VOA标准英语2010-Pakistani-Born New Yorker Faces Terrorism

They call it "Radio Free Fahad," the vigil held by friends and supporters of Syed "Fahad" Hashmi every two weeks outside the Metropolitan¹ Correctional Center in Manhattan. The 29-year-old Hashmi, a Pakistan-born U.S. citizen who grew up in New York, has been held here in pretrial solitary² confinement³ since 2007.

Carolyn Weaver⁴ | New York 23 April 2010
 

Supporters of Fahad Hashmi at a bi-weekly vigil in New York

Every two weeks outside the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, friends and supporters gather to hold a vigil for New Yorker Syed "Fahad" Hashmi, an American citizen who has been held in solitary confinement for nearly three years.

The 29-year-old - the first U.S. citizen ever to be extradited from the United Kingdom to the U.S. - stands accused by federal prosecutors⁵ on four counts of providing material support to al-Qaida.

Fahad's brother Faisal attends every vigil together with their parents, Arifa, a housewife and Anwar, a retired⁶ city accountant.

"My brother is charged with material support to terrorism, basically saying that he knowingly allowed someone to stay that had ponchos⁷ and socks in their luggage which were to be used for terrorism," Faisal Hashmi said in an interview.

In 2004, an acquaintance from New York, Junaid Babar, stayed with Fahad Hashmi during a two-week visit to London, where Hashmi was a graduate student in international relations. "This person showed up in London and didn't have a place to stay, and basically called my brother to ask to stay with my brother," said Faisal Hashmi.

According to court filings, Babar brought with him a suitcase containing raincoats, ponchos and waterproof⁸ socks that he later delivered to an al-Qaida leader in South Waziristan, a region in Pakistan. He also used Hashmi's cell phone to contact another al-Qaida member.

Babar pleaded guilty in 2004, and became a cooperating witness, testifying in terrorism cases in Britain and Canada in exchange for favorable treatment. He's expected to be the main witness against Hashmi, whose trial opens April 28.

"This case is a fabrication," Faisal Hashmi said. "There is no evidence that my brother had any knowledge of the sort. No charges were ever brought against my brother in 2004 by the British, in 2005. Not until 2006 were charges brought up to say that my brother had knowledge of socks in somebody else's luggage," he said.

Hashmi was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport in 2006 as he was preparing to board a plane to Pakistan. He was extradited to the U.S. in 2007, after being held for months in the general population in a British prison.

His case has become a cause célèbre among liberal justice groups who object as much to the extreme conditions of Hashmi's pretrial confinement in the U.S. as to the charges. Hashmi is alone 24 hours a day, under constant video monitoring. He has no access to sunlight and may not communicate with anyone other than his lawyers and immediate⁹ family.

Anwar and Arifa Hashmi, parents of the accused
Biweekly visits are restricted to his mother, father or brother, but even those have been denied in the last few months, according to Faisal Hashmi. He says his brother's isolation¹⁰ amounts to "torture," noting that Senator John McCain said solitary confinement was the worst cruelty he experienced as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese.

Political science professor Jeanne Theoharis taught Hashmi at Brooklyn College and helped to organize the campaign to publicize his case, including a recent fundraiser in Manhattan. She says the conditions of his jailing are tantamount to a Guantanamo being permitted in downtown New York, even as President Obama has vowed¹¹ to close the prison in Cuba.

"These kinds of conditions are inhumane, they violate international standards, they compromise people's ability and Mr. Hashmi's ability, to participate in his own defense¹²," she said. "And frankly¹³, they are un-American."

Tony Barkow, a former U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting¹⁴ the case, disagrees. He noted¹⁵ that courts have consistently found that such conditions do not constitute "cruel and unusual punishment" in American law. "Whatever the psychological literature or opinion might be, the law is that those conditions don't violate the Constitution and don't violate the law and don't violate his rights," he said.

The prosecution¹⁶ has argued in court that Hashmi's total isolation is necessary to protect the public, by cutting off any chance that he could communicate violent plans to the outside. Barkow says that is the correct thing to do.

"Here is someone who provided assistance and resources to Al Qaida and who combines that with a belief that western governments should be overthrown," he said. "So, on its face that is a dangerous person who, if you accept those allegations to be true, is someone the law enforcement community has to do something about."

Syed 'Fahad' Hashmi in a photo provided courtesy of his father, Anwar Hashmi
As for whether the charges against Hashmi represent a prosecutorial¹⁸ overreach, Barkow said, "They'll have to show one way or another that he knew what the items were and where they were going: Either that he knew the ultimate recipient¹⁹ was Al-Qaida, or that he knew the person staying in his apartment was affiliated²⁰ with Al Qaida."

He added, "I recognize that the material support statues are very broad. And that's deliberate. Congress wanted the statute²¹ to sweep as broadly as possible, consistent with individual rights, in order to choke off the provision of resources to these organizations."

But according to Emily Berman, counsel in the Liberty and National Security Project at the Brennan Center for Justice, "The prosecution and everything [Hashmi's] been subjected to seem wildly out of proportion with the allegations against him."

"Much of the evidence is classified and there may be something we don't know," she said, "but certainly this man was not a linchpin in the Al Quaida organization. By all accounts, he was a good student and a leader in his community. And the guy whose allegations are serving as the foundation of the government's case has made a deal with the government to testify in order to have a reduced sentence himself."

Hashmi is not charged with helping²² al-Qaida or any terrorist organization directly, but prosecutors have noted that he belonged to al-Muhajiroun, a now-banned British group that they say promotes the violent overthrow¹⁷ of Western society. They also allege²³ that Hashmi threatened the lives of U.S. and British soldiers and officials when he was arrested.

Hashmi's family and friends say he is a believer in debate, not violence, however. They contend that he is being prosecuted²⁴ for his beliefs and opinions rather than for criminal acts. They say he was not the kind of man who would have supported violence.

"My fear is they're going to use his politics to say that proves intent," says Jeanne Theoharis. She remembers her former student as "respectful," a fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy, who listened to those who did not agree with him. She said his pretrial isolation makes no sense. "Babar was arrested in 2004, but Fahad did not get arrested for two years. If he's this dangerous person, why did [the British] let him stay out there for two years?"

Some studies have found severe psychological deterioration²⁵ after only two weeks in solitary confinement. Hashmi's supporters say that his three years in solitary confinement could make him unable to participate in his own defense. He could be sentenced to 60 years in prison if convicted on all four counts of conspiracy²⁶ and material support to terrorism.
 

1 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

2 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

3 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

4 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

5 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 ponchos   

n.斗篷( poncho的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The men cast off their packs, withdrew their ponchos and set up their pup tents again. 大家扔下了背包，取出了雨披，把小帐篷重又架了起来。 来自辞典例句

8 waterproof   

n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水

参考例句：

• My mother bought me a waterproof watch.我妈妈给我买了一块防水手表。
• All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box.所有电子设备都储放在一个防水盒中。

9 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

10 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

11 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

12 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

13 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

14 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

15 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

16 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

17 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

18 prosecutorial   

公诉人的，原告的； 起诉的

参考例句：

• If prosecutorial misconduct results in a mistrial, a later prosecution may be barred. 如果检察官的不轨行为导致审判无效，再行起诉可能会被除数禁止。 来自口语例句
• Prosecutorial supervision is required according to public power attribution of civil litigation. 民事诉讼的个性和检察监督是对立统一的关系，并不排斥检察监督。

19 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

20 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

21 statute   

n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例

参考例句：

• Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。
• The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

22 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

23 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

24 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

25 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

26 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。