Some Background for (T)ERROR Included: • Overview of the Tarik Shah “Martial Arts” case • My Story by Tarik Shah • Resources: available reports on preemptive prosecution, book and documentary film about informants, petition for Tarik Shah Justice For Tarik Shah The Facts of the Tarik Shah “Martial Arts” Case Three months after 9/11, on December 1, 2001 provide medical assistance to injured combat- the FBI directed an agent provocateur to go to ants; Sabir, who lived in Florida, was in town Abdulrahman Farhane’s Islamic bookstore in visiting Tarik. The New York Times wrote that New York City and say that he wanted to send “the tapes reveal a plot that was almost entirely some money to jihadist brothers overseas. Far- talk…No weapons appear to have been bought, hane refused to help, and no martial arts but referred the pro- training took place.” vocateur to Tarik The “plot” went on Shah, a well-known for two years, and jazz bass player, self- became a joint FBI/ defense trainer, and NYPD sting operation. martial arts teacher Tarik was arrested in in New York City who May 2005. had played at Presi- At his arrest, Tarik dent Clinton’s inau- was refused legal rep- guration. Tarik did resentation and was nothing, but the pro- threatened with the vocateur, Mohamed PATRIOT Act and ren- Alanssi, continued dition. Neither his at- to try to get Tarik to torney nor his family do something ille- knew where he was gal for three years. until three days after He was reportedly his arrest, when he paid $100,000 for was finally able to get his work. In a bizarre some legal counsel. twist in 2004, Alanssi set himself on fire out- Before his trial, Tarik side the White House. agreed to talk in a Alanssi’s FBI handler, Robert Fuller, was also in wiretapped conversation to a former martial arts charge of the Newburgh 4 case in 2009–2010, student, Mahmud Faruq Brent, about Brent’s and was implicated in the rendition and torture attendance at a training camp in Pakistan af- of Canadian citizen Maher Arar in 2002–2003. ter 9/11 run by Lashkar-e-Taiba, a terrorist group designated thus by the U.S. government In 2003, the FBI assigned another agent pro- in 2001 that was fighting for the independence vocateur, Theodore Shelby aka “Saeed,” an ex- of Kashmir. However, once Tarik was wired and convict and former Black Panther, to get Tarik. taken to Maryland for the phone call, he refused Shelby asked Tarik to give him music lessons to cooperate. and eventually moved into Tarik’s home with him, tape-recording every conversation. Shelby Tarik was held in solitary confinement at the then introduced Tarik to a supposed Al-Qaeda Metropolitan Correction Center (MCC) in New recruiter (who was actually an undercover FBI York from 2005 until 2007. Facing a 30-year agent, Ali Soufan), who offered Tarik $1,000 a sentence, and realizing that he could not get a week if he would agree to train jihadists in mar- fair trial and would be found guilty by associa- tial arts. Tarik agreed, although he did not ac- tion, he pleaded guilty in April 2007 to one count cept any money. Soufan then recruited an old of conspiracy to provide material support to ter- friend of Tarik’s, Dr. Rafiq Sabir, a physician, to rorism. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Farhane pleaded guilty for similar reasons and have some life remaining to him to spend with was sentenced to 13 years; Brent also plead- them upon his release. Like the Virginia Paint- ed guilty and received 15 years for his atten- ball convictions, the government fastened on an dance at the training camp. Sabir, who pleaded innocent activity––in Tarik’s case, his practice not guilty, was convicted and sentenced to 25 of the martial arts––and said it was evidence years. of terrorist activity. But any such activity was Tarik, who is 47, is serving his sentence at the suggested and facilitated only by the FBI pro- medium-security federal prison in Petersburg, vocateurs and agents, not Tarik. The New York Virginia, and is scheduled for release in June Times wrote that “The government has acknowl- 2018. He has never in his life advocated vio- edged that neither Mr. Shah, nor the three oth- lence. He is not a terrorist. He pleaded guilty to ers accused in the case…were on the verge of save his family astronomical legal fees, and to any violent act.” Justice For Tarik Shah What You Can Do — Sign the Petition for Tarik Sign the petition at http://www.projectsalam.org/tarikshah.html to support commutation of Tarik Shah’s sentence. Recognize that the U.S. government––in Tarik’s case and in hundreds of other cases all over the U.S.––is targeting Muslims through its unwritten policy that preemptive prosecution of Muslims in the “war on terror” is the way to keep the country safe. The FBI has made extensive use of agents provocateur to create contrived crimes to entrap innocent or unaware Muslims who have no interest in terrorism. The provocateurs almost always have a criminal past and are eager to erase their own sentences and make some money. Then the government prosecutes the Muslims, saying that they might become terrorists. But the Constitution prohibits prosecution of a crime before any crime has been committed. And the government operates under the assumption that because Muslims are automatically predisposed to terrorism, they might commit such a crime simply because they are Muslim––a racist stereotype, and a legal Catch-22. Contact the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms (NCPCF) via its website: www.CivilFreedoms. org. NCPCF is a not-for-profit coalition that educates the public about the erosion of civil and political freedoms in our society and the abuses of prisoners within the U.S. criminal justice system, especially after 9/11; advocates for the preservation of those freedoms; and defends human rights according to the U.S. Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its related UN Conventions, and the Geneva Conventions. Contact National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms via its website: www.CivilFreedoms.org My Story by Tarik Ibn Osman Shah Muslim, student of knowledge, bassist, music teacher, professor-level martial artist, son, husband, father When 9/11 happened, concern * * * was raised in my heart for lslam Around August 2003, I received and Muslims domestically and a phone call from a man who said his internationally. So I proceeded name was Saeed Torrez, about taking to warn brothers about the need bass lessons. Saeed claimed to have for investigation due to the heard me perform in Brooklyn with inconsistency in what was said to [singer] Rachelle Ferrell, where he have been spoken by Osama bin received my business card. I told Laden in the media interpretations Saeed that I would be willing to that were played. Also, everything teach him after he purchased a bass about the way in which the to learn with. About a month later buildings came down looked to he called me back to inform me that me without doubt to be scientific he had purchased one and to set an demolition, and George Bush appointment for a lesson. was talking about a “crusade,” I picked up Saeed on the day so I continually suggested in of his lesson at the Metro-North our discourse that we must use station at Beacon, New York. He discretion in believing what the gave a bit of his history, i.e., Black media was saying. Panther, B.L.A. [Black Liberation There was talk and concern Army], impersonating transit cops after 9/11 that many Muslim for robbing the transit money trains, brothers were disappearing. I and spending time in prison, but he had a strong inclination that law immediately shifted the conversation enforcement was responsible––it to the Middle East and politics. We would later be confirmed that this seemed to connect on many views. was true. Indefinite detainment This marked the beginning of the and kidnaping were taking “Scripted Falsified Relationship” place, many Muslim families that built the case against me. were scared, and all were not Saeedʼs bass lessons continued. foreign, some were American He did not apply himself, so his citizens. The Muslim community learning was slow. Our conversations was frightened and concerned, on world events also continued. I especially those with foreign bonded with him due to his being family ties, and this was due to older than me and his supposed harassment, their assets being frozen, and difficulties in wire transfers to civil rights activism. This was around the time when I opened up and their relatives, who relied on them. informed him of my child support debt and how it was crushing me I met a man in a Brooklyn bookstore owned by my co-defendant, financially and mentally, and how I was constantly threatened with Abdul Rahman Farhane; this was the first C.I. [confidential informant]: jail and travel restrictions, which greatly decreased my income. Saeed Mohamed Alanssi, who I believe was scoping Farhane. Almost two mentioned some possibilities as to how I might increase my income; one months’ discourse took place, and during this time he discussed with me that he mentioned was martial arts. So I spoke to some music colleagues the politics surrounding September 11, what was happening to Muslims, and old students who were desirous of advanced study, but I needed a and the desperately needed money to be sent overseas to Afghanistan and place to teach them.