MUMIA ABU-JAMAL is an African-American writer and journalist who has spent the last 24 years on Pennsylvania’s death row. His demand for justice and a new trial is supported by heads of state from France to South Africa, by Nobel Laureates, the European Parliament, city governments from Detroit to San Francisco to Paris, France, scholars, religious leaders, artists, scientists, the Congressional Black Caucus and other members of U.S. Congress, and by countless thousands who cherish democratic and human rights the world over.
Since the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001, Jamal’s journalistic skills, historical analysis and eloquent pen have only confirmed his reputation as “voice of the voiceless.” With judicious historical insight and pointed probing of the issues, he continues to question and enlighten his readers through scores of columns, illuminating such issues as U.S. empire, terrorism, poverty, the U.S. support of Pakistan during the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq, and so much more. (See the “
Mumia Index” on this site.) His columns and essays continue to find place in scholarly books as well as in the street newspapers of the homeless.
Working people have expressed their support for Jamal through their leading regional, national and international trade union bodies. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union closed down West coast ports for the day of April 24, 1999, to support Mumia’s bid for a new trial.
Jamal’s books and over 500 published columns have been adopted as resource material for the teaching and inspiration of a growing number of students, youth, and educators who have come to see their futures as intimately tied to the outcome of this case. The 1982 trial that convicted Jamal of killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner has been challenged by leading legal analysts and scholars, from Stuart Taylor writing in the prestigious American Lawyer magazine, to Per Walsoe of the Supreme Court of Denmark, to Amnesty International which issued a special report in February 2000, claiming that “justice would best be served by the granting of a new trial…” to Jamal.
While Jamal has worked while confined as an advocate for so many others, he has maintained his own innocence from the beginning, and does so in ever clearer and more emphatic tones to the present day. His attorneys have presented compelling evidence that key witnesses were intimidated or coerced to provide false testimony, that a purported “confession” by Mumia was likely fabricated by police, and that vital evidence pointing to his innocence was withheld from the defense. A key eyewitness has now recanted critical court testimony she gave under police intimidation and which was used against Jamal.
The confused and flagrantly-biased character of the prosecutors’ case against Mumia has only mushroomed over the years: yet another affidavit has been offered that casts doubt on the original witnesses’ claims that Mumia had confessed to the murder; another man now has even stepped forward to claim that he is the one who killed the officer Mumia was convicted of killing; and a court stenographer swears in another affidavit that she heard Mumia’s original judge, Albert Sabo, say during a court recess, “Yeah, and I’m gonna help ’em fry the nigger.” (Up to the time of his death just a few years ago, Judge Sabo maintained he had been racially unbiased throughout Mumia’s trial.)
Jamal was forced to appeal his conviction before this same judge who had sentenced him to death in 1982. Judge Sabo was notorious for presiding over capital cases resulting in 33 people being sentenced to death (all but two, people of color), more than twice the number of any sitting judge in the United States.
So confused and biased is the case against Mumia that a U.S. District Judge finally had to acknowledge just one of the problems of Mumia’s conviction, and in 1999 he thus vacated the death sentence against Mumia. The prosecution, however, with the help of police unions like the Fraternal Order of Police, are still working tirelessly and vigorously to see that he is executed. Mumia remains on death row while the prosecution appeals the suspension of a death sentence. Meanwhile, Mumia’s attorneys press on to gain an overturning of the judgment of guilt against Mumia toward the end of achieving his freedom. His life still hangs in the balance, with death just a few callous and cruel decisions away.
WE EDUCATORS ARE UNITED IN SAYING NO TO JAMAL’S EXECUTION. We invite you to study this web site, explore the case and the issues – for Mumia’s sake and that of so many others on U.S. death row.
■ Jamal has long been a POLITICAL TARGET as a prominent journalist critic of police brutality and racism in Philadelphia since the days of Mayor Frank Rizzo.
■ Jamal is made more vulnerable by sweeping JUDGMENTS AGAINST DISSENTERS as “terrorists,” and he has become less protected today, as many progressive activists in post-9/11 USA turn more of their attention and energy toward the war in Iraq, tensions in the Middle East and general surveillance issues in the U.S.
■ Jamal’s life is increasingly put at risk because even in post-9/11 USA he remains a vigorous critic of POLICE REPRESSION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE. Whether writing about the outrage of torture at the Guantánamo Base detention center, or in the jails and lockups of Brooklyn, New York, and Austin, Texas, Mumia’s as “voice for the voiceless” puts him at ever greater risk.
■ Jamal has challenged the present political priorities of SPENDING MORE FOR WAR AND PRISONS THAN FOR EDUCATION. The youth who increasingly rally to Mumia’s cause in the name of justice and fair play know that we build jailhouse cell blocks more rapidly than schoolhouse classrooms.
AS EDUCATORS, IN PENNSYLVANIA, ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD, WE STRONGLY OPPOSE THE EXECUTION OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL. While there are those who believe Mumia is innocent and should be FREED NOW, and others who have no opinion about his innocence, we are all united in viewing Mumia’s 1982 trial as a travesty of justice, and affirm that he MUST have a NEW TRIAL!
Last Update: Jun 15, 2009
ICFFMAJ Holds Emergency Meeting (July 28, 2008) - MINUTES
Tonight, July 28, 2008 ICFFMAJ met at
Clark
Park in
Philadelphia to both understand the recent ruling against Mumia and strategize for the future.
--Speaking in layman’s terms, both the defense and prosecution have 60 days from when the decision was passed last July 22, to appeal. The prosecution can appeal for a new sentencing hearing, in which they’d argue to reinstate the death penalty. Or, they can leave the decision as it stands with Mumia serving life in prison.
--The defense can appeal to the US Supreme Court. The thing20to bear in mind is that this court only hears about 3% of possible cases. Also, it is filled with Bush appointments.
--The Third Circuit’s denial of Mumia’s appeal directly violates precedent. Judge Ambro, one of the judges on the Circuit, wrote a dissenting opinion, which was more fair towards Mumia. ICFFMAJ is currently working on gathering pertinent quotes from this opinion, along with useful case law, to put in a digestible flyer to use for organizing. This flyer will be available online as soon as it is ready. For a better and more detailed description of the legal please see Journalists for Mumia as well as CounterPunch or the Philadelphia Tribune, tomorrow, for Linn
Washington ’s coverage.
--These are critical times. As Pam reiterated tonight, we have pushed TWO death sentences off of Mumia. When people said it could not be done, the movement had a meeting with then Governor Casey and pushed the death sentence off of Mumia. We will not stop until Mumia’s home; regardless of what the courts say the rules are. Apartheid was forced to change it’s laws. We will do whatever it takes to bring Mumia home.
--Members of the meeting asked if strategically we should target the Supreme Court to hear Mumia’s case, or who we should direct our energy towards. Until we have a chance to speak to Mumia, the attorneys, and others involved, we ask that people use your energy to educate those in your community. Go to your place of worship, go to the barbershop, go to the corner store, go to the park, and TEACH. --We will continue to provide tools but there is also much at your disposal. Get creative and make your own flyer; something that speaks to your neighborhood. Call in on th e radio. Speak out at an open mike.
-Strategy:
--We are building for the Town Hall August 9, 2008 in Philadelphia. We need everyone there. This will be where we set the upcoming campaign to free Mumia. We need people to make flyers, copy flyers, distribute flyers, call into radio shows and announce the event, put it on bulletin boards throughout the internet, MySpace, Facebook, etc. We need people to go to conferences and events and speak about it and flyer. This is the PRIORITY.
--We also discussed working with lawyers who are already in the movement and bringing more in. The precedent set by Mumia’s case is extremely DANGEROUS to all. Lawyers should consider a class action suit or media attention to this unsafe ruling. It will affect their clients, and potentially any of us unlucky enough to be subjected to it.
Internationally lawyers should also be involved. The does not only export consumerism and products: we export a judicial system. Currently, the is desperately trying to impose this system in as it has elsewhere. The rulings created here will affect those internationally unless the community does something about it.
--Also, the judges should be involved. These precedents affect all their courts. Judges sh ould question their colleagues misuse of power. Those in a position to do so should begin organizing meetings and teach-ins with those in the courts.
--We need to put a lot of energy into outreach. People should go out every day putting up posters on every corner, putting a sound system on your car and going through the neighborhoods announcing what’s happening and the August 9th Town Hall to do something about it.
Pam Africa needs to get up to see Mumia this week. With gas prices the trip usually costs about $400. We raised some money at the meeting but not nearly enough to get Pam up there. Please donate. Call 215 476 8812 or email icffmaj@aol.com if yo u can make a donation. After we get the funds for the trip we still need copies made and plenty of other expenses. We need help. Anyone who can, donate your time, your money, a bit of yourself. It is necessary!
--There will be a follow-up meeting Monday August 4, 2008, 6 pm,
Clark
Park (the corner of 45th and
Chester , take the #34 trolley).
The Power of Truth is Final -- Free Mumia!
--PLEASE CONTACT:
International Concerned Family & Friends of MAJ
P.O. Box 19709
Philadelphia , PA 19143
Phone - 215-476-8812/ Fax - 215-476-6180
E-mail - icffmaj@aol.com
Web - www.freemumia.com
AND OFFER YOUR SERVICES!
