ACTION ALERT: Urge Charges to be Dropped Against Muslim De Anza Students

(Santa Clara, 11/29/05) The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) is urging the Bay Area community to take a ction by contacting the Santa Clara District Attorney to drop charges against the arrested Muslim De Anza students.

Muslim students were arrested on November 11, 2005 for protesting former Secretary of State Colin Powell's appearance at DeAnza Community College in Cupertino. The arrests seem to have been motivated by religious and racial profiling as six were visibly dressed Muslim students and one was an African American graduate student. The arrests were brutal and many were beaten by the police. The remaining arrestee was a white adult who had intentionally disrupted Powell's speech from inside the auditorium but was arrested without any beatings.

The demonstration was largely nonviolent, yet the seven arrestees were selectively targeted by the police due to their traditional dress and their ethnicity. Other incidents during the protest included a police car window publicly smashed by other protesters; however, the individuals were not arrested. Many Muslim students just observing the protest after classes and heading to their cars were targeted by police simply due to their visible traditional Muslim dress. During the demonstration, detained protesters were allowed to leave except for the Muslim students who did not take part in violent acts.

A police officer present at the protest interviewed by a reporter said, "Many officers associate such garb to terrorists because of the training videos they see in which 'terrorists prepare themselves for Jihad and martyrdom.'"

Muslim Americans have the right to exercise their constitutional rights to free speech and lawful gathering without physical intimidation, religious discrimination and racial profiling. The Muslim community is urged to contact the Santa Clara County District Attorney to request that charges be dropped against the wrongfully arrested Muslim students.

ACTON REQUESTED:
(As always, be POLITE. Hostile comments can and WILL be used to further defame Muslims and Islam.)

Contact the Santa Clara County District Attorney, George Kennedy at 408 299-7400, 408 299-3099 or email gkennedy (at) da.scc.gov.org. Urge the District Attorney to drop the charges against the arrestees. Ask that an investigation and Muslim cultural sensitivity trainings be conducted at the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department.

Contact: Mr. George Kennedy
TEL: 408 299-7400, 408 299-3099
FAX: (408) 286-5437
Email: gkennedy (at) da.scc.gov.org
Copy to: nocal (at) cair.com

DONATE TO DeAnza Eight Legal Funds:
Contact: Janeen Reavis, 408 561-1003, janeean (at) yahoo.com

www.adcsf.org/MenuPG/activism.htm