Soaking wet but still there

There were easily 50 to 60 umbrellas huddled loosely together under a gloomy grey sky. The rain was starting to pound and the temperature was hovering low enough to create talk bubbles.

Come rain or shine, Fahad Hashmi's supporters' had made it once again. Bryan Pickett, from Theaters Against War,  had rallied hard in the past few weeks to get supporters to join hands one last time before Fahad's trial begins this Wednesday, April 28.

I bumped class early, much to the annoyance of my professor (how many vigils are you going to cover?), and headed down umbrella-less to the subway station. Carrying camera equipment though New York's underground subways never fails to turn into a nightmare.

By the time I emerged from the green line and onto Brooklyn Bridge, I was ready to turn back home. The camera bag and tripod holder are badly made with straps that never sit steady on one's shoulders. They knock into people and the weight of the equipment goes largely unsupported by the weak harnesses.

By the time I walked up to Center street and passed Foley square, I was drenched through my thick peacoat. I saw Jeanne Theoharis, Fahad's undergrad Pol Sci professor from brooklyn college. She's been one of the core organizers behind the FreeFahad campaign. She gave me a cheerful wave as she got ready for a video interview with one of the many TV networks covering the event. Al Jazeera was supposed to be there but I didn't see any name tags; Eyewitness news had made it with their DSNG.

Pickett started with the bad news as if the weather wasn't enough. Today, Judge Loretta Preska, the federal judge appointed to this case, accepted the prosecution's motion to keep the jury anonymous and under extra security.

Center for Constitutional Rights, Amnesty International and Council for American Islamic relations has protested against the decision calling it unfair and a means of manipulating the jury. The human rights groups call it "a clear attempt to influence the jury by creating a sense of fear for their safety and to paint Mr. Hashmi as already guilty." For more, click here for their press release.

The news was followed by the distribution of white flowers instead of candles because of the relentless rain. Pickett requested the supporters to drop the flowers in front of the Metropolitan Correctional Center where Fahad has been detained for the past 3 years.






Like always, Theaters Against War had arranged performances by artists who support Fahad's cause. At each vigil, different New York artists perform in front of an ancient and unwired microphone. The mic is used more as a symbol of the broken instrument that doesn't pick the voice of the masses than a prop. 


This time round, critically acclaimed soprano Christine Moore performed. I was able to catch her on tape after much hustling with cameramen who were completely devoid of any kind of media coverage etiquette. The fact that my plasticy Panasonic HD is covered under a garbage bag instead of a custom made water proof sleeve does not mean you can blatantly step in front of my lens for your shot. 


The sound of pounding rain on plastic distorted most of the sound but its still worth listening to.


Take a look at the event here: 



Vigil Held Fahad Hashmi from ayza omar on Vimeo.

Enlisting for MIA?

Anti-war organizations plan to protest the most contentious issue after the health care debate.. An issue that makes White House officials all hot and uncomfortable - the war on terror.


"Tens and thousands' of people are expected to show up in this extravagantly planned protest in D.C. this weekend.

I'm amazed by the amount of details available in this news letter. From public transport to hotel arrangements. Everything is included to the help protesters better prepare for the march. But how many thousands will actually show up? and out of that, how many will be people belonging to Santa's list of naughty children, more commonly known as 'the countries of interest?'


The fact that wire-tapping and under-cover surveillance is no longer a violation of the US constitution makes Muslims in this much revered land of the free paranoid and on edge. When undercover agents in ordinary clothes start taking photographs of you through crowds and placards, you should be worried. and you should be ready for the worse if you also happen to be a Muslim.

It happened in Chicago. When Palestinian, Muslim students and human rights activists protested against the University of Chicago's invitation to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to speak, similar undercover photography unnerved participants according to Christina Abraham Civil Rights Director for CAIR-Chicago.

It happened in New York, in Dr. Afia Siddiqui's last few trial hearings. Security officials demanded ID cards from supporters who watched from the overflow court room. Many turned away, afraid of being profiled. 

In Syed Fahad Hashmi's case, the 29-year old detained American-Muslim from Karachi, Pakistan, there is a similar dearth of Pakistani's and Muslim Arabs supporting the Free Fahad campaign. You see more of the gora than the desi. It is a plight which is sad and yet not surprising. Families that have sold generations worth of wealth and belongings to immigrate in pursuit of the 'American Dream,' in pursuit of the happiness and peace, are now under the the ethical dilemma to stand up for their rights, or continue living inconspicuously. Many chose the latter, praying that the 2am knock won't be on their door.






It would be interesting to see how many of these selected few will actually brave it to the D.C. protest on March 20.