Twenty years ago Muhammad Salah was arrested, tortured and imprisoned by the Israeli military for bringing aid to Palestinian relief agencies during the first "Intifada", the uprising that challenged Israeli violence and impunity in Israeli occupied Palestine. Tortured with the complicity of the US government, he confessed to fabricated charges. On his return to the US, after 5 years in an Israeli prison, he was persecuted by the US government for his outspoken commitment to human rights. For 17 years he has been on the Treasury's "special terrorist" list that made any economic activity, unless approved by the US Treasury, a Federal crime. He could not buy his wife flowers or himself a stick of gum with out first obtaining a permission from the Treasury. He was tried in the US on the basis of the statement tortured from him in Israel, in a trial that revealed the US Department of Justice to be debased and prejudiced toward Palestinians. Michael Deutsch, of the People's Law Office and his lawyer, provides the back story.
Through it all, his wife Maryam remained his partner, supporter, a mother, educator and community activist. The recording was made at the American Friends Service Committee Middle East, "Inspiration for Hope Award" presentation to Maryam Salah.
Shortly after the AFSC and the Center for Constitutional Rights filed their law suite challenging the Treasury Department over the 1st and 4th Amendment violations of the special terrorist designation, his name was removed from the listing. http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20121105.aspx
Introductions by Jennifer Bing of AFSC Chicago Middle East Program
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