After five long years of constant persecution, legal set-backs, and outright denial of basic constitutional rights, Sami Al-Arian will finally leave his cell, even if only temporarily. Earlier today, a federal judge finally enforced the order she had given two months ago to have Dr. Al-Arian let out on bail.
This is great news; no, this is incredible news. Putting aside the terrible stress Sami Al-Arian has had to suffer because of a cynical media and a relentless "Justice" Department bent on making him suffer, Dr. Al-Arian has been living under atrocious prison conditions for the past five-and-a-half years. Five-and-a-half years of almost constant solitary confinement, of prison officials who, at best, have shown criminal neglect of his sometimes precarious health and, at worst, outright abuse: five-and-a-half years of not being able to just sit down and spend time with his kids with some sense of normalcy.
No matter what happens next, at least he will have had this brief moment in time to relax with his family, eat dinner with them every day, clean the dishes in the kitchen, chit-chat, in short, to do all those ordinary, trivial actions which the rest of us have always taken for granted. Just think: to be able to have French toast in the morning, to wear clothes that are not bright orange, to sleep on a nice bed: really, what more could anyone want?
This is a happy intermission to an otherwise tragic drama. Nevertheless, we should not lose sight of the fact that it is still only an intermission. The government continues to seek contempt charges against Dr. Al-Arian and have him jailed for the rest of his natural life while a sinister network of right-wing fascists [and no, "fascist" is not too strong a word, thank you] spares no effort to stretch and dress-up any half-truth they can find to spread their rancorous hatred. But with a federal judge who is proving increasingly independent-minded, Dr. Al-Arian may at last have a fighting chance.
[Click here to read today's official press release]
To join the campaign to help free Dr. Al-Arian, please email tampabayjustice@yahoo.com