Muslim blogger Tarek Mehanna is continuing to write and communicate while awaiting trial on charges of “providing material support to terrorists.” This is from his latest post:
So, that first time I was here in November ‘08, I was brought in to a dormitory – style unit that resemble a summer camp. It was an open space where inmates walk freely between the rows of bunk beds, as opposed to being hunkered down in cells. This is called ‘orientation,’ and population inmates spend three days here before being classified to their respective units. I’d never been to prison before, and had no idea what to expect walking into this unit. But, my instinct told me that i had to put up my flag, now or never. The one thing I did know about prison was that even as a new comer, I wasn’t going to act like one. So, rather than conceal myself and retreat to the shadows, I decided to pretend that I owned the place. I walked to the center of the unit where there was a bit of open space, laid out my bed sheet, put up a sutrah, and prayed Maghrib with about a hundred inmates looking on. Thus, I was able to break the intimidation factor of prison environment from my first hour inside.
This is a method that can be applied at work, school, etc. for Muslims who might be nervous or intimidated into hiding their beliefs or practices. Rather than let the environment control you, be strong and proud and establish your presence from day one. This is the only way your co-workers, classmates, boss, etc. will respect you, and it is the only way other inmates will respect you in prison. People will respect us when they see that we respect ourselves.
Mehanna’s attorney is framing the case as an issue of freedom of speech:
“The indictment is based primarily on statements made by Tarek electronically on the Internet in a blog or through e-mail,” his attorney, J.W. Carney Jr. said Monday. “It’s thus consistent that both he and his supporters would continue to communicate by those means.”
Carney has framed the case as a battle over freedom of speech.
“There are many people that believe that parts of the Muslim world are under siege by the United States and that American soldiers should not be in Iraq or Pakistan or Saudi Arabia. There are many Americans who disagree with this point of view,” said Carney. “The Internet has taken the place of the town square … as a place to have these discussions.”
