There are some new developments regarding the case of Tarik Shah, with a summary of previous information below for those who are not familiar with his situation or who may have forgotten the details.
The newest development, not a good thing for Tarik Shah, is that the government has added still another defendant to the case, one Abdulrahman Farhane, a Brooklyn bookstore owner who was arrested just this past week and is said to have had discussions with Tarik Shah about sending funds to the Middle East to be used to purchase weapons with which to make war on the West.
So far as I know, it has not been alleged that Tarik Shah sent any funds, or even that any funds were sent, just that he discussed this.
Previous allegations were that Tarik Shah discussed teaching martial arts to Al Qaeda members or sympathizers.
So far as I know, it has not been alleged that Tarik Shah actually provided any illegal training, just that he talked about giving martial-arts training.
There is now a Web site for Tarik Shah, http://tariksfriends.faithweb.com, which includes a fine photograph of him playing his bass, his wife's Email address for contact, new contact information for an attorney who is co-counsel and who I'm told WILL reply to press inquiries, and a click-box for donations.
For press persons who have called or Emailed Tarik Shah's attorney without reply, we are now assured that his co-counsel will respond to press inquiries. She is:
Erika McDaniel Edwards, Attorney at Law
Donaldson, Chilliest & McDaniel, LLP
1O3 East 125th Street
New York, NY 1OO35
(212) 722-49OO
Fax (212) 722-4966
[email protected]
For those in the New York area, Tarik's next court hearing, which is open to the public, comes up on Friday, February 17th, 'O6 at 9:3O a.m. at the U.S. Courthouse, 5OO Pearl Street at Centre Street (3 blocks north of Chambers St. above the northeast corner of City Hall Park) on the 12th floor, Manhattan, 212-8O5-O5OO or -O3OO. The closest subway stop is the IRT Lexington Ave. line # 4, 5 or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge / City Hall (or by way of music directions, not far from J&R Music World). People can also call the transit information line for more directions: 718-33O-1234.
As I wrote before, there is urgent need for us to be there in large numbers to stand with Tarik Shah in solidarity, as well as for freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and the right to a speedy trial, all Constitutional rights guaranteed to every citizen. Last I heard, we still had those rights, and everyone is to be presumed innocent until proven guilty of actually having committed a crime. In fact, the concluding sentence of the U.S. District Attorney's May 29th, 'O5 press release on this case states, “The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty." And as reported in “The New York Times" of August 5th, 'O5, “There are no allegations that Mr. Brent or Mr. Shah were actively planning any violent terrorist action."
So what is the justification for eight months in solitary confinement, with no end in sight?
Most likely, on February 17th Tarik Shah will be arraigned on the new charges and the lawyers will ask for more time to review voluminous material newly presented as evidence in connection with Mr. Farhane's arrest, and another public hearing will be scheduled for later on, and Tarik Shah will go back into solitary confinement for some additional number of months to add to the eight months he has already spent there.
This is more or less what happened in the last hearing when a new defendant was added to the case by the government, after which Tarik has spent several more months in solitary confinement.
At the last hearing, would-be spectators had to go through a metal detector in the courthouse lobby and leave their cell phones with a guard, who had a very large collection of them in bins, but no one was asked to show I.D., no one was questioned in any way, and once past the metal detector, no further interest was shown in the spectators. Also, journalists were free to speak with Tarik Shah's attorney for a little while after the hearing.
Following is a brief summary of what transpired earlier:
For some time now I have been publicizing the plight of bassist Tarik Shah, a fine jazz musician of African-American heritage and Muslim faith who has played and recorded with Betty Carter, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Ahmad Jamal, Melba Joyce, Abbey Lincoln, Claudio Roditi, Donald Smith, and many others. And though Tarik has had a life in the music at fairly stellar levels, he has also long been a humble mainstay in small Harlem jazz clubs such as St. Nick's Pub, playing there regularly twice a week and often encouraging and supporting younger musicians. Meanwhile, he's taught martial arts to children, supplemented his musician's income as a baker, selling his delicious pies from the back of a car, and to this day is one of the most beloved members of the Harlem and Bronx communities.
However, last spring Tarik Shah was arrested on “suspicion of conspiracy" for some things he is accused of saying in conversation with fellow Muslims. He is suspected of having thoughts, spoken words, and/ or companions the government doesn't like, and he has been held in solitary confinement ever since.
Again, here is the brief statement by Howard Mandel, president of the Jazz Journalists' Association, who is to be applauded for taking his stand. Calling the case “shameful," he wrote:
“Tarik Shah is the jazz bassist and martial arts teacher held since last May in solitary confinement and without bail set on suspicion of terrorist activity. He is a journeyman musician, no star, and may, perhaps, have planned as rumored to train al-Queda enthusiasts to rampage through New York City. However, Shah is also an American citizen, and our Constitution presumably protects us -- remember innocent 'til proven guilty, and rights to speedy public trial? According to the Times he was snared by a police informer. His lawyer calls the accusations ridiculous. The government's offering no details. The media has ignored the story. Shah's jazz-world friends are mostly stunned and don't know what to think, but believe in the premises of U.S. law. Shah's late November hearing was brief and unproductive; he's scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska on February 17. Did someone say a vigilant press is the watchdog of liberty?"
For more information contact All About Jazz.
