from all parties at the decision.

The clash takes the battle between politicians and the judiciary into new territory as Abu Qatada is a major international terror suspect. He was first detained without trial in Britain under the quashed Belmarsh regime nearly a decade ago, in October 2002.

The decision taken by the high court judge at SIAC follows the ruling by the European court of human rights that he could not be deported toJordan because he would face a “flagrant denial of justice” – a retrial based on evidence obtained through torture. Abu Qatada had been detained under immigration laws for the past six and half years pending his deportation to Jordan. Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on February 9, 2012 in Bushara, News Items

 

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Bilal Ahmad: October 1, 2011 (Some Advice on Security)

01 Oct

Bismillaah ar-Rahmaan ar-Raheem.

01 OCTOBER 2011
DHUL-QADAH 03, 1432

Bilal Zaheer Ahmad
Prison Number A4773AY
HMP Belmarsh
Western Way
London
SE28 OEB
United Kingdom

To my dear brothers/sisters of Ansaar ul-Aseer,

As salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.

I pray this letter reaches you all in the best of the health and eemaan. For those of us living in the West, it is clear that the mukhabaraat are on a witch hunt for Muslims who have gheerah over the oceans of Muslim blood their armies spill across our lands. It is for this reason that I have written this letter for information that may be useful to those of you outside, that despite being innocent of any crime, your thoughts, opinions, and belief in laa ilaaha illa Allaah will make you targets of their oppression. This has been written with knowledge of British law and policies, so may need adapting depending on what country you live in.

Covert Surveillance: There is an array of weapons available to the tawagheet these days from simple well known techniques, such as use of informants and undercover officers, to sophisticated listening devices. The use of technology by law enforcement agencies is bound to increase as science establishes more and more ways for our privacy to be violated. Today in the UK, there are around 4 million CCTV cameras watching us—with around 500,000 in London alone. The use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) evidence is now almost routine evidence in criminal trials that involve an element of surveillance evidence. The culture is that ‘big brother is watching’. In addition to listening devices the police may also use the traditional following of suspects – or nowadays, perhaps the global positioning tracking device on the underside of a suspects car – the ‘tracker’. Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on October 1, 2011 in Letters from Bilal Ahmad, Risala

 

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My Student, the ‘Terrorist’

21 Sep
Pale and gaunt, he stood there, having endured three years of pretrial solitary confinement. “Alhamdullilah,” he said.

Yes. He had allowed an acquaintance to stay with him in his student apartment in London—an acquaintance who had raincoats, ponchos, and waterproof socks in his luggage, which the acquaintance later delivered to Al Qaeda.One day before his case was set to go to trial, nearly four years after he had been arrested, Syed Fahad Hashmi, a U.S. citizen, accepted a government plea bargain on one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism.

Eight years earlier, Fahad and I had sat across from each other in my office. A student in my civil-rights seminar, he had come in to discuss his final research paper. Months after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, he wanted to examine the denial of civil rights and constitutional protections that Muslim groups across the political spectrum were facing in the United States.

A devout Muslim and outspoken political activist, Fahad had been a lively and overly talkative participant in class discussion. Relishing debate, he had not shied away from disagreement. I often saw him in the halls before and after class deliberating with other students, discussing the issues of the day or denouncing U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and the treatment of Muslims in America. He seemed to prefer to talk to those who did not share his political views, and to possess the overly optimistic belief that with a good argument, he could win others over. He would sometimes tire me out by his indefatigable talking, and on occasion, by leaving materials in my mailbox about converting to Islam. His utopia was a state ruled by religious law, and he held beliefs that I certainly did not share about global politics and the ascendancy of Islam.

Still, Fahad—or Syed, as I called him then—was a thoughtful student, and I admired his spunk and stubborn willingness to question authority. I found out later that because all the men in his family had Syed as a first name, he was known to friends and family as Fahad. But like many other students at Brooklyn College, he was too respectful to correct me.

His final paper contended that in contradiction to the Bill of Rights, the civil liberties of Muslim-American groups were being violated in the aftermath of September 11. It began with the American philosopher Randolph Bourne’s claim that in times of war, dissent becomes seditious: “Minority opinion, which in times of peace, was only irritating and could not be dealt with by law unless it was conjoined with actual crime, becomes, with the outbreak of war, a case for outlawry.”

That summer, Fahad e-mailed me for advice. He wanted to know how to become a professor. The next semester he came to my office. He was applying to master’s-degree programs in England. Would I write him a recommendation? Yes, I said, that makes sense. In 2003, there was a much more developed intellectual conversation among British academics on the role of Islam in global politics than there was in the United States. I’d be happy to write a letter. He got up to leave. Almost at the door, he opened his backpack and nervously turned to face me.    Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on September 21, 2011 in Collateral Damage

 

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Roshanara Choudhary: September 5, 2011 (Conditions of Captivity [Bilal Ahmad Interviews Rosharnara])

05 Sep

Bismillaah ar Rahmaan ar-Raheem

Revolution Muslim Belmarsh interviews imprisoned Mujaahidah Roshanara Choudhry (Fakk’Allaahu asrah) on her prison conditions.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

{R.C. Response dated 7th Shawwal 1432}
[Salaams exchanged]

BZA: Are there male prison officers in your prison?

RC: Yes, there are male officers and staff members that roam the wings. There are also male inmates. There are two on our house block at the moment . One lives opposite my cell. The other is a Lebanese apostate.

BZA: Do your captors ever try to prevent you from covering your awrah or hair?

RC: No in general , they don’t prevent sisters from covering their awrah or hair. In my case, when I first arrived in Bronzefield, they initially banned me from having my abayah but then it was eventually given to me after about two weeks. When I was being transferred to Bronzefield, they made me wear a blue and yellow suit but they let me keep my headscarf on.

BZA: In Belmarsh, sometimes female landing officers look through our observation window with no warning. They also sometimes enter our cell in khalwa for LBB checks. Is it the same case with male officers in your prison?

RC: Yes, male officers do search/check our cells and most of them look through our observation window with little or no warning.

BZA: Do you have to cell-share with a kaafira?

RC: I’m in a single cell. I’m not allowed to share because of my categorization. Sometimes sisters are ordered to share with non-muslims but they do have the option of refusing.

BZA: The prison service order on women prisoners states there are chaplains in women’s prison. Do you pray behind an imam in your prison or does a woman lead the salaah in the front row?

RC: The muslim chaplain here is a woman and she leads the prayer in the front row.

BZA: Are there many muslimaat in your prison, and what kind of charges are they on?

RC: There are not many muslim women in prison. I’m the only one on my spur at the moment. The kinds of charges they are inside for include murder, importation, prostitution of children, stealing, fraud, immigration problems, child abuse, racism, supplying undercover robbery, GBH, misconduct in a public office. But I think it has to be taken into account that not all the sisters are true muslims and only pretend to be for the sake of a man/Ramadhan perks.

I hope the answers I’ve given you put your mind at rest……..

Your sister,
Roshonara
_____________________________________________________________________________________________ 

The messenger Muhammad (sal-Allahu ‘alayhe wa sallam said, “Whoever goes to sleep and is not concerned about the affairs of the ummah is not one of us”. As long as our sister (and any other muslim) is in prison, in these conditions; our minds should never rest and our bodies should never sleep. May Allaah protect our sisters, release her and grant her Firdaws. May he free all of the muslim captives, and destroy our oppressors-aameen.

 
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Posted by on September 5, 2011 in Letters from Bilal Ahmad, Letters from Roshanara Choudhary, Risala

 

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Rajib Karim: April 4, 2011 – April 17, 2011

17 Apr

Assalamu ‘Ala Manittaba Al Huda. Peace be upon those who follow the true guidance.

This is a letter intended for the closest ones in my family, my friends, my acquaintances, people who followed my case and supported me through their letters and prayers and anyone else who have taken an interest in my case or followed it in the media.

Since being convicted on 28/02/11 and subsequently being sentenced on 18/03/22 I thought about writing a letter like this, but then I decided not to. I decided I will simply write a letter to my parents. But today I had a visit from my uncle and my conversation with him led me to come to a decision to write this letter. Basically he told me he believes my side of the story and realises that there is a lot of untrue and biased media reporting in terrorism cases – but he finds it very diffucult in dealing with people who ask him about me. My attitude in life since I started practising Islam has always been that as long as my conscience is clean to Allah, I do not worry about what people say or think of me. At the same time I would be careful, so that my actions do not give Islam or the Muslims a bad name. It was with this in mind, I decided against writing a letter explaining my case in any detail. Because I felt if people have already judged me without knowing me properly, then what I write would make very little difference. The reason I am writing now is so that those who do/did know me in real life and those with an open mind from amongst the ones who did not know me personally could hear my side of the story and then decide for themselves what to believe and what not to believe.

I have a feeling it will take me some time to finish writing this letter as I am a slow writer. I have started writing this around 7pm on Sunday 10/4/2011, lets see when I finish. Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on April 17, 2011 in Letters from Rajib Karim, Risala

 

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Dawud Allimadi: March 8, 2011

08 Mar

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

8th March 2011
Mr. Dawud Allimadi
P.No – A9607AA
H.M.P Belmarsh
Thamesmead
London S.E.28 0.E.B

Allah Subhaana Wa ta ala Says:

Or were they Created by nothing, or were they Creators of themselves?  (at-Tur 52:35)

 

Assalamu Alaykum oh son of Adam (AS)

I pray this letter finds you and your family in the best of health and emaan, Ameen.

Kaifa Haaluqa ya aki?

Jazzakullah Khairan for the letter you sent to me so many brothers shall benefit from the hadiths and the advice it contains, insha Allah.  I’m going to read a section of the letter to the brothers (from my window) soon after I complete this letter insha Allah.

Marsha Allah Aki, you put in so much effort in this letter, Jazzakullah Khairan.  The story of Abdullah bin Huthyfa is very inspiring Aki, after being captured by the Romans and threatened to be thrown into the cauldron of burning oil (after watching his fellow Muslims the cauldron) it still never moved him and he did not for one moment consider giving in to the emperors proposal but instead was saddened at the fact he can only sacrifice his life once, subhan Allah Allahu Akbar.  Im used to seeing people back down when they have been threatened with what we call the Basic regime (loss of privileges) subhan Allah.

As for me, Im just studying and learning or trying to learn something new everyday.

“The seeking of knowledge is compulsory upon every Muslim”  Ibn Majah

There is so much to learn ya Ibn Adam, Im just at the starting line, subhan Allah.

Akhi, trust me when I say I very much appreciate what you have done, May Allah reward you greatly. Unfortunately I am in Belmarsh so im afraid you cannot send me any books or Nasheed but May Allah reward just for your intention.

You are in my Dua’s, Jazzakallahu Khairan

Assalamu Alaykum

 
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Posted by on March 8, 2011 in Letters from Dawud Allimadi, Risala

 

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Omar Mahmoud Mohammed Othman: August 2009 (An Address to the Muslims)

15 Aug

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the Worlds. And may the blessings and peace be upon the unlettered Prophet. And to proceed…

As-Salamu ‘Alaykum Wa Rahmat Allahi Wa Barakatuh,

I begin my words by praising Allah, the Most High, for His great favours and His grand, sweeping bounties, because, by Allah, He has been generous to me with many gifts and bounties, which I’m unable to enumerate, nor am I able to extend (suitable) praise for it nor to fulfil my gratitude towards them. The greatest of them was that which I was afflicted with in His path from imprisonment, confinement and harm, then I was given in these six years bounties and gifts the likes of which, had I spent all of my life outside of the prison, I would not have attained them, so the gift of prison then the many gifts within it, took place through His praise, His virtue and His choosing.

In the first three years, I completed the memorization of the Book of Allah, the Most High, along with lengthy contemplations about it, which helped me in writing a number of books, the most beautiful of them, in my opinion, was the book: “Fann al-Qira’ah” (”The Art of Reading”), which is a book in which I hoped to narrate my experience with the great endeavour of reading, so that the person may reach through it, to what which I labelled: “Al-Qira’ah al-Jadaliyyah” (”Forensic Reading”), in which I mentioned many of the dreams, advice and conclusions, so that the reader may reach to the exaltation of Allah, the Great, and His glorification. And I wanted to make the reading of religious material a scientific (style) of reading, just as I wanted to make reading – any reading – to be a religious-based reading through its correct meaning. In other words, that the ‘Ubudiyyah (servitude of worship) would be completed for Allah, the Most High. I hope from Allah, the Most High, that He will make its distribution easy, because I believe that nothing has been written like it before on this topic.

And while inside, I also wrote the book: “Limatha Intasarna? ” (”Why Were We Victorious?”) I clarified in this book the meaning of victory from the Book of Allah, the Most High, and I discussed the status of the Jihadi movements; specifically and its effects on the world in general. And in it, I came to the certain conclusion that we are living in a victory, because the grid line for the Ummah (nation) of Islam is on the rise and the line of Kufr (disbelief) is descending and falling. And within this book there are many hypothetical debates with the defeatist side within the Islamic ranks.

From the first day of my first imprisonment – three years – I recorded my thoughts and my dreams and likewise that which I saw with my eyes and that which I remembered from the stances (of men) in a manner such as “Sayd al-Khatir” (”Capturing Ideas”), which I named “Shatharat Min al-Fikr Wal-Hayyat” (‘Fragments From The Ideology and Life’), with which I filled three notebooks.

From that which kept me busy for a long while was the understanding of “Al-’Aql” (i.e. the Intellect). And it is from the matters, which have specific ties to the Qur’an, as it was not mentioned in the Qur’an as an independent entity, rather it was mentioned as a possessive action: ﴾…Ya’qilun (those with intellect)﴿.
So I wrote a paper, which I called “Al-Farqu Bayn al-’Aql ash-Shi’ri Wa’l-’Aql al-Jihadi ” (”The Difference Between the Poetic Intellect and the Jihadi Intellect”). And that was through following what He, the Most High, said in Surat Ash-Shu’ara’:

﴾ وَالشُّعَرَاء يَتَّبِعُهُمُ الْغَاوُونَ﴿

﴾ As for the poets, the erring follow them.﴿

And in those days I recorded some memories, which I did not complete, and I named it: “Wa Fi Balmarsh Kanat Lana Ayyam” (”And In Belmarsh We Experienced Days”). And the last of what I wrote there was “Al-’Arba’un al-Jiyad li-Ahl al-Tawhid Wa’l-Jihad ” (”The Forty Steeds For the People of Tawhid and Jihad “) and it is the only one, which Allah, the Most High, decreed to be released to the brothers.  Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted by on August 15, 2009 in Letters from Omar Mahmoud Mohammed Othman, Risala

 

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Abu Fatimah: January 2008 (Advice from your Captive Brothers)

15 Jan

Bismillahi Ar-Rahman Ar-Raheem

All praises to Allah, the Lord of the worlds; The Lord of Jinn and Mankind; The Lord of the free among us and captive among us.  Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon the final Messenger and Most perfect slave of Allah, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, upon his family and upon his companions.

Allah (SWT) says,

“Do people think they will be left saying ‘we believe’ without to be tested?”

Verily one of the greatest tests of Allah (SWT) is imprisonment for our beliefs and Deen.  It is the Sunnah of Yusuf (AS) and many Sahabah (RA) and countless heroes of our rich Islamic history.  It is part of the filtering by Allah to distinguish between the firm truthful believers and the diseased and deceitful hypocrites and disbelievers;  It is to justify the immense reward for the Muwahhideen, that they may never have reached or deserved by their own actions and efforts, and to justify the severe punishment for the Mushrikeen without leaving any excuse or argument to save them on the Day of Judgement.  It is a test for both, us inside the prison and you who are free beyond our walls.

Everybody is brave to say what they think (or want others to think) they would do in times of hardship and Fitna; but claiming a thing is very different from truly doing it and Allah is giving us the chance to prove if our claims were sincere and true or simply a mask.

As for our situation, we are in prison, humiliated and derided by guards everyday; strip-searched regularly and vindictively and must even use the toilet in front of observation hatches, anxious we might be watched.  We are blamed and oppressed for our religion and pressurized to give it up or compromise at every opportunity.  We are accused of forming gangs If we pray in Jama’ah and of bullying if we invite other inmates to Islam (especially if they embrace Islam), we are prevented from seeing and speaking to our families except very little and we are subject to malice, spite and grudges that prisoners of other faiths are safe from.  Nevertheless, the Muslims in prison are full of hope and Imaan, walk with smiles on their faces and enjoy generosity and brotherhood among each other that is envied and hated by prison staff who cannot comprehend or stand to witness our Sabr (patience and steadfastness), love for each other and happiness despite our mistreatment.

It is from this situation that I write my Naseehah (advice) to you, the Ummah of Muhammad enjoying liberty that we only pray for.  Particularly those who are living freely in the west:

I advise you to Fear Allah the Most High and Most Dignified

First and foremost I advise you all to fear Allah (SWT) with regards to His rights.  Do not worship other than Him nor follow other than His guidance, nor obey other than His laws nor love for other than His sake.  Do not, in the hope for our freedom or seeking to ease our situation, compromise your Deen.  Do not embrace their religion of freedom and democracy, nor play sycophant to the Kuffar and their Deen, fearing that our trials or captivity will be made more difficult.  However much the Shaytaan may dazzle people with arguments of ‘Fitna’ and ‘Hikmah’,  or ‘Fiqh of minorities’ or ‘Lesser of the two evils’ etc. Allah (SWT) says:

“The Fitna (Al Shirk [polytheism] as explained by Ibn Abbass and others) is worse than Killing.”

Even if they were to execute us, it would not be as harmful as compromising the Tawheed in a single matter.  So do not compromise it for something far less than that such as our captivity or some insignificant benefit.

Fear Allah with regards to seeking help for us

Allah (SWT) tests us in order that we ask Him for His help exclusively; so that He can respond to our Du’a and reward us for it.  Even the Mushrikeen in times of severe hardship turn to their Fitrah (natural disposition) and call upon Allah (SWT) exclusively, promising to give up idols if they are saved.  But when Allah saves them and they return to ease, they forget Allah and rush again to their idols.  This is why I found it so strange to find Muwahideen who worship none but Allah in times of ease, turning to Tawagheet for help in times of hardship!  Fear Allah (SWT) in your Du’a (supplication) and Isti’aanah (seeking help), The prophet (SAW) said,

“If you ask, ask Allah; if you seek help, seek help from Allah (exclusively)…”

Do not seek help for our release, except from Allah (SWT).  Do not plead with MP’s on our behalf, do not call for ‘Human Rights’ or the ‘UN’ or on any other Kufr law to argue our case or to secure our release.  Do not use us as an excuse to stand as MP’s in Parliament or to vote for legislators besides Allah (SWT) in any democratic elections, seeking their help or intercession through their Shirk.  Rather remember us in your Du’a and seek our release from the help of Allah (SWT), sincerely and exclusively.

Fear Allah regarding your Dawah

The Sunnah (tradition) of Muhammad (SAW) and every prophet before him was not only to keep a beard and trim their moustache. They were insulted, accused, blamed, stoned, spat at, slandered, imprisoned, chased and some were even killed for only one reason; they called to the Tawheed.  It is the Sunnah of Allah (SWT) that nobody can avoid facing hardship and suffering while he carries this mighty obligation.  So do not dare to compromise your Dawah or be silent about the Haq (truth) or abandon the duty of commanding good and forbidding evil and striving to establish the Shari’ah of Allah (SWT), simply on account of our imprisonment, or the fear of your own imprisonment.

Verily, we are oppressed and (we) sacrificed our liberty for the sake of Allah’s Deen to prevail after us, and for the Hujjjah (proof) to be established. So do not waste our sacrifice and belittle its value by contradicting our aspirations by compromising and neglecting this obligation out of fear from the Taghout or hope that the Kuffar might have mercy on us.  Indeed the mercy of Allah is far better and prison is dearer to us than to see the Dawah stop and the Kufr go unchallenged.

Fear Allah regarding your Walaa’ and Baraa’

The prophet (SAW) said,

“The strongest knot of Imaan is to love for the sake of Allah and to hate for the sake of Allah”.

The believer loves Allah (SWT) and His messenger (SAW), the Sahabah (RA), the believers, the Tawheed, Imaan and good deeds etc. And they hate Shaytaan, his allies from the Kuffar and Munafiqeen, the Shirk and disobedience etc.

Do not compromise your Walaa’ and Baraa’ in the hope that the disbelievers will be kind to you or be kind to us, even if you foolishly believe that it will lead to our release or prevent other arrests.  Know that the original rules for the Walaa’ and Baraa’ is to be apparent and open.  It is especially important for people living in the west as the prophet (SAW) said,

“I am free from any Muslim that lives between the Mushrikeen without to distinguish his fire from theirs”.

If you cannot manifest your Deen and declare your Walaa’ and Baraa’ in this land, you should not remain here at all.

Fear Allah in relation to your Ummah

There are many Muslims suffering in the world today.  Perhaps you remember us because we are close to you in blood, friendship or geography but there are countless innocent Muslim men, women and children imprisoned and/or suffering severely around the world at the hands of the west far more than we are.  Our hearts and concerns should give them precedence over ourselves.  Do not forget them just because you are thinking about us.  Do not ignore Abu Ghuraib, Guantanamo Bay, Bagram, Fallujah, Gaza, Mogadishu, and countless other places around the world where Muslims are being oppressed.  Do not let them down or fail to speak about them or neglect to condemn their torturers and oppressors in an attempt to ease our situations in here. Verily this Ummah is like one body, when its eye aches, the whole of it aches.  The pain we feel for our Ummah far outweighs our own pain until we forget we are being oppressed ourselves sometimes.

The fact our hands are tied from rushing to their aid is what burns our hearts more than the grudge of the guards here.  If you are silent about the plight of the Ummah around the world – that harms us more than these prison bars do.

Fear Allah regarding us

Do not abuse us by using us as an example to become a coward, leaving your duties and turning your back on the Ummah of Muhammad (SAW).

Fear Allah regarding us

Do not abuse us by using us as an example to violate your covenants.  If you have a covenant, abide by it.  Do not emulate us in things we have permits for but you do not.  Our reality may be different to yours.

Fear Allah in relation to releasing us

There are clear Sunnan that govern the Islamic methods to release Muslims from captivity.  Stick to them and do not stray from or neglect them.  Do not disobey Allah (SWT) in order to release us. Be generous with your wealth in the path of Allah and in helping to release us, including by funding bail sureties, legal expense etc.

Fear Allah with regard to our families

They are our Amaanah (trust).  Do not wash your hands from our families, wives and children fearing the anger and suspicion of the Kuffar.  Keep in regular contact with them even when they appear to be coping well.  Verily it is a greater hardship for them than upon ourselves, and the sight of our families suffering from our absence is the hardest test of all in prison.

Monitor their health, wealth and needs.  Offer them help in big and small things and do not wait to be asked, it is more likely that you will not be.  Provide for them in our absence, provide help with transport when they visit us.  Encourage them to be patient and to have hope in Allah (SWT).  Remind them of the rewards and Kaffarah (expiation) due to them for having Sabr (patience).  Do not allow them to be depressed, defeated or deserted.

Fear Allah and do not forget us

Finally among the smallest deeds that have the greatest impact on our Imaan and easing our situation in prison, is a simple letter.  Write to us even to briefly enquire about our health.  A few lines are enough to lift our spirits, Imaan and morale and to assure us that we are being remembered by our Ummah.

Send us Ilm and advice and things to aid our Islamic study in prison.  This allows us to benefit more from our Khalwah (seclusion) with Allah (SWT).  It is the study and seeking knowledge that we miss and yearn for here as we have no access to resources by ourselves.

Also, please remember to make excuses for us, hide our mistakes and do not doubt us without evidence.  Moreover if you hear evil about us, do not spread those rumours and think only the best about us.

If I have said anything good and beneficial then that is from Allah (SWT) and if I have said anything evil or wrong, then that is from my weakness and mistakes, so do not obey me or any other person in disobedience to Allah (SWT).

Abu Fatimah

Belmarsh Prison
Muharram 1429 / January 2008

 
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Posted by on January 15, 2008 in Letters from Abu Fatimah, Risala

 

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Mustapha Labsi: February 1, 2005 (My Story)

01 Feb

I am an Algerian man, and my name is Mustapha. I am imprisoned in the British Guantánamo prison, Belmarsh, a high security prison. My prison number is GF6440. My story is close to fiction and I believe that a large number of people, in particular Britons, who will learn about my case, would doubt its credibility because it is strange. Too many people think that this country is ruled by law, but I would not be surprised if they are suspicious, as I would personally have doubted that this story has ever happened if I heard it before I experienced it myself, as I was hearing that this is a law-abiding and democratic country. I have met a number of inmates in the prison and they were extremely surprised when they heard what has happened to me. But the fact remains a fact, and it is up to the people to believe my story or reject it, but they have the right to know.

My case started when I was arrested on 13 January 2001, at six o’clock in the morning, when the door was smashed down and the British police stormed my home. My three-months pregnant wife and myself were there at the time; my wife is Slovakian. I was taken to Paddington [Green] police station and interrogated for one week. They had no evidence to accuse me with but they said, following the investigation, they found that I have links to a suspected terrorists group arrested in Germany and the evidence is my mobile number was found in one of the detainees’ notebook.

I was detained in Belmarsh for three months in connection to this allegation, then the case was dropped and I was told that I was being released. When I was about to approach the gate of Belmarsh prison, I was told that I was being rearrested for an extradition order to France. They said that you have no problems in this country. I was in Belmarsh prison for three years until all the prisoners in France have been released with whom I was allegedly connected. Yes, they have been released in France and I remained in Belmarsh without trial now for a continuing four years.

The courts were going to give me bail in 2003 because it was clear that I had already served all the time I would have to serve in France if I was extradited there. But the day before I would have been granted bail, I was told that the Home Secretary was making me subject to the 2001 Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act, which detains foreign nationals without trial.

My problems were transformed, when all the alleged allegations were dropped and I still continued to be detained without trial in Belmarsh, British Guantánamo, during which the British government practiced an appalling and the most horrific methods to destroy me and my family, and indeed they succeeded.

My wife, who is not from this country, was shocked mentally and psychologically, which made her mad, and she wanders in the streets without care or protection.

She was first shocked when I was arrested and they brutally entered our home, which terrified her. The second shock, when all the prisoners in connection with the case were released after three months, I telephoned her and told her that I am on my way home, but I was arrested again at the gate of Belmarsh, as I stated above, so her pain got worse and she started to suffer from a severe hallucination.

During the period of pregnancy and while I was in prison, they practiced on my powerless wife what a genuine human being cannot do.

She went to the hospital to have an ultrasound for her unborn baby, but they refused and said your husband is a terrorist. Who told them that? The answer is the security service of this country. My wife insisted to have the ultrasound just to make sure, but she was told that the ultrasound shows that your unborn baby is dead and that is it, then the powerless and poor woman burst into tears and screamed.

She told me what had happened when I contacted her, and I asked her to use the rest of the money she has and go to another hospital to check again. She went to another hospital and she was told the unborn baby is alive and what she was told in the previous hospital was just bad games of the security service.

After our son was born, the security service continued their plan against my wife. She was threatened to be evicted from her home to the street and indeed she was evicted and was without food or money until six o’clock in the evening and by Allah’s will she was spotted by one of the Muslims, as she was wearing a Muslim costume and he saw her condition, he took her to his home. But the police did not stop and approached this good Muslim and threatened him with prosecution if he continued to support her, so this man accepted that and asked my wife to leave his home. She contacted one of her friends and then went to her home where she stayed for three months.

Because of my problems and this case, which is not clear, I drove my wife to the state of complete madness and she neglected our son. She started behaving strangely and then the police intervened and took the child from her. I have been trying for a year and a half to find out what is the fate of my son as he is being moved from one family to another.

My wife became a human ghost, as she is walking in the streets without conscience and sense. Her mother came here two months ago to take her to Slovakia but she could not contact her.

Her mother, my son’s grandmother, applied to have the custody of our son and maybe then his mother would go with him. She won the case last summer and the court decided that she could take our son to Slovakia, but my wife is still in the same situation in this country.

My mother, who is Algerian national, applied for a visa more than five times, to look after the child or take him back home, but every time her application was refused.

Anyway, I thank Almighty Allah, as I suffered a number of psychological deteriorations, but I always get help from Allah not to terminate and take my life. Due to the stress and pressure I developed stomach ulcer and also anal bleed when I use the toilet and normally lose about one and half litres of blood every week.

I wonder, what this country wants from me? What is the wrong thing I did in this country or abroad to deserve this treatment?

Let me be honest with you, Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Home Secretary hate Muslims so much as there is no other explanation to their actions.

They violated all the laws and destroyed the human principles with their lies; such as, the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction lie.

Their game is clear and will destroy the people because of their ignorance and also the control of media concepts of provocation, which grew fear of Muslims in the hearts of their people. Every day they claim that they arrested new terror suspects but it turns up to be nothing.

There is currently no case connected to terrorism in courts despite the fact that more that one thousand Muslims have been arrested and detained. They lock up people and release others and if they do not like someone they would detain him under 2001 terrorism law without evidence, public trial or lawyers.

I thought that the people of this country understand the decisions of politicians and their practices but the fact is that what I saw is different, because the people are just concerned about their lives and they have nothing to do with general and political decisions.

What I could say now!

  • My wife is mentally ill
  • I do not know where my son will be
  • I am in prison without charge, trial and do not know my fate
  • A patient hoping to recover in inadequate circumstances
I did not dream of anything except that I wanted to live with a wife and children happily in a quiet home away from any troubles.

Finally, I say as every Muslim would say when injustice is imposed on him and he cannot find a supporter from earth: “We are created by God and we will return to Him.”

 

 
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Posted by on February 1, 2005 in Letters from Mustapha Labsi, Risala

 

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