(Unpublished.)
From Gay Montague:

I attended the trial of Dr. Dhafir for 17 weeks on a daily basis. The reason I attended is that I had read about this case and was concerned about our civil liberties (especially in the wake of 9-11). At the time, my knowledge of Islamic culture was seriously lacking; hence, during this court time, my understanding of different cultural traditions as well as of courtroom procedures was greatly increased. I took off my rose-colored glasses as I listened to days and days of testimony by individuals who knew Dr. Dhafir personally and whose lives had been seriously affected by his arrest. Every individual who is acquainted with him spoke of his compassion, gentleness and generosity. Several of them cried as they testified to the hardships that their families had encountered as a result of US sanctions against Iraq. For some, less than $25.00 a month was literally the difference between life and death. When I saw the film Hotel Rwanda, I was filled with admiration for the main character; I was awed and moved by his courage and I immediately thought of Dr.Dhafir who also exemplified courage and compassion in a time of urgent need.

Excuse me, Mr. Lindsay, but since when is speaking out for justice “whining”? Where were you each day this trial was in progress? Were you sitting on one of the benches alongside a reporter from this newspaper? Did you notice the discrepancies in the paper each morning and wonder whether you had, in fact, heard the same testimony? Since I am one of those “letter writers” you refer to, I want to be clear re my purpose in attending the trial and in writing letters. It is to support Dr. Dhafir, both as an American citizen, and as a humanitarian, and to help safeguard the rights we are all “guaranteed” under the constitution. Yes, Mr. Lindsay, I am American. I am not a member of the Muslim faith, but I am sure you are aware that Americans come in all shapes, sizes, colors and from many differennt faith traditions. This case is not only about one Muslim-American citizen. This case is about each and every one of us who want peace and justice for every citizen of this world!