Don't Smear Dhafir-- Stop the Syracuse Post Standards Slanted Coverage of the Dhafir Trial

Paper refuses to report on Suddaby's Political prosecution

2008-06-29T17:37:00.001-07:00

Further proof that US Attorney Glen Suddaby played politics with his prosecutions came forward over the Bruno Investigation as reported by Newsday and others. It was reported that after three years Suddaby has failed to prosecute Bruno because he did not want to upset his nomination to be Federal Judge by angering republicans.
The following was sent to and follow-up calls were made to the city desk and chief editor Mike Grogan of the Syracuse Post Standard. NOthing was reported a further sign of the news desks extreme prejudice.

http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/blog/2008/06/report_bruno_asked_about_probe.html

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Report: Bruno asked about probe
Two stories worth reading today about the federal investigation of Joe Bruno, and his decision to leave the Senate:
The Daily News reports that a source says Bruno's lawyer reached out to inquire whether his departure would have any impact on the long-running investigation, but no deal was cut.
The Times-Union updates the probe itself, which is focused on whether Bruno's private business pursuits -- in horseracing, business consulting, and investing labor-union money -- have intersected with his lawmaking in a way that deprives constituents of his "honest services."
Apparently, 30 boxes of records were just turned over by the Senate to the FBI. Compliance had been delayed, and there are indications of possible tension among the feds. The Northern District of NY has been running the FBI probe, but now Southern District of NY (Manhattan) prosecutors are getting involved amid signs the FBI may think it's going too slow.
Northern District US Atty. Glenn Suddaby is awaiting Senate confirmation as a federal judge by the Senate, which hypothetically creates a situation where he may not want to alienate Republicans..
Bruno, at his press conference yesterday, denied his resignation had anything to do with the probe: "I've never been accused of anything, and I don't expect to be accused of anything because I haven't done anything wrong."
Posted by John Riley on June 25, 2008 8:38 AM Permalink

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=698679&category=STATE&newsdate=6/25/2008

Retirement won't end FBI probe
Senate has turned over boxes of records sought in Bruno inquiry

By BRENDAN J. LYONS, Senior writer First published: Wednesday, June 25, 2008
ALBANY -- An FBI investigation of former Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno is moving forward and will not be derailed by his abrupt decision to leave elected office at the end of the year, people familiar with the case said.
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Bruno's announcement that he would not seek re-election comes as federal prosecutors for the Southern District of New York have visited Albany in connection with the nearly three-year-old criminal probe of Bruno's public and private business dealings, according to sources who spoke to the Times Union on condition they not be identified.
Several months ago, FBI agents from Albany met with prosecutors from the Southern District regarding the Bruno investigation, a person with knowledge of the meeting said.
The agents made an informal overture to the Manhattan-based federal prosecutors at a time when the FBI and prosecutors in New York's Northern District, under U.S. Attorney Glenn T. Suddaby, have been at odds about the handling of the Bruno investigation, which sources believe has been dogged by unnecessary delay.
Suddaby is awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Senate to a position as a federal judge in upstate New York. He has declined to comment on the Bruno investigation.
In recent days, Boyd M. Johnson III, who leads the public corruption unit of the United States attorney's office for the Southern District, visited Albany around the time that boxes of records from the state Senate were turned over to federal authorities.
Sources close to the case said that the files had been requested by federal authorities months ago, but that the Senate delayed responding to the request.
It's unclear whether Johnson was in Albany specifically because of the Bruno records provided to the government.
The federal investigation is centered around Bruno's private consulting business, his horse breeding interests and the state's horse racing industry. Federal grand jury subpoenas also were issued regarding Bruno's work for a Connecticut company that received tens of millions of dollars in investment dollars from New York labor unions.
Bruno, 79, abruptly resigned from that investment company in December.
The senator's Brunswick consulting company, Capital Business Consultants, also has been a focus of the probe. Bruno has declined to identify his private consulting clients, or to disclose whether any of them have an interest in state government contracts or public funding. Like many other legislators, the senator has, when asked, also declined to disclose publicly the amounts of his personal income, net worth or debt.
Paul Holstein, chief division counsel for the Albany FBI field office, declined to comment on why agents had met with the Southern District prosecutors.
He said the office is "fully committed to the public corruption program, which is a high priority for the FBI, and are committing necessary resources to address ongoing investigations."
The investigation of Bruno is being headed by two agents with extensive experience in white-collar and public corruption cases, Michael Bassett and Charles Dougherty
Bassett has been with the agency 25 years and worked at field offices in Tampa, Fla., and Chicago, where he worked undercover posing as a commodities futures trader on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade. That investigation -- Operation Sourmash -- led to dozens of convictions and legislative reforms.
In Albany, Bassett has been the case agent on several high-profile public corruption investigations, including the insurance fraud case involving Albert Lawrence and the state bribery case of Albany engineer Ronald Laberge.
Dougherty came to Albany from the Newark field office, where he worked white-collar crime and public corruption investigations for more than 20 years, including 12 years as a supervisor. Dougherty's work in the Newark office included investigations that brought convictions against multiple elected officials, including state senators, assemblymen and the former mayor of Newark, Sharpe James.
Early in the investigation, Bruno met with Bassett and another FBI official in Albany to discuss their probe, according to a person briefed on the meeting. Bruno responded to their questions about his business dealings, and his answers were documented in FBI files. It was a risky act for Bruno because citizens can be prosecuted for making false statements to federal agents involved in an official probe.
If a federal grand jury decides there are no criminal violations on Bruno's part, prosecutors have the option of providing Bruno or others with a letter indicating the panel took no action, a step that is akin to being exonerated.
Much of the investigation has focused on horse racing, an industry Bruno has staunchly supported and in which he has a deep personal interest.
The FBI probe outlasted a tumultuous period in New York's state-operated racing industry as it struggled to recover from allegations of mismanagement by its longtime operator, the New York Racing Association.
NYRA's contract to run the state's three thoroughbred tracks was renewed, but not before being imperiled by a heated takeover bid from several competing racing consortiums, including some whose investors have strong ties to Bruno and other elected officials.
More recently, the federal investigation has plied opinions Bruno received from the Legislative Ethics Commission that relate to his personal business ventures, including real estate development and horse breeding.
A person close to the investigation said federal authorities are examining the process by which Bruno received authorization from the ethics panel.
Bruno's attorney in Albany, William Dreyer, is a former federal prosecutor. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Dreyer's law firm has been paid more than $203,000 over the past two years from campaign funds connected to Bruno, records show.
A source briefed on the investigation said the FBI has built its investigation around the "honest-services" provision of federal statutes, a one-sentence amendment Congress inserted into federal law 20 years ago to close a loophole in its laws defining mail fraud and wire fraud.
The broadly written law prohibits anyone from depriving the public of an inherent "right to honest services."
Brendan J. Lyons can be reached at 454-5547 or by e-mail at blyons@timesunion.com.

PS Ignores Prosecution lets Witness lie

2007-04-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

From: madis senner [mailto:madis@twcny.rr.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 9:42 PMTo: Post Standard, John Obrien Subject: Prosecutors let a Witness Lie

John,

In Devereaux’s closing arguments he noted that the prosecutor’s “knowingly and willingly let a witness (Mohamed Ibrahim) lie”. The paper never made a big deal out this. Why? I think it is a big deal and I am going to trumpet it at our next witness at the Federal Bldg Tuesday afternoon.

I would appreciate any input. Maybe I am missing something, but I believe Devereaux also said that they broke the law in doing so. I want to make sure I am getting the facts right.

Thanks,
Madis Senner
315-463-5369

Post Standard Refuses to consider prosecutor's misdeeds

2007-03-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

From: madis senner [mailto:madis@twcny.rr.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 12:42 PMTo: Post Standard--Cc: Post Standard; Post Standard EditorSubject: Dhafir's Treatment & US Attorney's Scandal

Dear Marnie,

I was disappointed and shocked to hear from John Obrien that you found no merit in my claim that the local US Attorney’s office was a pawn for the Bush administration, driven to do whatever it took to win trophies in the war on terror and intimidate dissent. Let me ask you why was the St. Pats 4 chosen to be an example to criminalize dissent and charged with Federal conspiracy charges when catholic workers routinely pour blood during actions? Was it because Ithaca is under the Northern NY US Attorney’s jurisdiction? Is it coincidence that intimidation was similarly at work when Dr. Dhafir’s legal counsel was denied access to see Dr. Dhafir the day after his picture appeared in your paper? No pattern? No foul play?

I guess this all brings up old wounds. How am I supposed to react to this when just last year you wrote about the Dhafir El Hindi connection and then refused to do a follow-up on how the whole thing was a sham?

Just recently the Post Standard was given information on the secret and illegal prison program in Terre Haute that Dr. Dhafir was part of and the paper did nothing. A great scoop with a national and local angle; instead the Washington Post wrote the article.

Sadly, someone else will write the article on the Suddaby-Rove-Gonzales triad. And when they do it will reaffirm where many of us believe your interests lie.

God Bless,

Madis Senner

Post Standard's News Quiz---Speaks Volumes

2005-02-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

To: John O Brien
Subject: Your paper reached a new low today.

Your paper reached a new low in the quiz today, perhaps you could send thisto who is responsible.

It's obvious, from the coverage of Dr. Dhafir's trial, that Post-Standard employees need urgently to read this book: "The War Against CivilLiberties: How Bush and Ashcroft Have Dismanted the Bill of Rights", by Elaine Cassel's. Pub: Lawrence Hill 2004. The book is dedicated: 'To the lawyers who fight on the front lines in the war against civil liberties andthe judges who have the courage to defend the Constitution.

'Cassel, a practicing attorney and a professor of law and psychology,describes exactly what has happened to the justice system since the war onterror and the Patriot Act-a very scary book. Made even more scary byknowing how your newspaper has been a willing accomplice in peddling the governments accusations, without any consideration to evidence or truth.

In the book there is a short piece on Help The Needy and the people who have been charged in relation to the case. Now that the author realizes Dr.Dhafir is the person who founded Help the Needy in Syracuse, she will updateher civil liberties watch website with information from the trial.

What your paper has done to Dr. Dhafir during this trial is unconscionable.You should be trying to make amends instead of taking your insensitivity tonew lows. Please put my website address: www.dhafirtrial.net on the frontpage of your paper each day this week. It is the least you can do.

Katherine Hughes.

Katherine was responding to Saturday's quiz in the editorial page and question number 6. Every Saturday the paper prints a news quiz about events of the past week to test the readership's retention:

6. Rarely heard phrases: Match the quotation with the speaker:
a) "It's good to get back the wampum."
b) "The students are bereft."
c) "He is a crafty and calculating person."
d) "I want to dance, but I can't. I shy."
1) Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz, the Hamilton College professor who invited Ward Churchill to speak.
2) Kafi Ahmed of Syracuse, after casting her vote in Detroit for the Iraqi election.
3) Tadadaho Sid Hill, spiritual leader at the Onondaga Nation.
4) U.S. Attorney Michael Olmstead, prosecuting in summation of the government's fraud and tax-evasion case against Rafil Dhafir.
Answers: 1) b. 2) c and d. 3) a. 4) b. 5) All of them. 6) a-3, b-1, c-4, d-2. 7) Photo caption: False

Pandering to Islamophobia

2005-01-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

The following letter has been submitted to the Post Standard for publication:

Dear Editor,

You should be commended for your emphasis on a recent Cornell Study that found endemic Islamophobia in our country--44% of Americans favor restricting the civil liberties of Muslim Americans. Bravo!

Conversely, another element of the Post Standard has consistently pandered to the most prejudiced members of our community by feeding them a diet of misrepresentations that demean Muslims should be chided. Shame on you.

The Dhafir trial is the case in point. When the Tsunami hit in the Far East there were innumerable articles on the suffering of the victims and the generosity of local donors. Compare this to the coverage of the Iranian earthquake a year earlier. When one of the members of Dr. Dhafir's charity appealed to you for help you chose to emphasize his connection to Help the Needy and raise the specter of terrorism.

Coverage of the trial, as numerous unpublished letters to you have pointed out, has been pro- prosecution. NY Post- like tabloid headlines often emphasized a miniscule pro-prosecution point that made Dr. Dhafir look bad.
In January when the bulk of the court time was taken by the defense's cross-examination, you choose to report only sporadically. Prior to that you reported mostly the prosecution's allegations on a daily basis.

It is clear that one of the objectives of your coverage of the Dhafir trial has been to pander to Islamophobia.

"First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7 :5

God Bless,
Madis Senner

Post Standard's Blind man's defense

2005-01-20T18:22:00.000-08:00

Although, Richard Lindsay of North Syracuse NY has never attended Dr. Dhafir's trial he has read enough of the Post Standard's coverage to know that their reporting has been "fair and balanced". Mr. Lindsay reminds me of the blind man that said, when his wife put on a new dress, that he had never seen a prettier dress.

I still can't figure out whether the Post Standard is being cynical and humorous--or is it just showing its own ignorance in printing Mr. Lindsay's letter as a confirmation of the public's perception that their coverage of the Dahfir trial has been "fair and balanced".

Dhafir trial coverage fair and balanced

To the Editor:

The Jan. 9 letter by Katherine Hughes, "Dhafir trial coverage has prosecutorial tune," could not be more in error.
She says this newspaper's reporting of Dr. Dhafir's trial heavily favors the prosecution's side of the case. She also feels this paper is denying the right to be held innocent until proven guilty. She bases her assertions on her two-day-a-week attendance at the trial since it started in October.

Although not attending the trial, I have read all the reports on the proceedings since October, and disagree completely with Ms. Hughes, finding the reporting fair and balanced.

Finally, Dr. Dhafir's lengthy trial flies in the face of Ms. Hughes' question, "Doesn't he (Dr. Dhafir) deserve the right to be held innocent until proven guilty?"

Richard Lindsay
North Syracuse

http://www.syracuse.com/search/index.ssf?/base/opinion-5/110621390217660.xml?syropple

Post Standard Finally Prints "1 " Letter Criticizing it

2005-01-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

http://www.syracuse.com/search/index.ssf?/base/opinion-5/1105178397120290.xml?syropple

Letters to the Editor

Post-Standard Letter

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Dhafir trial coverage has prosecutorial tone

To the Editor:

I have been attending the trial of Dr. Rafil Dhafir two days a week since it started in October. My experience of the paper's reporting on this trial suggests prosecution could not do a better job of presenting its side of the case if it were writing the articles.

Significant evidence for the defense is often ignored. If mentioned at all, it is buried under big, damning headlines. What happens in the courtroom and what is reported in the newspaper often have only a passing resemblance.

More than half-a-million Iraqi children under the age of five died as a direct result of the sanctions imposed on Iraq. Dr. Dhafir's actions may have helped save lives. Doesn't he deserve the right to be held innocent until proven guilty? Shouldn't we as citizens in a democracy help ensure this right, even if the newspaper denies it?

Katherine Hughes

Syracuse

Post Standard Continues to Slam Jarwan--Then issues Correction--The 4th one.

2004-11-28T18:06:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday November 23, 2004 the Post Standard again slandered Ayman Jarwan incorrectly calling him a convict in an article titled 'Convict Testifies Against Dhafir'. On Wednesday November 24th they issued a correction:

'A headline Tuesday incorrectly referred to Ayman Jarwan as a convict.
Jarwan has pleaded guilty to two charges in the Help the Needy charity case, but
he has not been sentenced. Jarwan was a prosecution witness in the trial of Dr.
Rafil Dhafir'.

The title of the article was changed to 'Dhafir's prosecutors put Jordanian on stand'.

In the literal sense of the word, convict does pertain to someone convicted of a crime. But it generally refers to someone in prison or someone that has been in prison. A rudimentary archival search of Post Standard articles shows that the paper generally does not call someone a convict until they have done some jail time. That appears to be the case for Robert Bennett of Bennett funding whom bilked investors of hundreds of billions of dollars. I only found an article calling him a 'convict' after he was convicted and serving time.

The treatment of Ayman Jarwan by the Post Standard appears to contrast with the treatment of other individuals convicted of crimes. Clearly the Post Standard was again choosing to slander and show someone involved with Help the Needy in the worst light.

Consider the treatment of Muslims/Help the Needy Defendats compated to the infamous Boot Camp gang that terrorized the city's south side with murder, violence and drugs. The following are a few of the Headlines for that case that involved the testimony of convicted felons:

'ONE WITNESS STAYS MUM', July 27, 2004

Christian Williams was one of Karo Brown's "flunkies" who did Brown's
biddingin the Boot Camp street gang, according to other gang members.

When Williams took the stand Monday to testify against Brown, he
offered nohelp to prosecutors - not a single word.

Williams pleaded
guilty last month to a racketeering conspiracy charge,admitting his role in the
shooting death of Elk Block gang member DemetriusElmore on June 27, 2003. He
said he used a .45-caliber handgun to shoot andkill Elmore, who was riding a
bicycle to his grandmother's house

'AT CONFESSION ROCKS COURTROOM; BOOT CAMP WITNESS ADMITS MURDER', July 27, 2004

An open Syracuse homicide was solved from the witness stand Monday in
thetrial of accused street gang leader Karo Brown.Rodney Hill of the Boot Camp
street gang confessed that he was the triggermanin the July 4, 2001, shooting
death of Darone Scott, 21, in retaliation forthe 110 gang shooting on Hill's
mother's house….
If Hill is prosecuted for Scott's slaying, the sentence will
run at the sametime as the sentence Hill gets for the racketeering conspiracy
charge hepleaded guilty to last year, Mordue said

Why did the Post Standard chose to call members of the Boot Camp gang, convicted felons, that had committed murder 'witness' when they testified in court and not convicts as they did Ayman Jarwan?

Poor Ayman maligned by the Post Standard again. As noted before last December Ayman called the Post Standard for publicity help to raise money for the relief effort in earthquake ravaged Iran. The Post Standard instead of focusing on the relief effort used the opportunity to paint Jarwan as the 'evil doer' and retell the Help the Needy arrest.

The correction by the Post Standard of the convict term was their fourth correction regarding the Dhafir trial. I do not think that it is adequate given the damage that they have done by smearing the names of those whose only crime was charity.

Post Standard Slants Articles Towards the Prosecutions Case

2004-11-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

To the Editor:

I have been reading the Post Standards articles reporting on Dr.Dhafir's trial in Federal District Court and I have seen a consistent trend of slanting the articles towards the case for the prosecution. Unlike most people who read the Post articles, I have been attending the trial and have heard what has transpired.

The articles seem to mirror the case for the
prosecution, and minimize what is said or demonstratedby the defense as an "aside" comment. This is a great disservice to the community and to the principles offair and balanced reporting. The prosecution already had a distinct advantage in the case, since the considerable resources of the federal government and its numerous agencies have built its case with the taxpayer's dollar. This is in vivid contrast to the defendant who has limited resources and has beenhampered in making his defense since he has beendenied bail and not able to meet freely with his attorneys.

Fortunately, the case will be decided by the jury, not by the press or public opinion. This case will come to a conclusion, and there will be a verdict, right orwrong. It seems the doctor has already been painted as a criminal by most of the court reporting, and he, his family and his community will suffer because of this.

The article published on November 18th was a welcome exception.

Lorraine Mavins
Syracuse, NY

Dhafir trial articles slanted against defense

2004-11-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

Post-Standard Letter
Monday, November 15, 2004
Dhafir trial articles slanted against defense

To the Editor:

As one of the attorneys with the privilege of representing Dr. Rafil Dhafir, I am extremely grateful that the jury will decide his fate on the basis of the evidence and lack of evidence that THEY hear, and not what is reported in The Post-Standard. Your coverage of the case thus far makes it abundantly clear that what your reporter hears and what everyone else in the courtroom hears are not the same. In fact, I often wonder if your reporter and I are at the same trial, listening to the same testimony from the same witnesses.

Your reporting seems to focus solely on what the indictment charges and what the government's witnesses testify to on direct examination. In one of the rare instances where your newspaper briefly mentioned material elicited during Mr. Cannick's cross-examination, you immediately followed it with a quote from the indictment.

As a newspaper of record in Syracuse, you should be more cognizant of your responsibility to report this case, and any other important matter, fairly, accurately and without bias.

Joel S. Cohen
New York City

URL for this Letter: http://www.syracuse.com/search/index.ssf?/base/opinion-4/1100341046242720.xml?syropple

Letter to the Editor--Santa Caught in Bank Photo (Never Published--Why??)

2004-11-21T20:10:00.000-08:00

Dear Editor,

Shame on you. I am sick and tired of reading the Post Standards' slanted coverage of the Dhafir Trial. On October 22nd you published a photo of Dr. Dhafir in a bank. The caption below it regurgitated the prosecution's claim that Dr. Dhafir was doing business at the bank while pretending to be someone else. Clearly the photo meant to make Dr. Dhafir look bad.

Okay, so you were reporting what was said.

The next day in court during cross-examination the prosecution witness's claims about the photo were discredited. The witness admitted that Dr Dhafir presented no fake ID and that he was not doing anything illegal in the photo.

If you thought that the photo was so important then why didn't the paper subsequently report that it was discredited by the defense during cross-examination? The only goal of the photo was to malign Dr. Dhafir, something you seem all too willing to do.

And just when I thought you could not top that on October 28th you ran a headline reporting that Dr. Dhafir's agent in Jordan was buying cloth with charitable funds. A claim that had no merit whatsoever and was never said it court. Where did that 'bogus' header come from? An eager editor looking to embellish testimony to sell more papers? Or was it to push the paper's slanted pro-prosecution perspective?

The next day we complained and you ran a correction. But is it 'fair and balanced' to run a correction in small print that does not even take up enough space to cover one word of the front-page headline of the day before? And what if we had not complained loudly?

I am sure that you could even make Santa look bad if you put your mind to it.

Shame on you Post Standard.

God Bless,
Madis Senner
Syracuse, NY 13206
315-463-5369

2004-11-21T19:38:00.000-08:00

Santa caught on bank surveillance photo. Note he was doing nothing illegal. This photo is only meant to make Old St. Nick look bad. Why did the Post Standard refuse to print my lettet and picture of St. Nick the way they printed a picture of Dr. Dhafir?

Islamophobia--The Syracuse Post Standard's Slanted coverage of the Dhafir Trial

2004-11-21T19:30:00.000-08:00

Friends,

I am writing you to tell you about the jaundiced perspective that the Syracuse Post Standard has taken in covering the trial of Dr. Rafil Dhafir. Ask members of the Muslim community, supporters of Dr. Dhafir and court monitors and they will all to varying degrees tell you that reporting has been highly prejudiced against Dr. Dhafir. We set up this blog: (http://dontsmeardhafir.blogspot.com/) to begin recording their comments and hopefully yours should you decide to help us document this injustice, (To read more learn more about Dr. Dhafir go to: http://www.jubileeinitiative.org/FreeDhafir.htm.)

The Post Standard reporters have consistently reported on the trial as if he were the prosecutions stooge. The reports almost exclusively record the prosecutions side of the case and ignore it when the prosecution's witness is subsequently trounced by the defense, has as often been the case. They are not above sensationalism--printing photos or comments that are at best dubious. See my letter to the editor and photo..

Several of Dr. Dhafir's supporters have spoken to one of the reporters, John Obrien about his prejudicial coverage. He does not believe that his reporting is prejudicial. Some at the paper have commented that this is the way a trial is covered--beginning with the prosecution and then the defense. However, such a cookie cutter approach fails when the prosecution has almost all the witnesses and the defense relies on the cross-examination to expose the truth.

While the Post Standard has done some positive features on the Muslim community (as we note below they have run some highly racist articles and letters to the editor) it has consistently slammed Dr. Dhafir and done the prosecution's bidding. Last year it reported several times that Dr. Dhafir had an Iraqi soldier's uniform in his home. The only purpose of such an attack was to titillate and tarnish Dr. Dhafir and smear him as a terrorist as the prosecution, Attorney General Ashcroft, Governor Pataki and others have been all too willing to do.

ISLAMOPHOBIA SELLS PAPERS
Below you will find a letter printed in the letters to the editor section in the Post Standard that if written about any other ethnic group besides Muslims would have brought lawsuits. You will also find an article that shows how the paper blatantly ignored the relief efforts of the local Muslim community to support earthquake ravaged Iran and instead slanted the article to titillate by focusing on suspected HTN terrorist Ayman Jarwan. The words of Mohamed Khater and Magda Bayoumi clearly point out the paper's transgression over the coverage of the Earthquake relief effort in their letter to the editor dated December 12, 2003:

Mr. Ayman Jarwan called The Post-Standard on behalf of the Islamic Society of Central New York to publicize the relief effort that is being arranged by the society in response to the devastating earthquake in Iran and to ask people to donate to this humanitarian cause. The information he provided was similar in nature to what was written in your paper the day before and was provided by Church World Services and the Red Cross. The result, though, was completely different. More than 90 percent of the article was about Mr. Jarwan and the Help the Needy case, ignoring his request and that of the president of the society, to concentrate on the message, which is simply to try to help other human beings at a time of calamity.

The Post Standard decided not to report on the civil rights abuses and the denial of Dr. Dhafir's sixth amendment right to visit with legal council. This was documented in the bail motion filed on December 22, 2003 ( http://www.jubileeinitiative.org/DhafirBailInfo.htm ). In the hearing of the bail motion on January 27, 2004 we learned more, such as Sargeant Powlina of the Justice Center, said he was told by the government to deny access to legal counsel. Given that the Post Standard had knowledge the CBS's 60 minutes had done a segment on the abuses at the Justice Center (Shackling prisoners to their beds at night) you would think that they would be keen to further investigate the matter. For more on the injustices committed by the prosecution/government go to: http://freedhafir.blogspot.com/ and read the Friday, October 29, 2004 entry--'Detroit Dhafir--What's Wrong with the War on Terrorism'.

We have met twice with the paper over the last year, once about the treatment of Muslims the other over the coverage of the Dhafir trial. We have had numerous conversations with the editorial staff about their slanted perspective.

It is time to raise the public's awareness about the Post Standard's prejudiced coverage of the Dhafir trial. We ask for your help.

Here is what you can do:
--Go to the trial and write a letter to the editor (letters@Syracuse.com , type 'Post Standard Letter' in the subject box of the email)and post it to the blog:
--Call the Editorial page editor Mark Libbon 315-470-2233 and the letters editor, Fred Fiske, 315-470-2163 and ask them to publish my letter to the editor below.
--Come to the trial and see for yourself and post your opinion to this blog: (http://dontsmeardhafir.blogspot.com/)
--Call the editors of the paper. They are the ones that edit down the reports, select the pictures to be printed and pick titles:
Don Cazentre--315-470-2297
Jon Hand
Mike Grogan--315-470-6046
The Post Standard's General Telephone Number is: 315-470-0011
God Bless,
Madis Senner
315-463-5369
madis@twcny.rr.com

PS. Not all has been bad with the Post Standard. Religion reporter Renee Gadou did report on the intimidation and interrogation of 150 Muslim families that donated to Dr. Dhafir's charity. The editorial staff on August 8, 2004 slammed NY Governor Pataki for smearing Dr. Dhafir in an editorial. When I called to buy reprints the paper told me no because they did not want to be perceived of as supporting Dr. Dhafir. As someone that has published in the NY Times, Barrons and others I have never before seen a newspaper pass up the chance to make a few extra bucks.

Letter to the Editor December 2, 2003 (Published in the Syracuse Post Standard)

Excuse me for not joining in the celebration of the end of Ramadan. You see, while local Muslims have been celebrating this "holy month," their brothers in Iraq have been ambushing and killing American soldiers. While they have been greeting each other with "Eid Mubarek," their compatriots have been shooting down our helicopters. And while they have been clamoring for "justice" for one of their own charged with serious crimes, the bodies of innocent Americans have been arriving home in coffins, the victims of cowardly Muslim terrorists.

No, I won't be celebrating Ramadan, nor should anyone else concerned with increasing Muslim fanaticism and terrorism around the globe.

The head of the Islamic Society of Central New York stated at Tuesday's gathering, "I remind you, America is not at war with Islam." That is certainly true. However, considering that Muslim terrorists have made Americans the prime targets for their gutless and hateful acts, with the tacit approval of many of their governments worldwide, I have to wonder whether Islam is not at war with America.
Michael Lydon
North Syracuse

January 1, 2004FUND-RAISER FOR IRAQ NOW HELPS IRANIANSMAN INVOLVED IN HELP THE NEEDY CASE URGES PEOPLE TO AID EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS.Author:Mike McAndrew Staff writer , Post Standard

A man awaiting sentencing for helping a Syracuse charity send money to Iraq in violation of U.S. sanctions is an organizer of a local Islamic group's effort to raise funds for victims of the earthquake in Iran.

Ayman Jarwan, who pleaded guilty to two felonies in the Help the Needy charity case involving Iraq, contacted The Post-Standard on behalf of the Islamic Society of Central New York to announce the fund-raising effort for Iran.

The Islamic Society last week sent about $1,500 to the International Federation of Red Cross for the Iranian victims and it is seeking more donations, said Anwer Ahmed, president of the society.

Jarwan urged Central New Yorkers to show compassion for the people of Iran, where at least 28,000 died in Friday's 6.6-magnitude quake and tens of thousands of others were injured or orphaned.
"In times of calamity and crisis, we have to stand up for other humans. We have to show our human face towards others,"
Jarwan said.Jarwan said his guilty plea in the Help the Needy fund-raising case should not deter anyone from donating money to the Islamic Society for Iran."The funds will go through the mosque here, the Islamic Society.

There's no reason why people have to worry," said Jarwan, who is employed by the Islamic Society as its refugee coordinator and manager of special projects

.The Islamic Society will send donations from Central New Yorkers to Iran via the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva, Jarwan said."You don't have to mention my name," Jarwan said.

U.S. Attorney Glenn Suddaby - whose office prosecuted Jarwan - declined Wednesday to comment on Jarwan's involvement in the effort to raise funds for Iran.If the Islamic Society funnels donations it receives for Iran through the Red Cross, Suddaby said he would not expect there to be any legal problems.

Ahmed also declined to talk about Jarwan's involvement in the Islamic Society's earthquake relief effort."I really don't want people to be distracted. I want people to focus on the tragedy and the relief effort," said Ahmed, who is a professor at Syracuse University.

In April, Jarwan pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiring with officials of the Syracuse-based Help The Needy charity to violate sanctions against sending money to Iraq.

Defense attorney Jim McGraw said at the time that Jarwan was involved in a conspiracy to provide food and humanitarian aid to starving people in Iraq.

Jarwan also pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the federal government by "impairing and impeding" the Internal Revenue Service's collection of income taxes.

Under executive orders issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Americans can donate food, medicine and material humanitarian aid to Iraq only after they get a license. They are forbidden to send money there.

Iran is on a State Department list of nations that are terrorism sponsors, and U.S. sanctions prohibit most trade there. Agencies that are aiding the relief effort, such as the American Red Cross, are applying for licenses from the Treasury Department.

A grand jury investigating Help the Needy indicted Jarwan, of 111 Lafayette Road; Dr. Rafil Dhafir, of Manlius; Osameh Al Wahaidy, of Fayetteville; and Maher Zagha, of Amman, Jordan.The four were accused of funneling more than $4 million of Help the Needy donations into bank accounts in Jordan controlled by Zagha.Prosecutors believe at least $160,000 of that money was then sent to individuals in Iraq.

Dr. Dhafir, an oncologist, has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. Al Wahaidy pleaded guilty in April to violating the Iraqi sanctions. After he was arrested, Al Wahaidy was suspended as an imam at Auburn state prison and fired as a math instructor at the State University College at Oswego.Zagha is in Jordan and has not been arrested.A fifth man, Ahmed Yusef Ali, who was the head of Somali Relief Network of Troy, pleaded guilty in May to filing false documents with the IRS in an attempt to assist Help the Needy disguise the source of some of its money.Accountant G. William Hatfield, 56, of Sherrill, pleaded guilty in federal court to helping Dr. Rafil Dhafir file a false tax form with the IRS.

How to helpChurch World Service: P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.Designate contributions for account No.6815 (reference Iran Earthquake). Contributions can also be made by credit card by calling (800) 297-1516.

American Red Cross: Call (800) HELPNOW or send a donation to the Onondaga-Oswego chapter of the American Red Cross, 220 Herald Place, Syracuse 13202 or to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013. Mark the donation specific to the Iran earthquake fund if you want. Call Dick Blansett, director of the Onondaga-Oswego chapter's financial development, at 234-2216 for more information.The Islamic Society of Central New York: Donations can be sent to ISCNY, 925 Comstock Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210.