Who is Dr. Rafil Dhafir?
Rafil Dhafir is a Medical Doctor Who Specializes in Cancer Treatment
- Rafil Dhafir was born on July 1, 1948 in Baghdad, Iraq. He is now 56 years old. He was raised as a Muslim in a hardworking middle class family.
- Dr. Dhafir graduated with honors from high school in Iraq. At that time, he was ranked among the top 10 students in Iraq.
- In 1971, he completed 6 years of medical study at Baghdad Medical School. He then came to the U.S. for a residency in General Medicine at Highland Park Hospital in Michigan.
- He met his wife Priscilla while working in Highland Park, Michigan in 1972. They have been married for 31 years.
- During the 1970's, Dr. Dhafir applied for citizenship. He has been a U.S. citizen for over 25 years.
- Dr. Dhafir spent the next 3 years training and working in Internal and Emergency Medicine at the Wayne State University Medical Program. Most of the time he worked in a high crime area of inner city Detroit where he treated trauma victims and counseled victims of sexual assault.
- He then pursued 2 years of specialized medical training in oncology at the University of Michigan.
- In 1978 Dr. Dhafir and his wife moved to Amarillo, Texas where he taught and practiced oncology at Texas Tech University.
Rafil Dhafir is a Medical Doctor Who Specializes in Cancer Treatment
- In 1980, Dr. Dhafir and his wife Priscilla relocated to Syracuse, New York so he could take a job as the Associate Director of the Cancer Research Project at Bristol Labs. In 1981, they purchased a home in the Syracuse suburb of Manlius.
- In 1982, he joined the medical staff of Rome Memorial Hospital, and opened a private medical office in Rome, New York. Almost 10 years later, he established a second office in the nearby town of Camden in order to provide medical care for an underserved population.
- He gave lectures and appeared on local TV stations to talk about cancer and cancer treatment. He trained the nurses and staff of Rome Hospital about the administration of chemotherapy, and introduced the most recent procedures and advances in cancer treatment. His goal was to ensure the maximum benefit to all the patients in that community.
- For many years, the Dhafirs have both been active in their community. Mrs. Dhafir served on the Boards of the Syracuse YWCA, SUNY Morrisville, and the local Chapter of the Business & Professional Women (BPW).
- Shortly after arriving in Central NY, Dr. Dhafir assisted in the creation of a new Mosque, the Islamic Society of Central New York, built near Syracuse University. He served as the president of the Mosque's administrative board for almost 10 years.
- Dr. Dhafir frequently participated in lectures and dialogues with local college and church groups. He was frequently invited to speak about Islamic culture and religion. He also advised Muslim students at local colleges and helped them to adjust to the area.
Many Question Why the U.S. Government Decided to Prosecute Dr. Rafil Dhafir
In 2003, Dr. Dhafir was arrested at his home by federal authorities. In 1993, he helped to establish a charity called "Help the Needy" in order to provide humanitarian aid, such as food and medicine, to starving children in Iraq. Federal attorneys claim that the way in which this charity sent humanitarian aid to these children violated U.S. sanctions against Iraq. Dr. Dhafir has been inexplicably held without bail, and is expected to stand trial in federal court in late September. There is a lot of misleading & incorrect information about his case. The media has suggested a tie to terrorism, while federal prosecutors have found no evidence of this. Many in Central NY feel that decision to pursue a criminal prosecution of Dr. Dhafir is overzealous and highly selective. He is expected to stand trial in late September.
Why did the U.S. Government Decide to Prosecute Dr. Rafil Dhafir?
Dr. Rafil Dhafir Tried to Help Chilren Affected by U.S. Sanctions Against Iraq
- In 1990, the United States and the U.N. established economic sanctions against the former regime in Iraq. The unfortunate result of these sanctions was that millions of children were deprived of food, medicine, and other necessities of life. The 'Oil for Food Program" established by the UN did little to alleviate their suffering. Half a million Iraqi children died along with one million adults. Dr. Dhafir felt that these Iraqi children were starving and dying as a direct result of the sanctions imposed on that country. He decided to act on the Muslim religious obligation to assist those who are needy.
- In 1993, Dr. Rafil Dhafir and others established a charitable organization called "Help the Needy" to assist Iraqi children and their families with their needs. Since 1994 almost $5 million in donations were used to buy food, clothes, and medicine in Jordan. These essential materials were transported by trucks across the border to be distributed by local family and relief networks in Iraq.
In February 2003, Federal Officials Arrested Dr. Dhafir & Then Charged Him With Violating U.S. Sanctions Against Iraq
- At 6:00 am, on February 26, 2003, as Dr. Dhafir began his daily commute, several carloads of federal agents suddenly arrived at his home. The Agents blocked off his driveway and adjoining street and arrested him. They spent the rest of the day searching his house as his wife watched in disbelief.
- Federal Attorneys charged Dr. Dhafir with sending aid and money to Iraq in a way that violated U.S. sanctions against that country. Later on the government also added charges that he diverted funds donated to Help the Needy to buy property in Syracuse, that he evaded income taxes and made fraudulent charges to Medicare.
- In 1990, after Iraq invaded Kuwait, then U.S. President George Bush issued an executive order which forbade Americans from any trade, transportation, or financial transactions with the Government of Iraq or with any person in Iraq. Related laws and regulations allowed the U.S. Government to impose civil monetary fines or to initiate criminal prosecution against individuals, organizations, or businesses who violated such sanctions against Iraq, or against countries such as Cuba, Iran, or Sudan. However, in almost all cases, the U.S. Government has chosen to issue warnings or impose monetary fines rather than pursue criminal prosecution.
- Each year, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control collects millions of dollars in penalties from American Corporations who have violated these sanctions (from oil companies, banks, food and beverage companies, and entertainment companies). No executive of any such corporation has faced criminal charges. Individuals, businesses, and organizations who have openly defied the sanctions have faced only fines. Criminal prosecutions have only been made against Muslims and people of Middle Eastern origin accused of violating these economic sanctions. Dr. Dhafir is the only individual prosecuted where the aid sent to a sanctioned country was predominately food and/or humanitarian aid.
- No criminal charges related to terrorism have ever been filed against Dr. Dhafir. In fact, federal attorneys have not even suggested in court that there is any connection to terrorism. This is because they have found none.
- Dr. Dhafir's attorney requested bail four separate times since the arrest a year ago. In each case, the federal attorney claimed that he was a flight risk, and the judge decided to deny bail. Dr. Dhafir remains in Jamesville Penitentiary near Syracuse, unable to effectively assist his attorney in the preparation of his defense. His trial is scheduled to begin in late September 2004.
From www.freedhafir.org