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News :: Civil & Human Rights |
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SLPD, FBI Detain St. Louis Muslim Activist Umar Ben-Ivan! |
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by via St. Louis IMC
(No verified email address) |
10 Feb 2003
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The U$'s "war on anti-imperialism" strikes VERY close to home. |
At about 5am on Sunday, February 9, 2003, ten to twelve officers of the Saint Louis Police Department arrested Muslim American activist Umar ben-Ivan at his apartment in South St. Louis. He was held at Prisoner Processing until he was bonded out by friends, fellow activists, and supporters at about 10pm that evening.
Although Umar was arrested for a probation violation stemming from a 1998 arrest in Lee's Summit, Missouri, the timing for this detention was clearly political. While arresting Umar, the officers gathered up political literature, copies of articles he had written for various publications, and a manuscript for a book and took the photos of Umar in Jerusalem from off his walls. When he got to station, SLPD officers from Intelligence were there waiting for him along with 2 FBI agents. The agents hinted that his phone was tapped.
Further, FBI agents came to his apartment around noon on the same day and asked questions of his wife. The questions were all political in nature: "Does your husband support the Taliban?" "Does he oppose the impending U.S. war with Iraq?" "When's the next anti-war demo?" and "Are are you aware that your husband is planning terrorist attacks?"
Those who know Umar know that he is very active in opposing U$ imperialist wars and domestic repression. He is an increasingly important link between the secular left and Islamic communities in St. Louis, the nation and the world.
Umar has spoken with St. Louis Post Dispatch writer Philip O'Connor, and an article is forthcoming.
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See also:
http://stlouis.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=4790&group=webcast
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