4
MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2007
Group aids imprisoned man
Palestinian ends
his hunger strike
BY CAROLINE FRYAR
STAFF WRITER
BUTNER One day after a
former professor, jailed for his con
nections with Palestinian Islamic
Jihad, ended his two-month hun
ger strike, supporters gathered to
express solidarity.
The protest, a response to the
four-year-long imprisonment of
Sami Al-Arian, a Palestinian and
former University of South Florida
professor, took place Saturday near
the federal medical prison where
he is being held.
In front of a brightly colored rep
lica of the Statue of Liberty, about
100 people held signs in support of
Al-Arian.
“We’re out here trying to raise
local awareness. This is happening
in our own backyard,” said Karen
Booth, a UNC women’s studies
professor.
Al-Arian is being held in con
tempt of court, for which he can
be held indefinitely, for refusing to
testify in a Virginia case involving
several Palestinian charities, said
Sarah Shields, a UNC history pro
fessor who has followed and writ
ten about the case.
“This was going to be the show
trial for the Patriot Act, and it’s
been a big embarrassment to the
U.S. government,” she said.
Al-Arian resumed eating on
Friday after losing more than 50
pounds, said Nahla Al-Arian, his
wife, who was at the protest orga
nized by N.C. Stop Torture Now, the
bill of rights defense committees of
Orange and Durham counties, and
the N.C. Muslim American Society
Freedom Foundation.
“His children and I convinced
him that his message had been
heard, that we would continue to
fight for him,” she said.
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Lisa Marcusson, left, a member of Progressive Democrats of America, and Gabrielle Tarrazi, a member
of Coalition for Peace with Justice, protest the imprisonment of Sami Al-Arian on Saturday in Butner.
A federal appeals court affirmed
the contempt ruling on Friday.
“Because of the atmosphere of
intimidation, we expected this,
we were not optimistic” Nahla
Al-Arian said, adding that there
still was a possibility that her hus
band would begin another hunger
strike.
Al-Arian was charged in 2003
with 17 counts revolving around
his alleged communications with a
terrorist group named Palestinian
Islamic Jihad. He also is accused of
leading that group.
He pled guilty to conspiring to
aid the group in exchange for the
government dropping the remain
“This was going to be the show trial
for the Patriot Act, and it’s been a big
embarrassment to the U.S. government.”
SARAH SHIELDS, UNC HISTORY PROFESSOR
charges.
Al-Arian maintains that he did
not agree to cooperate in further
investigations in the written plea
agreement.
Henry Morgenstern, presi
dent of counter-terrorism group
Security Solutions International,
said Al-Arian is using the legal
system to avoid punishment for
News
his crimes.
“This guy is playing a game.”
He added that said Al-Arian’s
supporters were misguided.
“As far as I’m concerned, you
can put him away forever,” he said,
adding that he believed Al-Arian
would be set free as a result of the
attention the case has gathered.
Nahla Al-Arian said that despite
her husband’s troubles, the activist
support is encouraging.
“What’s happening to us shows
what’s worst about America and
what’s best.”
Contact the State & National
Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
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Sat., Apr. 28 @ 7 p.m.
Bills seek to
curtail danger
from cigarettes
May ban public
use, raise taxes
BY ROBIN BURK
STAFF WRITER
North Carolinians could see
higher cigarette taxes and more
smoke-free areas if the N.C.
General Assembly passes a wave
of smoking bills filed for the 2007-
OS session.
Legislators’ proposals include
increasing cigarette taxes, banning
smoking in public places and busi
nesses and allowing local govern
ments to regulate smoking.
One bill introduced by Senate
Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-
Cumberland, would benefit the
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive
Cancer Center through a 2-cent
tax on each cigarette sold.
If passed, the tax likely would
raise S3O to $35 million each year,
Rand said.
One-eighth of the funds raised
would go to the center, and the
remainder would contribute to the
N.C. general fund, he said.
“We are well along now with
the plans to build the new cancer
hospital, and we need to do all we
can to make sure that we have the
resources necessary,” Rand said.
“Additional funds for research
are badly needed.”
No date has been set for a vote,
but he said the Senate will decide
on the tax during the 2007-08
session.
“There’s still residual opposition
to raising the cigarette tax, and
we’ll just have to see how it goes,”
he said.
“North Carolina was historically
the home of the tobacco industry,
so there you have it.”
But he said the state’s past
should not prevent change.
“The world has moved on, and
we need to move on with it,” Rand
said, adding that North Carolina’s
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cigarette taxes are lower than the
national average.
But Kris Culin, a junior
criminology major at N.C. State
University, said the state’s ciga
rette tax should remain at its cur
rent level.
“Everyone knows the hazards,
so if you end up getting cancer
from smoking, then someone else
shouldn’t have to pay for it,” he
said.
Rand’s tax increase was pro
posed amid several tobacco-related
suggestions, including a bill in the
N.C. House that would ban smok
ing in many businesses and public
areas.
The bill’s stated goal is to protect
people from secondhand smoke at
work and in public places.
Rep. Bill McGee, R-Forsyth,
said that health care providers
have supported the measure but
that many of his constituents
have not.
“The majority of the people that
I’m hearing from, and not all of
them are smokers, not all of them
have a job or relationship with the
tobacco company here, are saying
they do not want me to support this
bill,” he said.
“They want me to vote no on this
legislation as it is currently being
reported.”
Amendments could be made
to the bill, which is not yet on the
floor, McGee said.
Rep. Larry Brown, R-Forsyth,
said that while he generally sup
ports non-smoking bills, business
es such as bars should not have to
ban smoking.
Nevertheless, he said he was
optimistic about the outcome of
the legislation after some chang
es.
“In the end result, the bill will
work out where it will be good for
everybody.”
Contact the State & National
Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.