“You can judge a society by the way it treats its prisoners"
Posted by Roger Godsiff, MP for Birmingham, Hall Green, at 19:44, Sat 10 November 2012:
Roger calls for a: “little less judgement and a bit more humanity” in the cases of extradited Britains, Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan. Roger has written to Foreign Secretary, William Hague, concerning the conditions under which Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan are being detained in advance of their trial in October 2013.
Roger said: “I have heard from constituents that these two British citizens are being held in extremely harsh conditions – solitary confinement - with no communication allowed with their families. Letters have been sent by family members but have not been passed onto the two men. Mr Ahsan has been clinically diagnosed as suffering from Asperger’s and assessed as being at risk of committing suicide.
He continued: “Personally, I can see no reason why at the very least Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan should not be allowed contact and communication with their families. I have asked William Hague to ascertain what conditions they are being held under and if they have been offered consular services which is the basic right of any British citizen. With the soaring rhetoric of President Obama’s acceptance speech not yet a distant echo and the resonance of a nation born in freedom and tolerance still fresh, I am reminded what one of the world’s most notorious prisoners said: “…. no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”― Nelson Mandela
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Posted by Waheed Malik, 00:22, Sun 11 November 2012: (Is this post abusive?) #
If this was a Syrian prison there would be an outrage. Double standards from our peacemakers. Do as I say, not as I do.
Posted by Mohammed Hemraj, 09:05, Sun 11 November 2012: (Is this post abusive?) #
I could not do justice but quote an excellent article written by Reyhana Patel. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/reyhana-patel/babar-ahmad-and-talha-ahsan_b_1953293.html
“On Friday, the European Court of Human Rights made its final decision that British citizens Babar Ahmad and Syed Talha Ahsan were to be extradited to the United States.
Babar Ahmad responded by indicating that his case had "exposed the fallacy of the UK's extradition arrangement with the US, and I can now leave with my head held high having won the moral victory." Not only did he expose a system that is arbitrary and unfair but he also exposed a society that, on the whole, does not care about protecting and fighting for the basic rights of British citizens. For that, we should all be completely ashamed of ourselves.
From those who represent us in government to mainstream media outlets right down to the Muslim community, we have all played a part in allowing this grave injustice to occur under our names. It is no secret how deeply flawed and problematic the extradition arrangements between the US and UK are. Under such a system, every one of us is vulnerable to being picked up and flown out without having been found guilty of a crime. Such a process, however, has been allowed to continue with impunity for one simple reason - we, the British public, allow it to go unchecked.
The number of Muslim organisations, mosques and activist groups have been minimal at voicing their concern against the human rights abuses carried out under the Extradition Act. Only a handful of mosques and Muslim groups across the country felt it necessary to address and campaign for Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan. Those organisations who did not campaign claimed that the issue was controversial and irrelevant to the welfare of Muslim communities. However, the reality is that it wasn't controversial at all and it was very relevant for the Muslim community to be aware of such men and in particular, the Extradition Act 2003.
The men facing extradition were not asking to be freed from custody. All they were asking for was a trial in Britain - a right that is, in theory, given to every British citizen. For due-process and basic rights to be ignored and violated in such a manner is extremely worrying and should be a concern for every individual living in Britain. Grouping Abu Hamza with Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan was a method used to cover up the blatant injustice being exercised against these two men. What is even more disturbing, however, is that the majority of mainstream media outlets followed suit by headlining the events leading up to Friday as Abu Hamza and four other terror suspects. Only a limited number of media outlets even bothered to report on Babar Ahmad, whilst Talha Ahsan's voice has been virtually silent apart from a few opinion pieces and blog posts.
Let us also not forget those politicians who have failed to raise their voices against such gross violation of basic rights. In August 2011, an e-petition calling on parliament to debate the Babar Ahmad case attracted close to 150,000 signatures, making it eligible for a full debate. Those 150,000 signatures were, however, completely ignored by our elected leaders when parliamentrefused to debate the case. Following on from the e-petition, an Early Day Motion (EDM-128) was signed and supported by 62 MPs. Only 62 MPs believe it is their responsibility to challenge a system where British citizens can be taken away and shipped to the US without ever having been found guilty of a crime under British law.
Immediately after the ruling, the home secretary ordered the movement of both men to the US without their families having a chance to say their final goodbyes. The emotional ordeal these families have gone through after years of campaigning tirelessly for their sons to be released has been distressing, to say the least, which the docu-drama entitled Extradition clearly portrays. Like many of us, I could have done more to help Babar and Talha. I could have been out on the streets campaigning, protesting and educating people, not to mention, chasing my MP to raise this issue in parliament. If public pressure had been stronger, the outcome and debate, I believe, would have unfolded differently. When the time comes to place an 'X' on our ballot paper, Babar Ahmad's face and the failure of the coalition government to stand up for British citizens should consecutively run through our minds.
All I can do now is tell Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan how sorry I am. Sorry Britain and the community you were once part of, paid taxes and integrated into failed you. Failed to stand up for the principles of democracy and human rights on which we stand for and preach to the rest of world.
I now urge anyone who believes in human rights, democracy and the rule law to take a stand on this issue. Let's write to our MPs, newspapers and local politicians to demand a review of the unjust and controversial law. Don't wait until it is you who is fighting extradition.”
I am please that Roger Godsiff has taken a stand on this and I hope other MPs will follow.