Leading academics, lawyers, politicians, civil liberty defenders and human rights organizations speak out to defend our constitutional right to give and call for the freedom of Ghassan and Shukri.
Noam Chomsky
Academic and Human Rights Activist
"The political persecution of Ghassan and Shukri poses a grave threat to our basic human right to engage in legitimate charitable causes. Their dedication to providing critical aid to Palestinian families in need should be celebrated, not punished. Their 65-year sentence is one of the most egregious injustices in modern history. It’s time to end their unwarranted imprisonment."
Human Rights Watch
"Shukri and Ghassan, prominent Palestinian-American philanthropists who once co-led the largest Muslim charity in the United States, were wrongfully convicted and have been imprisoned for years on the basis of vague and politically-motivated claims. President Biden should commute their sentences.”
Charity & Security Network
“This injustice is an example of what happens when judges and prosecutors allow cases driven by fear and prejudice to sideline due process rights and other constitutional safeguards enshrined in the US Constitution. The U.S. continues to live in the shadow of this miscarriage of justice as long as the leaders of this charitable organization remain behind bars for these disproportionately long sentences. President Biden should grant clemency to Ghassan and Shukri.”
The Freedom Initiative
“Political incarceration is not just a worldwide issue – here at home, people like Ghassan and Shukri are imprisoned unjustly. Their convictions represent politics at its worst; commuting their sentence is truly the least the President can do to correct this gross injustice.”
Coalition for Civil Freedoms
“The case of the Holy Land Foundation and its directors is among the worst injustices in the history of American jurisprudence. Some Holy Land directors received prison sentences of 65 years (essentially life sentences) for donating foundation money to the same charities that USAID uses for its charitable work in the Middle East. The government conceded that none of the aid went to organizations that illegally promote violence. The sentences make no sense, unfairly criminalize legitimate charity and impose crushing prison sentences on foundation directors who are world recognized for their humanitarian work. Reversing this injustice should be everyone’s top priority.”
Angela Davis
Activist, Scholar & Author
"The political persecution of Ghassan and Shukri poses a grave threat to our basic human right to engage in legitimate charitable causes. Their dedication to providing critical aid to Palestinian families in need should be celebrated, not punished. Their 65-year sentence is one of the most egregious injustices in modern history. It’s time to end their unwarranted imprisonment."
Chris Hedges
Pulitzer-Prize Winning Journalist & Former New York Times Bureau Chief
"The political persecution of Ghassan and Shukri poses a grave threat to our basic human right to engage in legitimate charitable causes. Their dedication to providing critical aid to Palestinian families in need should be celebrated, not punished. Their 65-year sentence is one of the most egregious injustices in modern history. It’s time to end their unwarranted imprisonment."
Dr. Cornel West
Professor Emeritus at Princeton, Philosopher, Author, Activist
“As Nelson Mandela once was, Ghassan and Shukri are being persecuted for their philanthropic work, for being a solution to a devastating crisis. I urge every world citizen who cares about justice to sign the petition to bring these great men home.”
Amnesty International
"Shukri and Ghassan, prominent Palestinian-American philanthropists who once co-led the largest Muslim charity in the United States, were wrongfully convicted and have been imprisoned for years on the basis of vague and politically-motivated claims. President Biden should commute their sentences.”
American Civil Liberties Union
"Shukri and Ghassan, prominent Palestinian-American philanthropists who once co-led the largest Muslim charity in the United States, were wrongfully convicted and have been imprisoned for years on the basis of vague and politically-motivated claims. President Biden should commute their sentences.”
Center for Constitutional Rights
“Ghassan and Shukri not only did nothing wrong; they did everything right. Inspired by their faith, they raised money for food, clothes, medical supplies and education and sent it to charitable committees in Palestine. The U.S. government funded these very same committees and continued to do so for years after the Holy Land Foundation was shut down. This outrageously unjust conviction amounted to the criminalization of compassion.”
American Friends Service Comittee
“The conviction of Ghassan and Shukri was based on weak and biased evidence and constituted a terrible miscarriage of justice. The impact of this case extends well beyond these men and their families. This case criminalized compassionate giving and thereby had a chilling impact on the whole humanitarian community. Clemency is the least that can be asked for and we therefore hope that others will join in supporting this call for action.”
Jewish Voice for Peace
"It is a shameful and outrageous travesty that these Palestinian Americans continue to be detained based on politically-motivated accusations and wildly insufficient evidence. Jewish Voice for Peace stands in solidarity with them and their families in asking all people of conscience to call on President Biden to immediately commute their sentences.”
National Immigration Project
"The wrongful imprisonment of Shukri and Ghassan is both heartbreaking and appalling. It is a grave injustice that they continue to be punished for their compassionate humanitarian efforts. We urge everyone to stand up for justice and sign the petition for executive clemency."
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund
“The case of the Holy Land Foundation and its directors is among the worst injustices in the history of American jurisprudence. Some Holy Land directors received prison sentences of 65 years (essentially life sentences) for donating foundation money to the same charities that USAID uses for its charitable work in the Middle East. The government conceded that none of the aid went to organizations that illegally promote violence. The sentences make no sense, unfairly criminalize legitimate charity and impose crushing prison sentences on foundation directors who are world recognized for their humanitarian work. Reversing this injustice should be everyone’s top priority.”
The National Lawyers Guild
"The political prosecution, conviction and imprisonment of Ghassan and Shukri has been one of the most alarming cases of political repression in the United States in our time. From the irrationality of the legal doctrine used to prosecute them, to the unjust legal proceedings that allowed for the testimony of an anonymous witness in an unprecedented violation of defendant 6th amendment rights, to the vilification of these men, the legal community and the broader global community to free political prisoners must join the movement to free Ghassan and Shukri through executive clemency.”
The Carter Center
"Shukri and Ghassan, prominent Palestinian-American philanthropists who once co-led the largest Muslim charity in the United States, were wrongfully convicted and have been imprisoned for years on the basis of vague and politically-motivated claims. President Biden should commute their sentences.”
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
“More than 20 years later, the story of these humanitarians remains a grave injustice to the individuals and their families. We at USCPR stand alongside many of the civil and human rights organizations who have been calling on the Biden administration to commute Ghassan and Shukri's sentences to time served. We encourage all people who care about justice to defend our right to give charity and sign the petition led by Free the Humanitarians."
Arab American Anti Discrimination Committee
“Ghassan and Shukri have been political prisoners in the United States for the crime of being compassionate. With our basic civil and human rights at stake, Ghassan and Shurki’s convictions and lifelong sentencing are a grave miscarriage of justice. It is time for President Biden to commute their sentences, and we encourage all people who value generosity to help us in calling for clemency by signing the petition.”
Coalition for Civil Freedoms
“The case of the Holy Land Foundation and its directors is among the worst injustices in the history of American jurisprudence. Some Holy Land directors received prison sentences of 65 years (essentially life sentences) for donating foundation money to the same charities that USAID uses for its charitable work in the Middle East. The government conceded that none of the aid went to organizations that illegally promote violence. The sentences make no sense, unfairly criminalize legitimate charity and impose crushing prison sentences on foundation directors who are world recognized for their humanitarian work. Reversing this injustice should be everyone’s top priority.”
“We will look at this conviction as the darkest period of our history.”
Michael Ratner, Founder of Center for Constitutional Rights (1943-2016)
Arjun Singh Sethi
Georgetown University Law Center, American Bar Association
"The conviction of these two men, and the excessive sentence imposed, is a profound miscarriage of justice. The government relied on incomplete evidence and overreaching legal theories, culminating in the criminalization of compassion & public service. They should be considered political prisoners under human rights law and released immediately."
John L. Esposito
Distinguished Professor Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
“As someone who testified as an academic expert in the second Holy Land Foundation case and other civil liberties cases, I have rarely come across a case as troubling in terms of the lack of relevant evidence and as a result led to a wrongful conviction. Their political imprisonment is an enormous travesty and a stain on justice. To sentence Ghassan and Shukri to sixty-five years in prison for aiding people in need is appalling – their humanitarian efforts should have been praised, not punished. As an American academic and expert witness, I wholeheartedly support their clemency campaign and urge all those who believe in civil liberties, human rights and compassion to do the same.”
Paul Carroll
Charity & Security Network
“Until we address the underlying and fundamental flaws in the material support statutes, these laws will continue to hinder – and in some cases prevent – global efforts to care for people, reduce conflict, and protect human rights.”
Zain Shaito
Former Olympian and US Army Veteran
“I can confidently say these two humanitarians inspired me growing up as a kid in my community, so much that I wanted to make an impact on this earth and leave a legacy of service to others. As a former United States Military Intelligence Soldier and Olympic Athlete, I am obliged to advocate for legal, moral and ethical due processes; and the imprisonment of these two humanitarians is just a screaming injustice.”
Kay Guinane
Charity and Security Network
“Either you risk having your group shut down, your funds frozen and your leaders prosecuted by providing aid in international hot spots where people are neediest, or you stay away to stay safe. Neither choice is acceptable for a society that prides itself on its respect for human life.”
Jordan Flaherty
Award-winning journalist, producer, author
"In my years of reporting on injustices and human rights violations, the case of Ghassan and Shukri stands out as a glaring example of a miscarriage of justice. These two humanitarian leaders, who dedicated their lives to helping those in need, have been wrongfully imprisoned for too long. It's time to bring Ghassan and Shukri home to their loved ones and reconcile this travesty of justice."
Emily Ratner
Civil Rights Attorney
"The continued unjust imprisonment of Ghassan and Shukri is an enormous miscarriage of justice. The prosecutors' use of anonymous and hearsay evidence, which higher courts failed to correct, threatens the bedrock right we all have to a fair trial. 65-year sentences for distributing aid to people in need reflect egregious abuses of prosecutorial and judicial power. It's time that President Biden grants them executive clemency."
David McDonald
Associate Professor, Department Chair of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University
"Having closely examined the evidence and the cultural context of Ghassan and Shukri's humanitarian work, I can attest to their genuine commitment to helping those in need, both locally and globally. Their actions were rooted in compassion. They were wrongfully convicted, and it is time to reconcile this injustice. I stand by the call to grant them executive clemency."
Victoria Brittain
Journalist, Author and Former Editor at The Guardian
“Either you risk having your group shut down, your funds frozen and your leaders prosecuted by providing aid in international hot spots where people are neediest, or you stay away to stay safe. Neither choice is acceptable for a society that prides itself on its respect for human life.”
Wadie Said
Law Scholar, Literary Critic and Activist
"In my years of reporting on injustices and human rights violations, the case of Ghassan and Shukri stands out as a glaring example of a miscarriage of justice. These two humanitarian leaders, who dedicated their lives to helping those in need, have been wrongfully imprisoned for too long. It's time to bring Ghassan and Shukri home to their loved ones and reconcile this travesty of justice."
Marjorie Cohen
Civil Rights Attorney
"Ghassan and Shukri's incarceration is one of the most troubling examples of how compassion can be criminalized. Their wrongful convictions and excessive sentences are the result of a politically motivated prosecution that disregarded fundamental principles of justice. As a legal scholar, I firmly believe that their continued imprisonment is a grave miscarriage of justice. I strongly support the call to grant them executive clemency. It is not only an issue of protecting human rights but also a matter of upholding the integrity of our legal institutions."
Nancy Hollander
Defense Attorney
“The government traced every penny from the Holy Land Foundation directly to charity…Yet, because this charity went to families in Palestine, it was a crime.”
Linda Moreno
Defense Attorney
“The unprecedented use of an anonymous expert by the government.. along with the admission of unauthenticated hearsay evidence, secured a conviction wholly lacking in integrity. The constitutional right to confront the evidence was ignored and demeaned.”
William Neal
Jury Foreman, 2007 Trial
"There were so many gaps in the evidence, I could drive a truck through it."
Nanette Scroggins
Juror, 2007 Trial
“I kept expecting the government to come up with something, and it never did. From what I saw, this was about Muslims raising money to support Muslims, I don’t see anything wrong with that…If they had been a Christian or Jewish group, I don’t think prosecutors would have brought charges against them.”