Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Thu., July 22, 2004
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 7-22-04
PRSS Channel: A67.7
8:00-8:01 Billboard:
Fmr. Rep. Cynthia McKinney Set to Win Back Georgia Seat After
Democratic Primary Victory
Georgia Politics: A State Divided
Farouk Abdel-Muhti 1947-2004: Palestinian Freedom Fighter
Called For Unity Moments Before He Died
A Passel of Pomp and a Circus of Circumstance: Historic Conventions
Coverage from the Pacifica Radio Archives
8:01-8:07 Headlines
8:07-8:08 One Minute Music Break
8:08-8:58
Fmr. Rep. Cynthia McKinney Set to Win Back Georgia
Seat After Democratic Primary Victory
INTRO: We speak with former Rep. Cynthia McKinney. She defeated
five opponents in a Democratic primary Tuesday and is set
to win back her Congressional seat in Georgia.
Former Georgia Congressmember Cynthia McKinney appears set
to make a triumphant return to Congress. She lost her re-election
bid two years ago after coming under fierce attack for her
support for Palestinian rights, and her early call for a 9/11
investigation of the Bush Administration.
McKinney won 51 percent of the vote in a Democratic primary
Tuesday, defeating five opponents and avoiding a runoff election
in August. She will face Republican Catherine Davis in November
in a heavily Democratic district and is considered a shoo-in
to win back her seat.
- Cynthia McKinney, former Congress member from Georgia
who won her district's Democratic primary this week in an
effort to regain her seat.
Georgia Politics: A State Divided
INTRO: John Sugg, senior editor for Creative Loafing - an
Atlanta-based alternative weekly newspaper - joins us to discuss
Georgia politics, the media, the Senate race as incumbent
Sen. Zell Miller steps down and much more.
- John Sugg, senior editor for Creative Loafing, an Atlanta-based
alternative weekly newspaper.
Farouk Abdel-Muhti 1947-2004: Palestinian Freedom
Fighter Called For Unity Moments Before He Died
INTRO: Palestinian freedom fighter Farouk Abdel-Muhti, died
Wednesday, apparently of a heart attack, after giving a speech
in Philadelphia. He was 57 years old. His death comes just
three months after he was released from jail where he was
detained for two years without charge. We hear a recording
of his last words as well as an address he gave on the night
he was released from prison and we speak with his son Tariq
and his fiancee and longtime friend Sharin Chiorazzo who was
with him when he died.
The struggle for Palestinians' human rights has lost one
of its leading fighters in the US. Farouk Abdel-Muhti, a member
of the Pacifica radio station WBAI family, died yesterday,
apparently of a heart attack, while he was giving a speech
last night in Philadelphia. In his speech, he called for unity
among groups fighting for social justice. His death comes
just three months after he was released from jail where he
was detained for two years without charge. He was 57 years
old.
Farouk Adbel-Muhti was born in 1947 in Ramallah, a Palestinian
city in the occupied West Bank of Jordan. Like many Palestinians,
Farouk lived the uprooted life of a stateless refugee, traveling
from country to country until finally settling in New York
in the 1970s. He made it his home and has lived there ever
since.
He came to the attention of immigration officials in the
mid-1970s after overstaying his visa. An immigration judge
ordered him deported, however, there was no way to carry out
the deportation, since the West Bank was now controlled by
Israel, which did not allow the return of people who left
the Palestinian territories before the Israeli occupation
of 1967.
Farouk continued to live openly in the New York area, engaging
in a number of public political activities, with a focus on
Palestinian rights and issues relating to immigration and
Latin America.
In March 2002, Farouk began working regularly at Pacifica
Radio station WBAI. He used his contacts to arrange interviews
with Palestinians in the Occupied Territories on the morning
radio program "Wake-Up Call."
One month later, three New York police officers and an INS
agent, all in civilian dress, came to his Queens apartment
without a warrant. They claimed they wanted to ask Farouk
some questions about September 11th. They said they believed
there were weapons and explosives in the apartment. When Farouk's
roommate, Bernard McFall refused to open the door, they threatened
to break it down, entering without a warrant.
But Farouk wasn't at home because he was at an early morning
interview at WBAI. He learned of the raid from his roommate
and his son, Tariq.
Farouk was detained on April 26, 2002 and jailed in various
facilities around the country for two years. He was never
charged with a crime. He was often held in solitary confinement,
subjected to extensive interrogation, and often denied food.
His health was failing but he remained handcuffed and shackled
whenever he went to the health clinic. Two years after his
detention, a federal judge ordered Farouk to be deported,
charged or released. He walked out of prison on April 12,
2004.
Last night, after giving a speech at the Ethical Society
in Philadelphia, Farouk's head fell to the table. He collapsed
and died shortly afterwards.
- Farouk Abdel-Muhti, speaking moments before he died in
Philadelphia July 21, 2004.
- Farouk Abdel-Muhti, speaking the night he was released
from prison at the launch of Amy Goodman's "The Exception
to the Rulers" book tour, April 13, 2004.
- Farouk Abdel-Muhti, interviewed on Democracy Now! hours
after his release from prison, April 13, 2004.
- Sharin Chiorazzo, fiancee and longtime friend of Farouk
Abdel Muhti. She was with him last night in Philadelphia.
- Tariq Abdel-Muhti, son of Farouk Abdel-Muhti.
A Passel of Pomp and a Circus of Circumstance: Historic
Conventions Coverage from the Pacifica Radio Archives
We continue with our week-long series looking at political
party conventions throughout history with a new documentary
"A Passel of Pomp and a Circus of Circumstance: Historic
Conventions Coverage" produced by the Pacifica Radio
Archives in collaboration with Democracy Now!
We continue with our week-long series looking at conventions
past. The new 2-hour documentary A Passel of Pomp and a Circus
of Circumstance: Historic Conventions Coverage" produced
by the Pacifica Radio Archives in collaboration with Democracy
Now!
Today we look at the 1980 convention through to 1992.
8:58-8:59 Outro and Credits
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu
(RAY MA MU), Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
|
Listen
to the show
Help
whole
show
