This past Thursday night I attended the showing of USA vs. Al-Arian, organized by the Muslim Students’ Association and UMD Peace Forum. While viewing the film, I felt outraged, scared and saddened as I watched the story of Sami Al-Arian, a respected professor and U.S. citizen, unfold. He has lived in the U.S. since 1975; however, his rights and freedoms were suspended in 2003, when the U.S. government arrested him on counts of racketeering and conspiracy to provide support to terrorists.

The film shows that Al-Arian’s outspoken view on the inhumane treatment of Palestinians by the Israeli government is what prompted the arrest. Initially, he was deemed one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists, which the film shows to be a completely unfounded statement and manipulation of the American public by the U.S. government.

The film largely follows Al-Arian’s family members in their routine prison visits and daily struggles to set him free. It captures the hardships they have endured over the past five years as the patriarch of their family has been used as a pawn in our president’s war on terrorism. The Al-Arian family is a victim of racial profiling and racism like so many others, and we as a nation need to continue to speak out not just for Muslim-Americans or Arab-Americans, but for anyone who is targeted for their racial or religious background. Together, we must take a stand for our civil liberties.

Although Al-Arian was acquitted by the jury on a few counts in 2005, the prosecution has continued to find every means possible of keeping Al-Arian in jail. His latest release date was April 7, 2008, but he is now being held without charge – a suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.

Laila Al-Arian, Sami’s daughter and a journalist who lives in New York, believes that the prosecution is going to next charge him with criminal contempt for refusing to testify in an unrelated case of suspected terrorism. The government has no right to ask him to testify because a plea bargain was signed in early 2006 promising that he would have no further relationship with the them. This plea bargain was reached because in the initial trial, several of the charges resulted in a hung jury. The prosecution thus appealed for another trial. For his freedom and in order to reunite with his family, Al-Arian took the plea bargain. It is obvious after seeing the film that he pleaded guilty only to end the nightmare he and his family were experiencing. Thus, it is in prison that Al-Arian remains after more than five years, with no standing charges and having been found not guilty on many charges by a trial jury. Currently, he is on a hunger strike that he started more than 40 days ago to protest his inhumane treatment. He has lost more than 30 pounds.

After the film, there was a question-and-answer session with Nahla Al-Arian, Sami’s wife, and Laila Al-Arian. One student asked how it was possible for the Al-Arian family to have any faith left in the American justice system or the government. The answer was beautifully given by Nahla, as she stated that she has faith in the people of this country; that it was a jury of multiple faiths and backgrounds, of Christians and Jews, that initially found her husband innocent. She asked us to remember that the actions of our government can be changed by our voices as voters and citizens. Currently, the government’s actions are corrupt, underhanded and downright criminal, but we can and will change that by being active members of society.

If this story even slightly turns your head, take 20 minutes to find out more about Al-Arian’s case or any other of the thousands out there just like it. Visit the Free Sami Al-Arian website www.freesamialarian.com to learn more about this grave human rights abuse. Our civil liberties are not being upheld, and it is up to each one of us to do something about it.

Geena Davidson is a senior theatre major. She can be reached at gennabeth@gmail.com.