While a few of those detained under the provisions of the October 2001 USA Patriot Act have been naturalized U.S. citizens, most have been immigrants with green cards or here on work or student visas. One such faceless person is Kuwaitee national Hasan Hasan. After emigrating to the United States in 1996 to study English at California State University in Long… return to article
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Reader Comments (22)Page 1 of 1 pagesI am both saddened and disgusted by the treatment this man had to suffer at the hands of the US government. Yet I’m not really suprised. The Police and government have been for years using the “war on drugs” to persicute people, especially minorities. The events of 9/11 seem to have given them the excuse they needed to pass the patriot act, which as far as I can tell, completely goes against everything the words FREE COUNTRY stand for. Every time I hear a story like this one it deeply saddens me, I can only imagine the hell these people have to go through. It reminds me of another sad tale. A Canadian man who lived in Canada since high school, was vacationing in the US, and was then deported to Syria with no regard for his Canadian citizenship. He is currently missing, and presumed imprisoned or dead. He left behind a wife and 2 children. I am appaled that any government would do these things, well maybe not if it was Nazi Germany, let alone the US Government. Shame on Geroge Bush and his cronies. All we can do is pray they don’t get re-elected, and that whoever does immediately repeals the Patriot Act and puts a stop to these attrocities.
Posted by Laura on Apr 5, 2003 at 1:12 PM I was planning to visit the US for a scientific conference. I think I will give it a miss considering the treatment ‘ethnics’ are recieving from Bush’s FBI-Gestapo.
Posted by poster on Apr 7, 2003 at 3:02 PM The patriot act is probably the bestest bill ever passed by the Congress’s. When Uncle Baker and daddy and Dick told me to sign it they said I would get a pretzel. I know that it will most likely shit on the bill of rights and civil liberties and all those ‘freedoms’ those poor people, I mean, our military, are fighting for in Iraq (freedom to me is money and re-election), but hey, if I get my way, we’ll kill the planet way before anybody notices we’re killing the Constitution!!! Can I give a shout out to my brother and his mistress, I mean, the new Representative from Florida? Hi Jeb, Katherine!!! Things are great here, if your loaded like us. I think this whole tax cut thing might just pass the Congress’s, people just don’t care anymore, it’s great. We can do whatever we want here in D.C. Well, gotta go, time for my weekly trip to Camp David, see you at AA. Later ya’ll!!!
IMPEACH THIS LIAR NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Dubya on Apr 8, 2003 at 6:57 AM “First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”
—Martin Niemoeller, Pastor during the 3rd Reich
Posted by David Reinhart on Apr 8, 2003 at 9:06 AM As a scientist I have decided to avoid the US territory for working or visiting another scientists. I am alarmed about the speed at which the US is becoming a dicatatorship. I would like to encourage my fellow scientists in the US to go into exile in Europe.
Posted by Toni on Apr 8, 2003 at 10:37 AM I decided long ago that I didn’t need to go to the US for anything.
Posted by Paul Murphy on Apr 8, 2003 at 4:03 PM .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Posted by dsmolla@hotmail.com on Apr 8, 2003 at 5:44 PM .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Posted by dansmolla@yahoo.com on Apr 8, 2003 at 5:52 PM I feel very sorry for all american citizens and the defenders of their policies. If this is a foreshadowing of things to come, the US will be the greatest losers: As many have said, they will not be going there, and many academic, scientific, social and business opportunities will be lost. I know there are those in this administration who believe that they can go it alone, but this is still a small planet, and getting smaller. It is a very sad statement that this government prefers to live in fear.
What Laura says about a Canadian citizen deported to Syria is true. Let all nations be warned: the present administration of the United States has no regard for the rules of international law, or the Geneva Convention. actually, this is an ongoing trend, but has gotten worse under the Shrub. I find it insulting that they scream all others should obey international law, while they flaunt it.
I feel no animosity against the citizens of the United States (although I know there will be some who doubt that, in a kneejerk reaction) but as long as this troubling situation continues, I will spend more time in Europe, if I want to go aboad.
Thank you JD Loyd for this story, and thank you In these times for the courage to print it, and the opportunity to respond.
Posted by Shadowstormcrow on Apr 8, 2003 at 9:38 PM Shadowstormcrow, I wonder if your emotions are a “kneejerk reaction” to the current war and political situation. When I read statements like yours, I realize the media influence is incredibly strong…
Ask yourself, 2 years ago, before Sept. 11, before the current middle east conflict, how did you feel?
What has changed? What will happen in the US elections in 1 and 1/2 years?Many changes will occur, good and bad… Let’s not all give up on the country most people depend on when the doo doo hits the proverbial air moving device…
Posted by cake on Apr 9, 2003 at 2:45 PM HEY GUYS…
IF YOU THINK IT IS BAD BEING IMPRISONED BY THE PATRIOT ACT, TRY GETTING IMPRISONED IN IRAQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by stan cayman on Apr 9, 2003 at 11:43 PM Reading the above story and the comments about it, I have not found so much hatred for this country before. If I should hate a country as much as this bunch does, I would not stay here. I’d go somewhere else and spew the venom. It just might be that America is the only place you can spew your hatred, and get by with it. Perhaps some don’t realize that war was declared on us by Global Terrorism on 9/11/01. It rages now! It will not end until terrorism and the terrorist are gone, dead, kaput, nada, no mos!! This war is different from other wars because it rages across the world - in the dark while some are still not aware. As long as their koran says: “infadels are worthy of death”, the war will rage. It is a battle to the death and for our very survival. Didn’t ye know these things? Didn’t ye know?
Posted by roypendy on Apr 13, 2003 at 8:45 PM “We will export death and violence to the four corners of the earth in
defense of our great nation.”
George W. Bush, March 6, 2003
If roypendy thinks that unilateral and preemptive attacks are the are the way to conduct international relations, he might think about what would happen if that model were applied to the school playground. It just might be a frightening and dangerous place for his children. It wouldn’t even have to be exported. It could be commondified and marketed as a way to militarize the safety patrol and further the cause of captialism.
Posted by LHB on Apr 15, 2003 at 10:07 PM I WOUNDER WHAT HUNTER S. THOMPON WOULD SAY ABOUT THIS MATTER. I THINK HIS NEXT BOOK (I HAVEN’T READ HIS NEW ONE “THE KINDOM OF FEAR”) SHOULD BE TITLED FEAR AND LOTHING: THE DARKEST AMARICANS’.
Posted by Gary M on Apr 16, 2003 at 5:10 AM LBH,
Now it’s SYRIA. When has the world heard of an impending threat from them?Hitler very calmly addressed the German people right before invading Poland, telling them they had tried everything to get them to see things their way, but it was no use. Using fear, patriotism and religion, he invaded Poland and had the whole nation behind him. Then, anyone who spoke out against it was subject to the Office of Homeland Security, I mean, the SS.
Historically, the comparissons are very close, but to say such a thing to anyone now can brand one as a traitor or un-American, or a conspiracy theorist.I like your playground analogy. We wouldn’t dream of separating children because they had a fight before with other kids. And we wouldn’t do it with ex-criminals, either, to carry your analogy a little further.
Anytime a government uses fear, religion and nationalism to lead another country into war, it’s Fascism.
Good comments.
neil.
Posted by neil on Apr 17, 2003 at 9:09 AM It’s unfortunate that what Hasan and others went thru as a result of a lack of knowledge from our well meaning law enforcement community.
By not knowing little about middle eastern ethnic groups, and being driven by fear rather than rationality, situations like this occured and still occur.
I think the truly unfortunate thing is that we, as a society don’t know much about anyone outside of our own ethnic background, and we don’t really care to. People tend to fear the unknown, and therefore don’t, in general, go looking to find out more about them.
It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that almost all of us were from somewhere else, making our way to this country for a better life. It always amazes me when I hear someone say “They should just go back to wherever they came from…” I usually refrain asking where THEIR family came from.
Perhaps the saddest thing is that the majority of Americans aren’t going to learn anything from these experiences, except that America has the strongest military in the world.
And history will repeat itself again and again again.
Posted by ScottS on Apr 18, 2003 at 10:34 PM It’s absurd and frankly sinister to say ‘how dare you use the freedom of speech to be critical’.
Some folks posting here have used the freedom of speech to tell people to shut up. How bizarre.
I think Mr Bush is an appallingly bad leader but I have faith that given time to get over the shock of finding themselves victims the majority of Americans will stop following him. In the meantime I salute the bravery of those speaking out now.
Posted by susan on Apr 23, 2003 at 11:18 PM Susan from Scotland,
I hope you’re right. Eventually, Bush will hang himself with his actions and then I hope the US wakes up and boots him out.
Posted by neil on Apr 26, 2003 at 11:03 PM Let’s all look out for Patriot Act II: the Road to Perdition. One of the proposed features is that ANY person, regardless of whether their citizenship is naturalized or birth-given, may have their U.S. citizenship revoked. This could mean, for those who have no prior status to fall back on, they would then be deprived of any government to advocate for them. Presumably this would allow them to be incarcerated without any legal privileges, indefinitely, and with no outside contact.
In short, anyone, including those born in America, could be subjected to the nightmares inflicted on the Afghan “illegal combatants” held since Oct. 2001 at the U.S. base in Guntanamo Bay, Cuba. I myself have a distant ancestor who was German. Under the current regime that may just qualify me for “suspect” status.
Posted by Jerome Millay on May 6, 2004 at 7:41 AM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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