August 7, NYC: Art of Protest – Creative Stands Against Political Imprisonment

Art of Protest: Creative Stands Against Political Imprisonment

Thursday, August 7
6:00 PM
CUNY School of Law, 2 Court Square, Long Island City, NY
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1413791718907303/

artprotFor the first time ever, post-9/11 Muslim prisoners’ artwork will be displayed, read, recited, and spoken aloud to the public. 

The National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms (NCPCF) in collaboration with CUNY-CLEAR; CUNY- CUNY-Law Students for Arts (LSfA); and the Muslim Law Students Association (MLSA) invites you to join us on the opening night of Arts and Poetry From the Window of Prisons.

Families and friends of prisoners, former prisoners, advocates, and community members, who have been resisting human rights violations since 9/11, will gather to speak out for justice.

We invite you to join us in the discussion of how basic rights have eroded after 9/11. It’s an erosion that shows itself in War on Terror policies and practices – in our communities, courtrooms and prisons across the U.S. Through the exhibition, we hope to raise awareness about the prisoners and their conditions, to view the interconnectedness of their cases, political eras, and their lives.

Art reveals the person behind bars, it encourages the public to take a second look and raise awareness about the plight of political prisoners in the US. We will be joined collectively in the struggle for social justice, and this exhibition will create a space in which the voices and visions of the incarcerated political prisoners can be expressed.

The works will include Muslim prisoners, imprisoned environmental, and animal rights activists. The artworks include a range of mediums, styles, and themes.

Arts and poetry from the following prisoners will be included:

Mohamed Shnewer
Tarek Mehanna
Shahawar Matin Siraj
Shukri Abu Baker
Mohammad Hossain
Marius Mason
John Walker Lindh
Sami Al Arian
Zachary Chesser
Yassin Aref
Babar Ahmed
Talha Ahsan

Poetry will be recited by: Annam Choudhry, Hamdan Azhar, and Gareth Bryant

Speakers include families of prisoners:

Shahina Parvin, mother of Shahawar Matin Siraj
Khadija Mohammad, daughter of Mohammad Hossain
Inas Shnwer, sister of Mohamed Shnewer
Sahar Mirza, wife of Farooq Ahmed

Representatives from the following organizations will speak:

Marwa Elbialy, Esq. National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms
Willoughby Janet, CUNY-CLEAR and Law Students for Arts
Zahra Cheema, Muslim Law Students Association
Faisal Hashmi, Muslim Justice Initiative
Bina Ahmad, Esq., National Lawyers Guild

Bring YOUR community! Bring your ID!

RSVP on Facebook.

Refreshments will be served

For more information contact the curator Sharmin Sadequee @ 517-505-1697