284 British Imams and Community Leaders Call for Shaker Aamer’s Release from Guantánamo

Guantánamo Prisoners Released in Urug... UK Government Backs Parliamentary Mot...

284 British Imams and Community Leaders Call for Shaker Aamer’s Release from Guantánamo

As I first mentioned in an article last week, there’s a Parliamentary debate tomorrow for Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in Guantánamo, when MPs, from amongst the 38 members of the recently established Shaker Aamer Parliamentary Group, will be seeking assurances from the government that Shaker’s long and unjustifiable imprisonment will soon be brought to an end. See the list of members of the Parliamentary Group here.

I’ll be speaking, as a long-time activist and the co-founder of We Stand With Shaker, at a rally organised by John McDonnell MP at 12.30 in Committee Room 11 of the House of Commons, and earlier, at 11am, Shaker’s sons, and his father-in-law and brother-in-law, will be handing in an Amnesty International petition, signed by over 32,000 people, to 10 Downing Street.

On the eve of the debate, I wanted to make sure that I publicised a letter to David Cameron — and Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband — from 284 imams, community leaders and activists within the Muslim community — calling for Shaker’s “urgent release.”

Nothing on this scale has ever been attempted before, and it is a credit to the letter’s organiser, Imam Suliman Gani, a teacher, broadcaster and friend of Shaker’s family — who has been working tirelessly for Shaker’s release, and with whom I have been campaigning for many years — that it has taken place now.

The letter, originally published on the website of the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign, is posted below:

Letter from British Imams, community leaders and activists calling for the release of Shaker Aamer

Dear Prime Minister David Cameron,

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg,

Ed Miliband MP

We the undersigned call for the urgent release of our brother Shaker Aamer from Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp.

Shaker Aamer is the last British resident detained in Guantánamo, since 14 February 2002. This year marks 13 years of his incarceration, with a rapid deterioration in Shaker’s mental and physical health condition.

Shaker Aamer has been cleared for release in 2007 and again in 2010. He has never been charged, nor has he ever been given a trial.

We urgently ask for Shaker Aamer to be released and returned to the UK, to be reunited with his British wife and four children in London, the youngest of whom has never met his father.

In April 2013, over 110,000 signatures were collected from the British public urging Shaker Aamer’s release, yet in spite of great public support, there has been a lack of response towards his release.

We urge you to co-operate with the cross party Parliamentary group set up by John McDonnell MP, and take immediate action to secure the release of Shaker Aamer!

Yours sincerely

1) Imam Suliman Gani, South London

2) Jamil Rashid, MRDF

3) Shiplu Miah, MEND

4) Shamiul Joarder, FOA

5) Imam Yunus Dudhwala, East Ham

6) Dilly Hussain, 5Pillars News

7) Yasmin Khatun, Journalist Islam Channel

8) Imtiyaz Damiel, Lecturer, Al Kauther Institute

9) Imam Shuaib Nurgat, Masjid Umer, Walthamstow

10) Dr Ashraf Laher, Jamiatul Ulama

11) Ghulam Esposito Haydar, Myriad Foundation

12) Vaseem Ahmed, Redbridge Islamic Centre

13) Imam Abdul Mateen, East London

14) Khabbaab Ahmad, Founder, Al Hashim Academy

15) Imam Abdul Majid Iltaf, Crawley

16) Irfan Akhtar, Secretary of Waltham Forest Islamic Association

17) Asghar Bukhari, MPACUK

18) Raza Nadim, MPACUK

19) Imam Khalil Laher, East Ham

20) Imran Shah, MEND

21) Mohammed Shafiq, Chief Executive, Ramadhan Foundation

22) Ahmad Nawaz, General Secretary, Ilford Islamic Centre

23) Yusuf Khapi, Neeli Mosque

24) Amjad Shaikh, Hoxton Mosque, London

25) Malik Gul, Director of WCEN

26) Massoud Shadjareh, Islamic Human Rights Commission

27) Imam Fadhlul Islam Khan, The Shade Centre

28) Dr. Daud Abdullah, Middle East Monitor

29) Zaher Birawi, Europal Forum

30) R Altikriti, Muslim Association of Britain

31) Walaa Ramadan, MAB

32) Aiman Tariq, UKIM

33) Maham Karim, UKIM

34) Dilowar Khan, Islamic Forum Europe

35) Yousof Khan, IFE

36) Haitham Al-Haddad, MRDF

37) Abu Sayed, Dawat ul Islam UK

38) Mohamed Ali, CEO, Islam Channel

39) Khoyrul Shaheed, Darul Ummah

40) Belgalem Kahlalech, MAB

41) Nazim Ahmed Chowdhury, Dawatul Islam UK

42) Altaf Hussain, Dawatul Islam UK

43) Omer El-Hamdoon, MAB

44) Imam Suhail Bawa, Khatme Nabuwat Academy

45) Shoaib Khalid Bhatti, Muslim Lobby Scotland

46) Shaykh Zaheer Mahmood, Birmingham

47) Imam Mohammed Hoque, Leeds

48) Abdur Rahman Ibn Yusuf, Zamzam Academy

49) Mufti Yusuf Danka, Croydon

50) Reza Pankhurst

51) Imam Muhammad Ameen Gani, Luton

52) Imam Nagib Khan, Bristol

53) Ustadh Adnan Rashid, Hittin Institute

54) Imam Saqib Mahmood, Zuhri Academy, Luton

55) Moulana Muhammad Rayhan, Zuhri Academy, Luton

56) Imaam Muhammad Umar Masjid Noor, Luton

57) Moulana Aminur Rahman, Zuhri Academy, Luton

58) Moulana Noorul Ameen, Al Hikmah, Luton

59) Imam M Abul Hassan, Jamiatul Uloom, Luton

60) Moulana Kaydul Islam, Luton

61) Imam Mohammed Shajahan, Jamiatul Uloom, Luton

62) Imam Abdul Alim, Northampton

63) Imam M Abbas Khan, Masjid Zakariya & Almadina Institute

64) Moulana Minhajul Haque, Al-Hikmah, Luton

65) Shaykh Syed Ali, Ta’allam Tuition, Luton

66) Atif Mahmood, FHYT Farley Hill Youth Trust

67) Imam Hafiz Abu Lais, Dacorum Bangladesh Welfare Association, Hemel Hempstead

68) Imam Abul Mansur, Teacher, Hemel Islamic Academy

69) Imam Muhamed Gani, Chaplain

70) Hafiz Kaysar Hussain, Community Worker, Global Aid UK

71) Mahmud Choudhury, Secretary, Shahjalal Masjid, Poplar, London

72) Dr Ahmed Younis, Lecturer Medical School, Tooting

73) Dr Imran Khan, Tooting

74) Imam Muhammad Usman, Tooting

75) Imam Aziz Ibraheem, Iman Trust, St. Helens, Merseyside

76) Rahim Jung, Broadcaster, TV Presenter and Campaigner

77) Mumtaz Ali (AFG), Trustee, a Humanitarian Aid Charity UK

78) Imam Mustafa Graf

79) Imam Abdul Majid, Streatham Hill Mosque‏

80) Imam Abdul Wahhab, Markaz us Dawat wal Irshad, East Ham

81) Mohammed Hoque, Darul Uloom, Bury, Al-Azhar

82) Imam Mujahid Ali, Hafs Academy, London

83) Abubaker Laher, Batley, West Yorkshire

84) Khaled Fikry, Imam, Lecturer, MD Madinah International University

85) Imam Mohammed Mota, Jame Masjid, Batley

86) Abdullah Kola

87) Amin Sadak, Chingford Masjid

88) Shaykh Haytham Tamim, Chairman of Utrujj Foundation

89) Imam Shakeel Begg, Lewisham Islamic Centre

90) Qaari Ishaaq Jasat, Masjid e Abu Bakr, Walthamstow

91) Imam Shaqur Rehman, Redbridge Islamic Centre, London

92) Imam Mohammed Abul Hassan, Khateeb at University of Bedfordshire, BPD Academy, Luton

93) Ismail Patel, Friends of Aqsa, Leicester

94) Imam Mohammed Ilyas, Canary Wharf Community Organisation

95) Dr. Musharraf Hussain, CEO & Chief Imam, Karimia Institute

96) Imam Abdul Khabir, Idara Mosque

97) Mufti Mohammad Ashfak, Masjid Umar Farooq, Bradford

98) M Pandor, Batley

99) Imam Irfan Soni, Rabetah

100) Imam Amin Sadak, Chingford Masjid

101) Ebrahim Ravat, Rabetah, Batley

102) Imam Huzaifa Kolia, Masjid Abu Bakr

103) Imam Mohammed Ejaz, Sharee Council, Dewsbury

104) Imam Salim Makda, Masjid Umar

105) Imam Ahmed Sarkar, Darul Uloom

106) Shaykh Ayyub Surti, Da’watul Haq

107) Imam Muhammad Saeed Mulla, Chingford Masjid

108) Hashim Sacha, Chair Rabetah Al Ulama

109) Mufti Hafiz Syed Fokhrul Islam, Luton

110) Imam Khurshid, Jamia Masjid Hanfia, Bradford

111) Imam Hajji Abdul Motin, Bait Ul Aman Jamia Masjid, Bradford

112) Imam Sajid Farashi, Jamia Masjid Sayyidah Amini, Bradford

113) Imam Hafiz Sujad, Madni Jamia Masjid, Bradford

114) Imam Talib, Roxy Masjid, Bradford

115) Imam Mufti Imran Sayed, Majlise Dawatul, Leicester

116) Imam Muhammad Patel, Leicester

117) Imam Muhammad Lorgat, Leicester

118) Imam Sameer Ismail, Leicester

119) Sabir Khan, Bolton Council of Mosques

120) Imam Sajid Mahmood Masjid Aminah, Bradford

121) Imam Muhammad Saleem Nawab, Quwwat ul Islam, Upton Lane

122) Imam Rayan Mahmud, Iqra TV Presenter

123) Imam Fadhil Ahmad Choudhury, London

124) Imam Syed Ali, Shahporan Masjid, London

125) Michael Aamer the eldest son of Shaker Aamer has just added his name to the list.

May father be united with his wife and 4 lovely children soon. Amen

126) Adnan Qurayshi, Al-Ashraaf School, BBCA Masjid

127) Shah Shuaib Ahmed, Al-Ashraaf Ilford & IZA

128) Abdul Mukith, London

129) Imam Ilyas Badat, Quwwatul Islam, Upton Lane

130) Usman Adam, Quwwatul Islam Society

131) Imam Tahir Talati, Zakariya Academy

132) Atif Ali, Masjid E Abu Bakr, Walthamstow

133) Asim Qureshi, Cage

134) Ali Ahmed, AlWaqi’ah

135) Saleem Beg, former Imam, Dar al-Hadith.

136) Imam Maulana Mohamed Thawa, Plashet Grove Masjid, London

137) Imam Mushtaq Patel, Masjid-e-Tauheed, East Ham

138) Imam Zaakir Munshi

139) Imam Farooq, Leyton Masjid, East London

140) Yusuf Razi, Green Street Mosque, London

141) Qari A. Rahman, Romford Mosque, Romford

142) Niaz Ahmed, Barking Road Mosque, East Ham

143) Hamid ur Rahman, Selwyn Road Masjid, London

144) Maulana Zeeshan Ahmed, Lea Bridge Road Centre, London

145) M. Hanif, Shah Jalal Mosque, London

146) Basheer ud Din, Barking Road Islamic Centre, London

147) Musa Admani, Northholt Mosque, London

148) Adil Farroqi, Stanmore Mosque, London

149) Musa Wahalu, Goodmayes Tutor Centre, Essex

150) Maulana Islam Ali, Wakefield Mosque, West Yorkshire

151) Mufti Faizur Rahman, Stockport Road Mosque, Manchester

152) Dawood Ismail, Chairman, Leeds Road Centre, Bradford

153) Mufti Iqbal Qadree, Tayibah Mosque, Bolton

154) Mr Ahmed Ismail, Chairman, Muslim Society, Coventry

155) Imam Qari Hashim, Crawley Mosque, Sussex

156) Imam Qari Rafiq, Masjid Noor, Gloucester

157) Maulana Abdul Muneimin, Masjid Ayesha, London

158) Haji Abdur Rahman, Chairman, Kokni Society, Luton, Bedfordshire

159) Imam Hafiz Farooq, St. Saviour’s Road Mosque, Leicester

160) Haji Mustafa Karim, Chairman, Kenya Muslims Society, Leicester

161) Imam Maulana Suleiman, Masjid-an-Noor, Leicester

162) Haji Abdul Quddus, Chairman, Haj & Umrah Tours, Blackburn

163) Mr Ramzan Hasham, Chairman, Kumbhar Society, Blackburn

164) Haji Esmail Patel, Chairman, Whalley Wholesalers, Blackburn

165) Maulana Nakhuda Ahmed, Ex-Imam, Masjid-e-Noor, Preston

166) Mr Ahmed Yusuf, Lecturer, Bolton College, Bolton

167) Haji Iqbal Hussein, Chairman, East Africa Society, Birmingham

168) Haji Gulam Mohammed, Chairman, Sunni Society, Coventry

169) Catherine Heseltine, MPAC

170) Shaykh Abu Abdissalam, Makkah

171) Yusuf Hansa, Chairman, Noor Ul Islam, London

172) Imam Minar Ali, East Ham

173) Farouk Ismail, Redbridge Muslims

174) Asif Hassan Ali, CSCB, Croydon Safeguarding Children’s Board

175) Carl Arrindel, ICTV

176) Alyas Karman, Diversity Ltd.

177) Sufyan Ismail, CEO of Mend

178) Imran Adam, Video Journalism

179) Rahat Ali, MEND

180) Imam Mohammad Khan, NW London

181) Abdul Aleem, Qiblah Premium

182) Imam Zalin Hussain, Al-Muzzamil Mosque

183) Imam Irfan Patel, Jamiah Masjid, Gillingham

184) Imam Muhammed Anas, Zakariya Academy/Forest Gate Masjid

185) Mohammed Asim Razaq, Chairman, Masjid Abu Bakr

186) Irfan Akhtar, Executive Committee, Muslim Community Trust

187) Abdul Majid, Vice President, Waltham Forest Islamic Association

188) Adil Baporia, Trustee, Chingford Islamic Society

189) Mehmood Patel, Chairman, Masjid Tawheed

190) Yusuf Hansa, Chairman, Noor ul Islam

191) Mohammad Khergami, Green Street Mosque, London

192) Ismail Achhodi, Forest Gate Masjid, London

193) Mohammed Masood Kaziwala, Madina Mosque, East Ham

194) Yusuf Tadkeshwarwala, Ilford Mosque, Ilford, Essex

195) Elyas Sacha, Studley Road Mosque, East London

196) Yakub Patel, Shrewsbury Road Mosque, London

197) Haroon Lodhi, Plashet Road Centre, London

198) Kasim Miyanjee, Central Mosque, Southall

199) Qari M. Taahir Abbasi, Abu Bakr Mosque, Southall

200) Maulana M. Salim Makda, Palmers Green Mosque, London

201) Ismail Pathan, Leyton Green Centre, East London

202) Ashfaq Dungarwala, Browning Road Mosque, Bradford

203) Maulana M. Ismail Desai, Harrowgate Road Centre, Bradford

204) Mr. Abdul Haq Dabheli, Chairman, Horton Grange Centre, Bradford

205) Imam Haafiz Rabbani Lahori, Madina Mosque, Huddersfield

206) Imam Ashraf al- Misri, Masjid Hidayah, Manchester

207) Maulana Abdullah Pathanwala, Bicknell Street Mosque, Blackburn

208) Maulana M. Shafiq Meerpuri, Leeds Road Centre, Bradford

209) Dawood Karodi, Wood Green Road Mosque, Leicester

210) Osman Jalalpurwala, The Mosque, Nuneaton

211) Maulana M. Yusuf Seedat, Chairman, Islamic Centre, Fairbank Road, Bradford

212) Maulana Asif Ayub Fakir, Hayes Mosque, Middlesex

213) Shaykh M.Faisal Ismail, Edgware Road Centre, West London

214) Haji Abdul Aziz Abu, East Africa Society, Leicester

215) Ebrahim Khan, Madni Masjid, Bradford

216) Haji M. Ghani Garatwala, Lecturer, Leicester College

217) Haji Yusuf Ismail Jamal, Bradford College

218) Mr. Bashir Ahmed Pandor, Solicitor, Bradford

219) Dr. Mehboob Alam Khan, Homeopathic Doctor, Bradford

220) Haji Ismail Bhai Loonat, Chairman, Alipur Society, Batley

221) Haji Ismail Noor Mohammad, Muslim Society, Coventry

222) Imam Maulana Moazzam Mohammad, Central Mosque, Rochdale

223) Asif M. Khan, Swindon Mosque, Swindon

224) Haji M. Yusuf Kabbani, Chairman, York Muslim Association, York

225) Imam Maulana Ebrahim Mangera, Jamia Mosque, Derby

226) Imam Shabbir Ahmed Patel, Masjid-e-Usman, Walsall

227) Imam Inamul Haq Malik, Croydon Mosque, Croydon

228) Syed Shafi, Chairman, Cann Hall Masjid, Leytonstone

229) Will Hutton, President of Leeds University Amnesty International

230) Oscar Frandsen, Campaign Representative of Leeds University Amnesty International

231) Jo Cutler, Amnesty International Member and Student Activist

232) Eleanor Wakeford, Treasurer, Leeds University Amnesty International

233) Saghir Hussain, Solicitor

234) Majed Iqbal, Freelance Journalist and Muslim Blogger

235) Abdul Aslam, Manager, Ravensthorpe Centre

236) Ruhal Ahmed, Ex British Guantanamo Detainee

237) Mr Nazir Daud, Business Executive

238) Laura Stuart, Human Rights Activist

239) Mr Orlando Miller, Ex Royal Air Force

240) Samayya Afzal, Women’s & Campaigns Officer, University of Bradford Union of Students

241) Iqbal Nasim, NZF

242) Imam Huzayfa Shaikh, Al Khair

243) Harun Daud, Trustee, Tooting

244) Saleem Chagtai, Khateeb

245) Maryam Hassan, Activist

246) Mohammed Patel, Leyton

247) Samad Billoo, The Respect Party

248) Shoyab Divelli, Z.I.A. BOLTON

249) Imtiaz Mian,Teacher, Madina Masjid, Manchester

250) Mohamed Umar Dana, Ashford and Staines Community Centre

251) Imaam Shokat Patel, Quwwat ul Islam, Forest Gate

252) Shah Safwan Ahmed, Al Falah Primary School

253) Shah Yahya Ahmed, Al-Ashraaf, Whitechapel

254) Shah Hamza Ahmed, Al-Ashraaf, Whitechapel

255) Shah Talha Ahmed, Al-Ashraaf, Whitechapel

256) Shah Mujahid Uddin, Forest Gate

257) Maulana Raza Ali, Masjid Abu Bakr

258) Dr. Uthman Lateef, Slough

259) Usman Qureshi, Trustee, HHUGS

260) M Quresh Ali, Al Hikmah Learning Centre, Bradford

261) Shohidul Islam, London Youth Worker, Tower Hamlets

262) Fahad Ansari, Human Rights Solicitor

263) Ali Ahmad, Imam, BBCA Cultural Centre

264) Hafiz Mawlana Abdul Mateen Khandoker, MKMA and Jamiate Ulamae Islam Europe, Milton Keynes

265) Mufti Shakir Ahmed

266) Shaykh Faisal Ismail, Edgware Road Centre, West London

267) Ilyas Badat Quwwatul Islam Upton Lane

268) Imam Ibrahim Mogra, MCB, Leicester

269) Khawar Chaudhry, TKC Foundation

270) Mufti Shah Sadaruddin, London

271) Molana Muhammad Anas, London

272) Mufti Shah Talha Ahmed, London

273) Molana Shah Yahya Ahmed, London

274) Mufti Shah Shuaib Ahmed, London

275) Mufti Shah Hamza Ahmed, London

276) Mufti Shah Safwan Ahmed, London

277) Imam Uthman Jeewa, Al Medinah Mosque, Brighton

278) Mufti Suhail Ilyas, Imam, Seven Kings Muslim Educational Trust

279) Iqbal Gangat, Imam of Masjid Zeenatul Islam, Coventry

280) Moulana Iftikhar Hussain, Islamic Ansaar Foundation, Birmingham

281) Moulana Sikandar Iqbal, Islamic Ansaar Foundation, Birmingham

282) Moulana Sulayman Patel, Imam, Masjid Naqueebul Islam

283) Moulana Zubair Ahmed, Imam, Masjid Naqueebul Islam

284) Hamid Mahmood, Head of Fatimah Elizabeth Cates Academy, Walthamstow

To add your name, if you’re a prominent member of the Muslim community, please email the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign.

Andy Worthington is a freelance investigative journalist, activist, author, photographer, film-maker and singer-songwriter. He is the co-founder of the “Close Guantánamo” campaign, the director of “We Stand With Shaker,” calling for the immediate release from Guantánamo of Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in the prison, and the author of The Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America’s Illegal Prison (published by Pluto Press, distributed by Macmillan in the US, and available from Amazon — click on the following for the US and the UK) and of two other books: Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion and The Battle of the Beanfield. He is also the co-director (with Polly Nash) of the documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo” (available on DVD here — or here for the US).