Paranoia Hits US: D for Distruction,go straight to jail...>>>
Just read this article as headline in "the Asian Age".The post has the only purpose to pray for UNITED STATES to cure from (or kick off!!) this paranoia.
Washington, Dec. 10
The innocuous act of spelling one’s name verbally can lead to an arrest in a nation where post-September 11 paranoia has not died, as an Indian in the US learnt the hard way.
Sudeep Das, an Indian living in New Jersey, was arrested because a shu-ttle bus company’s phone operator thought he was threatening her when he spelled out his last name, Time magazine has reported.
Corporate executive, Mr Das said, that the local police officers came to his house late one night and arrested him. They asked how Mr Das had spelled his name for the reservation clerk when booking a ticket.
Mr Das said he spelled it: “D as in David, A as in America, S as in Sam.” According to an employee of the company, Airporter, that was not what Mr Das said. An Airporter clerk said a man with a West Asian accent had spelled his name “D as in destruction, A as in America, S as in Sam.” “She couldn’t believe somebody was using those words over the phone,” said police lieutenant Michael Cane.
Mr Das was charged with one count each of disorderly conduct and harassment. Bond was set at $25,000. After Mr Das spent five hours in jail, attorneys for his company arranged to post bail.
Mr Das’ accent sounds vaguely British, with the lilting tones characteristic of his native India. He insists there is no way he could have mangled his pronunciation of David so profoundly that it could have been heard as destruction.
The police has refused to name the reservation clerk or provide a copy of their report on Mr Das, claiming it is their policy to withhold such information. Mr Alan Glickman, CEO of Airporter, said the clerk was a “valued employee in good standing.” Mr Das goes before a judge December 18, facing the possibility of six months’ jail time for each charge.
In another incident Hasnain Javed, a Pakistani student in New York, was arrested for having an expired visa, and then molested in prison. Both Mr Javed and Mr Das refused to be interviewed by the Indian media here. Mr Javed was travelling by bus from Houston to New York.
When border patrol agents discovered his expired visa he was arrested and sent to the Stone county Correctional Facility in Wiggins, Mississippi. Overstaying a visa is a civil violation, but Mr Javed was placed with the criminal population.
“There were other inmates in there,” said Mr Javed, 20, “they started giving me strange kinds of looks and talking to one another.” Mr Javed said a hulking man pulled him aside and offered some advice: “You can’t stay in here. You better get your ass out of here.”
The words were punctuated with punches to his face. Soon other prisoners joined in. Some called him names, including “Osama bin Laden.” One attacker promised: “This is the first round, and there are going to be 10 rounds for you today.” Javed, who weighs 67 kg, started crying.
Javed said his attackers told him to ring the bell that contacts the jailers. A woman answered the intercom, and he begged: “Please get me out of here, they are beating me up.” No one came.
Javed was thrown to the floor and told to strip. He refused, but one attacker removed his clothes and ordered him to run naked around the cell. Javed did. The man had pinned him to the floor when four guards, including a woman, entered.
The female officer picked up Javed’s clothes, and he got dressed. He was taken to the prison nurse and treated with, he said, “one Motrin.” For the rest of his three-day detention he was placed in a solitary cell. Stone County sheriff Mike Ballard said prisoners told him Javed incited the beatings by saying “F**** the US I’m glad they hit the World Trade Centre.”
The Pakistani youth admitted he wasn’t sure how long the beatings lasted, though it felt like half an hour. But he insists he’d have to be “a psycho” to say something like that in a prison.
Javed awaits a December 17 hearing on his immigration status. The US justice department is investigating his complaint. (Indo-Asian News Service)
___________________
news: TERRORISTS HAVE KILLED 53000 FAMILIES IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR AND PAKISTAANI PRESIDENT CALL THEM AS "FREEDOM FIGHTERS!!"
___________________
Just read this article as headline in "the Asian Age".The post has the only purpose to pray for UNITED STATES to cure from (or kick off!!) this paranoia.
Washington, Dec. 10
The innocuous act of spelling one’s name verbally can lead to an arrest in a nation where post-September 11 paranoia has not died, as an Indian in the US learnt the hard way.
Sudeep Das, an Indian living in New Jersey, was arrested because a shu-ttle bus company’s phone operator thought he was threatening her when he spelled out his last name, Time magazine has reported.
Corporate executive, Mr Das said, that the local police officers came to his house late one night and arrested him. They asked how Mr Das had spelled his name for the reservation clerk when booking a ticket.
Mr Das said he spelled it: “D as in David, A as in America, S as in Sam.” According to an employee of the company, Airporter, that was not what Mr Das said. An Airporter clerk said a man with a West Asian accent had spelled his name “D as in destruction, A as in America, S as in Sam.” “She couldn’t believe somebody was using those words over the phone,” said police lieutenant Michael Cane.
Mr Das was charged with one count each of disorderly conduct and harassment. Bond was set at $25,000. After Mr Das spent five hours in jail, attorneys for his company arranged to post bail.
Mr Das’ accent sounds vaguely British, with the lilting tones characteristic of his native India. He insists there is no way he could have mangled his pronunciation of David so profoundly that it could have been heard as destruction.
The police has refused to name the reservation clerk or provide a copy of their report on Mr Das, claiming it is their policy to withhold such information. Mr Alan Glickman, CEO of Airporter, said the clerk was a “valued employee in good standing.” Mr Das goes before a judge December 18, facing the possibility of six months’ jail time for each charge.
In another incident Hasnain Javed, a Pakistani student in New York, was arrested for having an expired visa, and then molested in prison. Both Mr Javed and Mr Das refused to be interviewed by the Indian media here. Mr Javed was travelling by bus from Houston to New York.
When border patrol agents discovered his expired visa he was arrested and sent to the Stone county Correctional Facility in Wiggins, Mississippi. Overstaying a visa is a civil violation, but Mr Javed was placed with the criminal population.
“There were other inmates in there,” said Mr Javed, 20, “they started giving me strange kinds of looks and talking to one another.” Mr Javed said a hulking man pulled him aside and offered some advice: “You can’t stay in here. You better get your ass out of here.”
The words were punctuated with punches to his face. Soon other prisoners joined in. Some called him names, including “Osama bin Laden.” One attacker promised: “This is the first round, and there are going to be 10 rounds for you today.” Javed, who weighs 67 kg, started crying.
Javed said his attackers told him to ring the bell that contacts the jailers. A woman answered the intercom, and he begged: “Please get me out of here, they are beating me up.” No one came.
Javed was thrown to the floor and told to strip. He refused, but one attacker removed his clothes and ordered him to run naked around the cell. Javed did. The man had pinned him to the floor when four guards, including a woman, entered.
The female officer picked up Javed’s clothes, and he got dressed. He was taken to the prison nurse and treated with, he said, “one Motrin.” For the rest of his three-day detention he was placed in a solitary cell. Stone County sheriff Mike Ballard said prisoners told him Javed incited the beatings by saying “F**** the US I’m glad they hit the World Trade Centre.”
The Pakistani youth admitted he wasn’t sure how long the beatings lasted, though it felt like half an hour. But he insists he’d have to be “a psycho” to say something like that in a prison.
Javed awaits a December 17 hearing on his immigration status. The US justice department is investigating his complaint. (Indo-Asian News Service)
___________________
news: TERRORISTS HAVE KILLED 53000 FAMILIES IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR AND PAKISTAANI PRESIDENT CALL THEM AS "FREEDOM FIGHTERS!!"
___________________
Last edited: