ADC Detractors: From Invading my Facebook page to Possibly Criminal Extortion
Harassing Email Possibly in Violation of 18 U.S.C. 875 d
The
Manufactured Crisis- 15 year old claim, 8 year old claim
From day one of the manufactured crisis against Imad
Hamad and ADC I stood by Imad Hamad and ADC. Rana Abbas and Rashida Tlaib accused Imad
Hamad, former ADC regional director, of sexual harassment and accused ADC of
condoning this harassment.
Rashida’s claim is 15 years old.
Rana’s claim is 8 years old.
The fact that Rana Abbas, one of the accusers of
Imad and ADC, used to be a family friend and was my wife’s best friend until
this unfortunate episode, did not deter me from questioning the
allegations and providing ongoing legal
commentary on the subject as it unfolded and evolved.
Rashida Tlaib
is not a stranger either. Michigan State
Representative Tlaib and I were on cordial terms and were acquaintances for
more than ten years. In fact my wife and I donated to her campaign twice
despite the fact that we did not live in her district and were not in the habit of contributing to political campaigns.
Fact is- I have nothing against Rashida and
Rana. Our relationship soured because of
the ADC case. I chose to stand by Imad Hamad and ADC and question the case and
the motivations behind it.
A Friendship Unravels
As a result of my challenging the sexual harassment claims Rana Abbas chose to end her friendship with my wife. My wife was devastated because she considered Rana the closest woman to her.
In order to save her friendship my wife tried to get
me not to comment on the case because the commentary is ruining a network of
friendships we weaved over the years in Michigan. However, it was impossible to
compromise. I was keenly interested in the case for personal and professional
reasons.
The matter escalated with ADC with a staffer in Washington,
D.C. and a number of female employees quitting to protest the outcome of a
third- party independent investigation. I wrote about that too.
An
Alternative Analysis and Perspective: Countering Hegemony
My blog entries were a resource for those interested
in an alternative source of legal analysis of the matter- an analysis that does
not privilege the detractors of ADC above all else.
A few days ago I received a message asking me “are
you a tenure track professor at Murray State University?” That was a hint that
those unhappy with my analysis would try to intervene with my work. Today I received an email sent to my work email and
cc’d to a number of people in my department. The writer of the email “Leonard
Saunders” used the wording “cease and desist” in the letter in order to sound
lawyerly and learned. Mr. "Saunders" accused me of "protecting villains." I am flattered by the charge that I can "protect" anyone. I am curious to know how I "protected" anyone by continuously commenting on the matter! The address from where the email was sent is
lls01963@gmail.com
lls01963@gmail.com
The thinking of "Saunders" and the other "Saunders" is that harassing me and my colleagues would
deter me from exercising my First Amendment right of free speech.
Personal and Academic Interest in ADC
The cowardly attempt will not deter me. I work for
an academic institution where I teach law and I write articles about Arab
Americans and the law. The ADC matter goes into the heart of my scholarly interest.
My dissertation is on the political behavior of Arab Americans. I wrote a
chapter for an academic book on ADC’s project, BRIDGES.
The email will be included in any future work that I
write on this matter of crucial importance to Arab Americans, the future of the
premier civil rights organization with whom I have been involved since 2001.
The following is the text of the email sent by “Leonard
Saunders”
“Mr. AlkhatibPlease cease and desist from slamming our respected women and community leaders on http://ihsanalkhatib.blogspot.com/
You are a very disrespectful man. You need to
concentrate on the school you are “teaching” at rather than your childish rants
and uninformed accusations. It is
extremely unprofessional to bring unwarranted negative attention to the
University which you represent. I am certain this type of publicity will have a
negative impact on this reputable institution. You are protecting a man from
ADC that molested many young interns, sexually assaulted at least 2 women, and
sexually harassed dozens. As you are aware, the ADC National Office in DC did
not publish their finding or give reason why they claimed there was
“insufficient evidence.” Shame on you
and the villains whom you protect. You should be ashamed of yourself. Your
behavior truly shakes the conscience.”
18 U.S.C. 875 d
The email from Mr. "Saunders" is possibly in violation of the federal criminal code 18 U.S.C. 875 Interstate Communications which reads:
(d) Whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
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