Free Talha Ahsan

**Expergefactionist** · 22nd July 2006

FREE TALHA AHSAN

THE LATEST VICTIM OF EXTRADITION

On 19th July 2006 at the behest of the American government, UK police arrested Talha Ahsan following an indictment against him by a court in the US.
Talha's case is very much an affront to justice and has resonance with the abuse of the law being carried out against Babar Ahmad.

A young man from Tooting, Talha is known to be a real role model in the local community being a well respected member of the local mosque.

Now Talha needs your help to:

END THE EXTRADITION ACT 2003
STOP US CONTROL ON BRITISH CITIZENS
STOP RENDITION OF UK MUSLIMS TO US JAILS
END THE CRIMINALISATION OF UK MUSLIMS

EVENT:
Details: Tuesday 25th of July 2006 7pm - 9pm
Venue: 222 Upper Tooting Road (Next to Nando's)
Tooting, London, SW17 7EW

WRITE TO HIM:
Syed Talha Ahsan
HMP Winchester
Romsey Road
Winchester
SO22 5DF

FREE TALHA AHSAN NOW!

CONTACT: info@freetalhaahsan.com - 07915063564
www.freetalhaahsan.com

**Expergefactionist** · 22nd July 2006

Source: www.freetalhaahsan.com

Issue Date: Friday 21st Jul 2006

Free Talha Ahsan Campaign calls for end of Extradition Act 2003

On 19th July 2006 well known human rights campaigner Syed Talha Ahsan was arrested by the British police after an indictment by an American court.

His arrest, the latest involving Britain's controversial, fast-track extradition deal with the US, is bound to provoke outrage politically and from human rights organisations as well as the many victims of injustice he helped.

Although the police have not charged him with any crime and have not found any criminal activity on his part, he is to face extradition to the US despite not having committed any criminal acts there.

The accusations being labelled against the human rights campaigner have been described as ludicrous, not only family, but also close friends and supporters.

His mother said: "Talha is a serious, bookish young man who prefers the silence of libraries, academic circles and stimulating debate rather than the sports field.

"He is a very gentle,softly spoken and thoughtful boy. He was not only caring to me, but even caring to my carer. He would say that there is too much work for your carer, so should I help her" That is the type of person he is. "

Supporters last night described His caring nature, coupled by an acute sense of justice and political understanding. As a Muslim Talha understood the importance of justice and its implementation, said one brother who added: " As an idealist he wanted a better world and he was concerned about the suffering of people ,of course the Muslims who were victims of many conflicts .Nevertheless he was consistent in his utter condemnation of 7/7 and all the other acts of terrorism ."

Talha"s sense of justice has not only been witnessed by his family, but also by others who were aware of his commitment to such causes. According to ex-Guantanamo detainee Moazzam Begg, he spoke of his situation saying,

"While being held illegally in Guantanamo Bay and demonised by the US administration, Talha had the courage to stand up for my rights and to believe that I should be tried fairly and be given access to justice. Now that our roles are reversed, I stand up for him today and say the same. If Talha has committed a crime, then try him here in the UK, give him access to justice, rather than an American system which will afford him none. From my experiences he cannot expect to find any justice in the US."

Syed Talha Ahsan now faces the unjust administration of the American courts, a system which has already proven to be heavy handed against any Muslim that comes before its judicial bodies. The message of the family is simple, if their son has committed any crime, let him be tried in the UK courts, rather than be extradited to a country where justice has been found wanting.

**Expergefactionist** · 22nd July 2006

please print and distribute this leaflet in your locality

**Umm Ahmed** · 22nd July 2006

As saalaam Alaykum .

Here in the UAE we know nothing about these people held in prisons, although the film on the road to guatamano bay was played in the cinemas recently, caged prisionors is a english site so dont know if there is something similar in arabic that I could use to print out articles and such .

I could pop up pictures though around some masjids , does anyone have pictures I could print out?

**Ibn Adam** · 24th July 2006

Reminder:

Tomorrow (Tuesday) there is an...

Emergency Community Meeting

Details: Tuesday 25th of July 2006 7pm - 9pm
Venue: 222 Upper Tooting Road (Next to Nando's)
Tooting, London, SW17 7EW

_______________________________________

Please attend if you're free.

Then on Wednesday, there's a ...

Demonstration

During Talha's bail hearing
Details: Wednesday 26th of July 2006 11.30am - 1pm
Venue: City of Westminister Magistrates Court, Horseferry Road. Nearest Tube station is Westminister (District line)

**Ibn Adam** · 24th July 2006

Also, please note that his prison address has changed.

You can write to the brother at this new address:

Syed Talha Ahsan TA 6044
HMP Belmarsh,
Westernway,
Thamesmead,
LONDON SE 28 OEB

**Sabr Wa Shukr** · 26th July 2006

He appeared in court this morning to hear the charges read out against him and the judge thereafter turned down his application to be released on bail until the trial date. So after the hearing today, he was returned to Belmarsh Prison. A more detailed account of today's events will shortly be published on the website that has been set up to campaign for his release:

www.freetalhaahsan.com

**aist1** · 27th July 2006

The leaflets of this event in Tooting was given in Balham mosque on the day of the actual event....I don't know how many brothers/sisters actually managed to pick it up and read it let alone attend the demonstration. I am shocked that whilst living in Tooting there are so many of us that know nothing of Babar Ahmad, and now unfortunately Talha Ahsan....
Could any one who went please tell me of the turnout?.....I really wanted to go but my mother stopped me saying that females shouldn't attend such gatherings.....But what is really annoying me is that NO ONE in tooting thoroughly knows what is going on in their own neighbourhood! The demonstration for Babar Ahmad was an extremely poor turn out and I am dreading that the same must have been for Brother Talha Ahsan.....What can we do? Should I go knocking at every persons house? print and stick leaflets at every available lampost and public gathering to gain a few eye catchers? May i remind my brothers in this locality that simply coming to the mosque to pray jamat and then walk straight home...without ANY clue as to what is going on around you isn't our duty as a muslim......its not where our responsibilty ends....someone please reply and let me know about the demo...and at the same time...some advice on how to spread this news?.......Alhamdulilah I am able to inform the few children who I teach in the madressah about their Brother Babar...and they display genuine compassion everytime they ask about him....but its the elders who worry me....it is they who are teaching our children in the long run to ignore the people around them....just worry about yourself....

**Expergefactionist** · 27th July 2006

Brother Abu Muqatil, all he was known for his beneficial and productive contributions.

But I think it is of utmost importance that we begin to focus at the problem at hand and finally realise that we are all under attack.

This is all part of the so-called global ‘war on terror’. In Afghanistan and Iraq it involves a military struggle against our brothers, and at home it involves an ideological and political struggle against us.

It is time that we realise that anyone who believes in Sharia is already part of this struggle. This includes the whole lot of us.

Let us face it. Ali al-Tamimi was never pro-Jihad. He certainly did NOT deserve a life sentence. Yet, he sits in jail just because of his ideology.

Due to the strong left in Britain, it is very difficult for the government to bring in a US-style patriot act and start cramming up jails with Muslim ideologues and preachers. The Extradition Treaty 2003 was signed to circumvent this very problem. It was a channel through which the US can do with the Muslim problem in Britain, what it does in the US. The result? 21st Century slave-trade between the UK and the US.

Today it is those accused of running Azzam Publications. Tomorrow, believe me dear brothers and sisters, it will be a host of pro-Palestinian charity orgs and their figureheads. It will be the so-called moderates like Azzam Tamimi.

Ask yourself this question: What would happen to Azzam Tamimi if he was to be in the US, backing the Palestinian ‘suicide bombers’? He would be locked up indefinitely.

The only reason he is still free, and is invited to various talk shows and Radio 4 in particular as a respected academic, is because he is in Britain. Well, guess what? He too can be easily sucked up by this extradition treaty, and if this is not stopped now, no doubt his time is coming soon.

Point being, we must wake up and realise that we are in the middle of a war. Not a military one but an ideological and a political one. We must take up our positions to defend what we hold dearer than our lives, namely our beliefs and identity.

Gone are the days when one would hang around in the streets of London with a thawb, a camouflage overcoat with a turban, dreaming about Hindukush mountains.

The nature of the battle has changed, and we are all required to take our positions and do all we can within the legal framework of our respective countries to alleviate the suffering from ourselves, and to preserve our creed and identity.

One of the reasons I admire Ibn Taymiyya, and believe that none has been able to replace him ever after, is because not only he was an intelligent academic, but he was also a very positive-minded activist of high ambitions.

When a Christian insulted the Prophet – SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa-sallam – he was the one to lead the protest against him, and to write his famous work al-Sarim al-Maslul.

When the Tatar attack on Damascus was imminent, everyone in the city lost hope. The Ash’ari scholars packed their bags and left for Egypt. The rulers too had lost hope and didn’t know what to do. It was Ibn Taymiyya alone who acted as a ruler, as a preacher and as warrior. It was he who encouraged the ruler to fight and told him to close the gates of Damascus so that people do not flee. It was he who sat in the mosque and incited the Damascan population to resist. It was he who was sent to Egypt to return with the Mamluk army and defeat the Tatar at Shuqhub.

Before that, when the Tatar had invaded Damascus and began their killing and looting rampage, it was Ibn Taymiyya, out of all of the scholars, who had the courage to face Qazan, the Tatar leader and speak to him, face-to-face, loudly and courageously, demanding him to release Muslim prisoners and to maintain security in Damascus.

It was he who wrote to the Cyprian Christian King to respect the rights of Muslim prisoners.

If one reads the history of Damascus towards the end the 7th century, it becomes clear that he was acting as an Ameer, a politician, a preacher, a diplomat, an activists, all at the same time.

No wonder he was loved by the Damascan population from all levels of the society, as al-Dhahabi says, because he was at all times in the service of Muslims, be they rich or poor, with or without status. The Damascan population naturally paid him back for his services by flooding the streets for his funeral. A funeral this massive, was never witnessed since the funeral of Imam Ahmad.

What we need today is selfless and passionate leaders and activists with Ibn Taymiyyan mind and spirit, who will dare to take the initiative and do what is needed of them.

In light of this, I would urge the brothers and sisters to take the first daring step and sign up for Cageprisoners here. Let us prove to Allah that we are people of action and not just words.

wasalam