Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, otherwise known as the Blind Sheikh, has sat in a Missouri prison since 1995 for terrorism related charges (specifically his connection to the 1993 WTC attack). Thanks to a reader, Thomas, we learn of a letter sent to the Sheikh’s followers from Abdel-Rahman himself has made it to the internet.

The letter’s contents are in English and appear on a terrorist sympathiser forum. How did this letter find the way from a prisoner who has been denied outside communication in fear of inciting attacks? Most likely his lawyer, Lynn Stewart who has now been charged with spreading the Sheikh’s communications, took the letter from the Sheikh and delivered it to the right people. Stewart is not exactly a friend to the United States, but that hasn’t kept some Americans from heralding her as a hero.

On to the letter. As it is long and I have provided the link to the full letter and a downloadable PDF file, I will only provide small excerpts.

Date: 02-Jan-2005 Shaykh Omar Abdur Rahman, the blind Alim, incarcerated in the Springfield Centre (Missouri), sent out the following letter from Prison. Its contents are shocking and humiliating. We reproduce most of it below so that the world would know what the Americans are doing to a respected Muslim Alim.

‘The conditions in the prison (where I am kept) are very bad and extremely poor. This can be seen from the following:

What they claim about freedom of religion and freedom of worship is all false. I have not been allowed to pray the Jumuah prayers, or even pray in congregation since I arrived at the prison in October, 1995.

There is prejudice and discrimination in their treatment in prison. When other prisoners call for the guards, they hurry to respond. I keep knocking on my Cell door for hours but no**** responds to my needs.

Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahmen is kept in solitary confinement for a variety of reasons. First off, he would most likely be killed by any other prisoner if they could. Secondly, Abdel-Rahmen was arrested for his connection with the 1993 WTC attack in which he helped indoctrinate jihadis. If he is allowed to converse with other prisoners, he could very well incite hatred and indoctrinate other terrorists.

More of the same complaints of solitary confinement:

I am kept in solitary confinement, in my situation (Sheikh is blind and suffers from diabetes and is advanced in age) without anyone to help me arrange my belongings. I have no one to converse with day or night, nor am I allowed to socialize with others since there is no one close to my cell, neither Muslim nor anyone else who can speak Arabic. I stay like that day and night. What loneliness, what cruelty? By doing this they want to make me terminally ill to exact revenge because I am a Muslim. Are these the human rights they boasts about so much and fill the air waves and news media, while persecuting us so that we are unable to speak or raise our voice?

Again, while the Sheikh complains this is to be cruel, it is actually more for his own protection than anything else. Considering numerous threats of recourse by his followers have been sent to the U.S. government and media, perhaps the Sheikh wants to die and this is why he is so upset?

He complains of being strip-searched twice for every visitor. This is done to ensure he has nothing to give the visitor as well as ensure the visitor did not give anything to the Sheikh. Obviously the prison guards missed a search for this letter to have reached the intended destination. The U.S. government does not want the Sheikh to communicate with the outside world, and rightly so.

People of manliness and brotherhood. O People of sacrifice and dignity. O Men of Allah! Rise up from your deep slumber. Rise up with your resounding voices. Set out, O Men of Allah, and let your voices be heard in every place, and say it with all your strength and loudly, without fear. Rise up, O Men of Allah and like one ****, show the truth and negate the evil. ‘And don’t give in to those who aggress, lest the fire take hold of you.’

Yes, the United States prison system is evil because they ensure the safety of the Sheikh and fellow prisoners. Give me a break.

As Thomas said in his email, “I was clapping and applauding the prison system as I read it paragraph by paragraph… I’m glad to see he’s being treated as being the lowlife scum murderer that he really is.” Same here.

There is no telling who is responsible for taking this letter from the Sheikh, however it may be more than just a coincidence that Lynn Stewart was arrested shortly after this letter was purportedly written. Even though it has started now, more screams and hollars from certain Americans of how Lynn Stewart is just a sacrificial lamb being thrown at the alter of the Bush Administration, with this letter we know there is truth behind the allegations Stewart served as a participant in spreading the Sheikh’s message as well as broke the law.

Armies of Liberation linked with Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahmen
Hyscience linked with Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahmen’s Smuggled Letter