To me, it was written November 29th, 2005 and I received it yesterday:

I am grateful that your card was the first piece of mail I received here and frankly I was surprised. [I had sent a card saying I had contacted the people he had asked me to contact to write to Judge Mordue about distribution of Help the Needy’s money. ]

There is no doubt that you and all those who will help making sure that HTN money goes to the needy in Iraq will be rewarded for this noble effort.

I just finished my first week here and I have been out only 4 hours total. The rest I am locked in solitary. No one takes the time to explain to me why. I am unable to contact my lawyer as they refused, nor speak to my wife. Jamesville [prison] was heaven compared to this Gestapo concentration camp. I have no idea if this is temporary or permanent. Everybody lies here, the warden, the captain, the so called counselor…etc. I can never get any one version from anybody as to what’s going on.

Just to give you an example, I take a diuretic HCT2 for blood pressure, 12.5mg daily. They said they could not provide it for me. Instead they gave me a 50mg tablet (very small tiny pill) and said I am to take a fourth of a tablet a day. I’ve never seen this even in Voodoo medicine in Africa. No one even had the brain to think how am I going to cut this tiny pill into 4!!!!

I guess life goes on. I am holding alright under the circumstances in this mad world.

It comforts me to know that there is a God and that there is a garden of bliss after we die and I sure look forward to be one of the lucky ones.

Thank you for being kind and thoughtful. Please give my best to all and wish you all a happy holiday.

Rafil

[I shared the whole letter because I wanted to let people know that despite his own extreme situation he continues to have wider concern.]

Update 2/7/06 Rafil was moved to Terre Haute, Indiana in December 2006. A letter about his transfer and the prison conditons can be found here. His new address is: Rafil Dhafir, 11921-052, P.O.Box 33, Terre Haute, Indiana 47808

Update of prison conditions, 10/6/06:

Dr. Dhafir is now in with the general prison population and shares a two-person cell with three other inmates. He works for 8 hours a day for 12 cents an hour and he is also taking classes, including Spanish and writing. He is allowed to receive unlimited mail and photographs and to make phone calls, but phone call privileges can be stopped without any reason being given.

Initially the authorities said that they had made a mistake sending him to Fairton and that he belonged in a low security prison but they had no plans to do anything about the situation until June 2006. As of July 2006, he has been told that nothing will be done before January 2007.

He is very grateful to the people who have not given up on his case and who continue to fight for justice and he assures people that he has no intention of laying down and will continue to do whatever it takes to clear his name. Despite his own very difficult circumstances he is distraught over what is happening to civilians in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

To write to Dr. Dhafir:

Rafil A. Dhafir
11921-052
P.O. Box 420
Fairton, N.J. 08320

Please write your name and address on the envelope and the letter so that he will know whom the letter is from. Do not address him as “Doctor” as these letters are being returned.