Free Imam Jamil Al-Amin!

The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has recently issued a campaign pack to demand justice for "prisoner of faith" Imam Jamil Al Amin (formerly known as H. Rap Brown).

The 19-page pdf document includes a brief background of Imam Jamil and his many contributions to the Muslim community in the US, a summary of the case against him, and action items to help end the injustice he is facing.

The report also includes model letters and address that leave no excuse for anyone not to start a letter writing campaign (hint, hint).

Below are excerpts from the report (jazaks to Sabeen Shaiq for forwarding the link):

Background

Imam Jamil (formerly known as H. Rap Brown) was one of the most articulate and outspoken critics of the tyranny and oppression perpetuated by the Jim Crow laws of the 1960’s which served to legally segregate whites from blacks. Known as a bold and daring fighter for the rights of the oppressed and unjustly treated, he was accorded the same status by media personalities and law-enforcement officials as that given to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcom X). During this period, Imam Jamil received his ‘violent’ label by these individuals who sought to demean his advocacy of self-defence against US government-induced terrorism against the black communities and racist Ku Klux Klan activities. Throughout the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s, Imam Jamil has proven himself to be an outstanding Islamic leader as exemplified through the following:...

The Case

Imam Jamil was charged with 13 counts of murder and felony murder in March 2000 after shootings outside his grocery store earlier in the same month which resulted in one deputy being killed. Ultimately, he was found guilty of all 13 counts and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

The trial followed the extremely muddled and chaotic investigation of the shootings in which flaws have been well documented....

The Freedom of Information Act revealed that there are over 44,000 documents compiled on Imam Jamil’s life since the 1960s when he was known as H Rap Brown, which Imam Jamil himself has made reference to on several occasions. The media coverage of Imam Jamil has conveyed him as being ‘some kind of gun-toting, irresponsible Black thug’, according to a close friend of his. ...

All these connotations have been projected, even though since his conversion to Islam in 1971, Imam Jamil has worked hard for the Muslim community in America. He established the Community Mosque of Atlanta and in 1983 formed the National Islamic Community, an amalgamation of 30 mosques. Friends have described Imam Jamil as humble and respectful and he has been widely credited on the work he has undertaken with ‘...ridding his neighbourhood of drug dealers...’ Perhaps then, it is not difficult to believe him when he stated, after his arrest in Alabama, “It’s a government conspiracy”.