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DETAINED ISLAM NEWSROOM - LATEST STORIES: NOTICE: Attorneys for Yusuf Estes prohibit anyting of the most recent "detaining" after a visit to Switzerland. However we can share this story of his being (previously): [DETAINED] A highly respected organization in the small island country of Bahrain invited me to come and be a guest speaker for several events there, including doctors, hospitals and universities. I was to fly out of Baltimore, Maryland airport, then take a plane (British Airways) to London for a transfer fly to Bahrain. The flight was scheduled for 8:20 PM. After I arrived at the airport British Air made me feel really nice. They even upgraded me to business class with no extra charge and were most kind in helping me find the gate and get aboard on time and even ordered a lovely meal of salmon (one of my favorites) for dinner. There I was - in my business class seat with plenty of legroom (a much appreciated bonus for an old man with arthritis in the knees), reading my complimentary copy of the London paper and minding my own business, waiting for take off and the coming meal.. All of a sudden a lady comes to me and forcebley says, "Are you ECHO-7?" (I have been called a lot of things in my life, but no one ever called me "Echo seven," not ever) Then she said, "Come with me. We want to ask you some questions." What was this all about? There were two people in police uniforms, one a man and the other a woman. They told me to get my things off the plane and then told a crew member to get my baggage out of the cargo hold. While waiting for my bag, I asked them what was this all about. They told me they couldn't tell me. I asked, "Am I under arrest?" They said, "No." I tried to find out what was going on and they would not tell me anything. We when downstairs for interrogation. Again, I asked if I was under arrest - Again, "No." Again, I asked the reason for removing me from my flight and canceling my trip, and they would not give an answer. They had indicated to me in the ramp area, that if I answered some questions I might still be able to get back on the flight. I agreed. The first question was, "How much money do you have?" I said, "Two hundred and seven dollars." I know that, because it was basically all the cash we had. They wanted me to take it out. I did. They wanted to see my papers. They did. Then without asking, the man bent down over my bag, opened it and started taking things out and searching through it. Again, I asked, "What is this all about?" No answer. "Where are you going?" I told them. They demanded, "Why?" I told them I give lectures and do Internet related work. "Where?" I told them there were several different places, but I didn't know the names of them. "Who are you meeting there?" I told them the person's first name. "What is the last name?" I told them I didn't know.. Finally, they said they were going to take me "downstairs" for questioning. They did. OK. Now to be fair about this, they were not abusive or mean. They were just secretive. When we reached the "downstairs" they put me in a conference room and began to ask simple questions as before. This time I told them I need to know if I am under arrest or what. They said the same as before. They would not tell me why I was being held, or what was going on, or what my status was, or what they even wanted, except the same thing, "We just want to ask you some questions." {Some of you may not know much about the Constitution of the United States and that is truly a shame} The Constitution of the United States of America - insures that all citizens are to have certain basic rights and these rights cannot be violated by anyone, not even the government itself. The first and foremost of those rights is the freedom of practicing your religion without any governmental interference. Another of those fundamental rights is the right to know what you are being accused of and another is to know your accuser. No citizen has to bear witness against himself and he always has the right to remain silent. I asked about this and they told me that I was not under arrest, I was being "detained." For those of you reading this, who perhaps have not thought about it before, this is what we call it when we hold suspects of terrorism or anything like it. Evidently there are no real rules for being "detained." They made it clear I could make a phone call, AFTER they were through with their questions. This means I can't talk to an attorney and I have no chance for legal council or to even know what is going on. And here is something real scary: THEY CAN HOLD YOU FOREVER - in this condition of being "detained." Next they let me wait for at least a couple of hours, sitting there in a room with nothing to eat or drink and no bathroom. There was a guard posted at the door starring at me the whole time while I was being "DETAINED." I fell asleep and was startled by another, much bigger uniformed agent who talked very loud at me, telling me to, "Wake up!" I did, trust me, I woke up. And then he very kindly offered me something to drink, my choice, a soda or water. I chose water. And then waited again. Finally, a very young and enthusiastic lady came in and showed me her badge and told me her name and then began to ask me the same exact questions as the others had asked, only she did so in a much kinder and clearer fashion. I could understand her much better (I'm hard of hearing) and felt that she really knew a lot more about what was going on than perhaps the others did. She did ask about my destination, purpose of the trip, contacts and names of people I was going to visit. And I told her the same as I had told the others. Then she asked how much money I had, and mentioned that it was illegal to carry large amounts. I still had the same $207 I started with and she chuckled at such a small amount. She wanted to know if I was making any money and I said that I did hope I would get something for the 10 days but it was not certain. I listened to her questioning me for a while and then I asked her if I was under arrest or had done anything wrong. She said the same as the others, "No." She said it is their right to investigate anything I have because I am at the border and they have the authority to do this. She took my billfold, my money (they counted it and later gave it back) and my papers and documents and then took them off to be copied, I suppose. Anything and everything I had, they went through it and studied it and then copied the papers and then back to the same questions. Of course I only have the same answers. But I did ask again about the reason for pulling me off the plane, questioning me and "DETAINING" me. They never came up with a reason for any of their actions. But after leaving me alone for another hour or so, someone came and told me I was free to go. My question was, "Go where?" It was almost midnight and I was an hour away from my home with no car and no idea who to call. I finally went around the airport and found a limo service that would take me home (for a nice price -- and I soon did not have $207 any more).
So what happened to our freedom to dress as we see fit? Only if we undress like the popular style, is this acceptable? And our freedom to be secure in our persons, is that gone now? The right to know what you are being accused of? By whom? What if we let our beards grow naturally? But we don't tattoo our bodies and we don't pierce our ears and chests and noses and tongues? And most important, what about our faith? Are we no longer free to practice our religion? When does government tell us about our faith? Can we no longer have faith in God? Or must we only believe in the God who speaks to the president? We better start thinking about this before we go to the polls to vote this year. If we don't, maybe we won't be able to vote next year, because we'll all be "DETAINED." Back to my own story, I was out and now on my way home. I missed my flight, missed my lectures and missed the chance to be in a country where I would have been welcomed and treated most kind, I was assured. And if they held me up there, it would only be because they loved me and didn't want me to leave too soon. Anyway, when I stopped and called my family and told them I was coming back, they wanted to know what happened. I didn't feel like answering any more questions, after all, I was no longer being "DETAINED." If your problem is serious and needs immediate attention - contact C.A.I.R. www.cair.com/
_______________________________ www.ShareIslam.com (take a look) P.S. Now we Muslims have our own voice in America (at Last) - Will you help us keep it going on the air? Your tax deductible donation of just $19 a month can help keep our Satellite TV channel, our free apps, our antennas & studios in New York, New Jersey, Houston, Dallas & Ft. Worth and Los Angeles and our website www.GuideUS.TV continue to broadcast the message of One God, in PEACE - with Liberty & Justice for all. Do it now before shayton makes you forget. |
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Now I would like to share my story of being:
[DETAINED]
A highly respected organization in the small island country of Bahrain invited me to come and be a guest speaker for several events there, including doctors, hospitals and universities.
I was to fly out of Baltimore, Maryland airport, then take a plane (British Airways) to London for a transfer fly to Bahrain.
The flight was scheduled for 8:20 PM. After I arrived at the airport British Air made me feel really nice. They even upgraded me to business class with no extra charge and were most kind in helping me find the gate and get aboard on time and even ordered a lovely meal of salmon (one of my favorites) for dinner.
There I was - in my business class seat with plenty of legroom (a much appreciated bonus for an old man with arthritis in the knees), reading my complimentary copy of the London paper and minding my own business, waiting for take off and the coming meal..
All of a sudden a lady comes to me and forcebley says, "Are you ECHO-7?"
(I have been called a lot of things in my life, but no one ever called me "Echo seven," not ever) Then she said, "Come with me. We want to ask you some questions."
What was this all about? There were two people in police uniforms, one a man and the other a woman. They told me to get my things off the plane and then told a crew member to get my baggage out of the cargo hold.
While waiting for my bag, I asked them what was this all about.
They told me they couldn't tell me. I asked, "Am I under arrest?"
They said, "No."
I tried to find out what was going on and they would not tell me anything. We when downstairs for interrogation.
Again, I asked if I was under arrest - Again, "No."
Again, I asked the reason for removing me from my flight and canceling my trip, and they would not give an answer.
They had indicated to me in the ramp area, that if I answered some questions I might still be able to get back on the flight.
I agreed.
The first question was, "How much money do you have?"
I said, "Two hundred and seven dollars." I know that, because it was basically all the cash we had. They wanted me to take it out.
I did.
They wanted to see my papers.
They did.
Then without asking, the man bent down over my bag, opened it and started taking things out and searching through it.
Again, I asked, "What is this all about?"
No answer. "Where are you going?"
I told them.
They demanded, "Why?"
I told them I give lectures and do Internet related work.
"Where?"
I told them there were several different places, but I didn't know the names of them.
"Who are you meeting there?"
I told them the person's first name.
"What is the last name?"
I told them I didn't know..
Finally, they said they were going to take me "downstairs" for questioning.
They did.
OK. Now to be fair about this, they were not abusive or mean.
They were just secretive.
When we reached the "downstairs" they put me in a conference room and began to ask simple questions as before.
This time I told them I need to know if I am under arrest or what.
They said the same as before. They would not tell me why I was being held, or what was going on, or what my status was, or what they even wanted, except the same thing, "We just want to ask you some questions."
{Some of you may not know much about the Constitution of the United States and that is truly a shame}
The Constitution of the United States of America - insures that all citizens are to have certain basic rights and these rights cannot be violated by anyone, not even the government itself.
The first and foremost of those rights is the freedom of practicing your religion without any governmental interference.
Another of those fundamental rights is the right to know what you are being accused of and another is to know your accuser.
No citizen has to bear witness against himself and he always has the right to remain silent.
I asked about this and they told me that I was not under arrest, I was being "detained."
For those of you reading this, who perhaps have not thought about it before, this is what we call it when we hold suspects of terrorism or anything like it.
Evidently there are no real rules for being "detained." They made it clear I could make a phone call, AFTER they were through with their questions.
This means I can't talk to an attorney and I have no chance for legal council or to even know what is going on.
And here is something real scary: THEY CAN HOLD YOU FOREVER - in this condition of being "detained."
Next they let me wait for at least a couple of hours, sitting there in a room with nothing to eat or drink and no bathroom. There was a guard posted at the door starring at me the whole time while I was being "DETAINED."
I fell asleep and was startled by another, much bigger uniformed agent who talked very loud at me, telling me to, "Wake up!" I did, trust me, I woke up.
And then he very kindly offered me something to drink, my choice, a soda or water. I chose water. And then waited again.
Finally, a very young and enthusiastic lady came in and showed me her badge and told me her name and then began to ask me the same exact questions as the others had asked, only she did so in a much kinder and clearer fashion.
I could understand her much better (I'm hard of hearing) and felt that she really knew a lot more about what was going on than perhaps the others did.
She did ask about my destination, purpose of the trip, contacts and names of people I was going to visit. And I told her the same as I had told the others.
Then she asked how much money I had, and mentioned that it was illegal to carry large amounts.
I still had the same $207 I started with and she chuckled at such a small amount.
She wanted to know if I was making any money and I said that I did hope I would get something for the 10 days but it was not certain.
I listened to her questioning me for a while and then I asked her if I was under arrest or had done anything wrong. She said the same as the others, "No."
Then, I asked her what was going on and why was I being "DETAINED?" She said the same as the others, "Just to ask some questions."
She asked for my billfold and I asked her if I was obligated to give it to her or did I have no choice.
She said it is their right to investigate anything I have because I am at the border and they have the authority to do this.
She took my billfold, my money (they counted it and later gave it back) and my papers and documents and then took them off to be copied, I suppose.
Anything and everything I had, they went through it and studied it and then copied the papers and then back to the same questions.
Of course I only have the same answers. But I did ask again about the reason for pulling me off the plane, questioning me and "DETAINING" me.
They never came up with a reason for any of their actions.
But after leaving me alone for another hour or so, someone came and told me I was free to go.
My question was, "Go where?"
It was almost midnight and I was an hour away from my home with no car and no idea who to call. I finally went around the airport and found a limo service that would take me home (for a nice price -- and I soon did not have $207 any more).
Now is where I would like to go back and bring your attention to the beginning of my writing. Ask yourself a question: "What does all of this mean?"
In order to better understand that, you have to ask what is the common denominator in all these incidents. Let us now consider some essential facts:
1. We all have beards (or should have?)
2. We all wear "Islamic Clothes" instead of "normal" clothes (or do we?)
3. We all are staying away from drugs, filth and nasty environments (hopefully)
4. And most of all, we are Muslims (if Allah will accept from us)
So what happened to our freedom to dress as we see fit?
Only if we undress like the popular style, is this acceptable?
And our freedom to be secure in our persons, is that gone now? The right to know what you are being accused of?
By whom? What if we let our beards grow naturally?
But we don't tattoo our bodies and we don't pierce our ears and chests and noses and tongues?
And most important, what about our faith? Are we no longer free to practice our religion? When does government tell us about our faith? Can we no longer have faith in God? Or must we only believe in the God who speaks to the president?
We better start thinking about this before we go to the polls to vote this year. If we don't, maybe we won't be able to vote next year, because we'll all be "DETAINED."
Back to my own story, I was out and now on my way home. I missed my flight, missed my lectures and missed the chance to be in a country where I would have been welcomed and treated most kind, I was assured. And if they held me up there, it would only be because they loved me and didn't want me to leave too soon.
Anyway, when I stopped and called my family and told them I was coming back, they wanted to know what happened. I didn't feel like answering any more questions, after all, I was no longer being "DETAINED."
_______________________________
Suggestions:
If your problem is serious and needs immediate attention - contact C.A.I.R. www.cair.com/
1. Write to the congressmen and congresswomen in your area. Write to all the politicians and express your concern for such paranoid behavior on the part of those who are being well paid to provide security for us.
2. Call the politicians in your area and leave messages explaining the waste of government funds on tracking obviously innocent people only because they are wearing beards or scarves, while at the same time letting real terrororists run free.
3. Write the editors of the papers and magazines and tell them you are advising everyone to stop subsciptions and purchases of their newspapers if they continue to run irresponsible articles only to scare people and not provide balanced reporting.
4. Contact the advertizers in these newspapers and TV and radio programs and tell them you are going to advise everyone not to purchase their products if they are going to continue to support prejudices and the destruction of our constitutional rights by advertizing in these papers.
5. Copy this and mail it out - over and over - to everyone you can think of.
6. - Go back over this list and do it again - and again.
We can all make a difference and it is up to us to do it.
_______________________________
Yusuf Estes is an American born Christian businessman who came to Islam in 1991. He is well known for his efforts to communicate the true and balanced message of real Islam in plain English. You can write to him at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.ShareIslam.com (take a look)
P.S. Now we Muslims have our own voice in America (at Last) - Will you help us keep it going on the air?
Your tax deductible donation of just $19 a month can help keep our Satellite TV channel, our free apps, our antennas & studios in New York, New Jersey, Houston, Dallas & Ft. Worth and Los Angeles and our website www.GuideUS.TV continue to broadcast the message of One God, in PEACE - with Liberty & Justice for all.
Do it now before shayton makes you forget.