Remember Lynne Stewart? If you don't or if you've never heard of her, Stewart is a classic example of someone who let politics get in the way of common sense.
Stewart was a lawyer who represented the mastermind of the first World Trade Center bombing, Omar Abdel Rahman, more commonly known as "The Blink Sheik." During the process, she apparently got a variation of the "Stockholm Syndrome" and started relaying messages from Rahman to his terrorist buddies. One tiny problem with that: it's illegal to do. After Stewart was caught, she was disbarred, convicted, and sentenced to 2 years in prison.
Fast forward to today. Stewart has been asked to participate in a legal ethics conference at Hofstra University Law School to talk about "lawyers over the edge" as it's being billed by the university. A representative from Hofstra defended their decision to have Stewart appear saying that she represents a cautionary tale of what can happen when the lawyer-client relationship gets too personal. Of course, that doesn't require them to actually have her appear, but hey, why let logic get in the way of getting a known criminal and disbarred lawyer to show up for a conference and generate publicity?
That's what's at the heart of Hofstra's decision: publicity. By bringing in Stewart, they're bringing national attention (and outrage) to the conference and the university. That will invariably bring in the potential of students and their parents' money. But before the administrators start patting themselves on the back for a PR coup, let me remind you of something Stewart has said:
Institutions that perpetuate capitalism and institutions of government have to be attacked.
Oh, did I mention Stewart is an avowed socialist?
And if Hofstra is using Stewart for publicity, that would make them a target. It's hard to tell which of the particulars in this situation is more guilty of rampant stupidity: Stewart for willingly helping a terrorist, or Hofstra for setting themselves up to be attacked by Stewart and her cohorts by using her to promote their conference.
Well, in the interest of fairness, I'm going to be nice and call them both dumbasses.
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If you are really sincere about wanting to know the truth and render it accurately, I encourage you to read the full text of Lynne Stewarts appeal motion. You can read it online or download it to read at your leisure at: http://www.LynneStewart.org
I think it is very important for all to understand that during the time period during which the government's case was concerned, Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman was not only 100% blind (not just legally blind, but totally, completely blind), but in addition was suffering from severe diabetes which numbed his fingers so severely that it was impossible for him to read braile. In addition, Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman was totally isolated and segregated from any human contact with anyone in the prison except prison officials. Usually a prisoner in solitary confinement can at least hear the sounds of other prisoners, but a special jail cell was build for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman that had a soundproof room between the door to his cell and the door leading to the hallway of the prison unit. Not one prison official could speak Arabic, which made the mental/intellectual isolation of the shiek total except for the visits from his lawyers which occurred every few months.
Furthermore, Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman during the time period covered in the charges was deteriorating mentally so much that he was experiencing auditory hallucinations and confused thought.
The single message which Lynne Stewart read over the phone to a Reuters reporter simply said that the shiek felt he was no longer able to give advice any longer and that his opinions should no longer be taken into account. Incredibly, the government argued that Lynne's passing a message in which the sheik told his followers not to pay attention to him any more was providing aid to terrorists.
There is so much true evil in this world that it really is not necessary to demonize Lynne Stewart. Those who have known Lynne Stewart and know about her 30 years of dedicated, self-less work, most of it for free, helping the poor and the disenfranchised are hopeful that Lynne's appeal will be granted so that she can once again resume her distinguished legal career.
If you are really sincere about wanting to know the truth and render it accurately, I encourage you to read the full text of Lynne Stewarts appeal motion. You can read it online or download it to read at your leisure at: http://www.LynneStewart.org
I think it is very important for all to understand that during the time period during which the government's case was concerned, Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman was not only 100% blind (not just legally blind, but totally, completely blind), but in addition was suffering from severe diabetes which numbed his fingers so severely that it was impossible for him to read braile. In addition, Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman was totally isolated and segregated from any human contact with anyone in the prison except prison officials. Usually a prisoner in solitary confinement can at least hear the sounds of other prisoners, but a special jail cell was build for Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman that had a soundproof room between the door to his cell and the door leading to the hallway of the prison unit. Not one prison official could speak Arabic, which made the mental/intellectual isolation of the shiek total except for the visits from his lawyers which occurred every few months.
Furthermore, Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman during the time period covered in the charges was deteriorating mentally so much that he was experiencing auditory hallucinations and confused thought.
The single message which Lynne Stewart read over the phone to a Reuters reporter simply said that the shiek felt he was no longer able to give advice any longer and that his opinions should no longer be taken into account. Incredibly, the government argued that Lynne's passing a message in which the sheik told his followers not to pay attention to him any more was providing aid to terrorists.
There is so much true evil in this world that it really is not necessary to demonize Lynne Stewart. Those who have known Lynne Stewart and know about her 30 years of dedicated, self-less work, most of it for free, helping the poor and the disenfranchised are hopeful that Lynne's appeal will be granted so that she can once again resume her distinguished legal career.
Funny, but I didn't think telling the truth about what Stewart did constituted demonizing her. Did she pass messages from the Blind Sheik to his allies on the outside?
Yes. It's been established with facts and by Stewart's own admission.
Did she cross the line between representing her client and advocating his position?
Yes. Also established with facts and by Stewart's own admission.
Unless the facts are wrong and Stewart lied about what she did, I'm not sure where the demonizing comes into play.
Lynne Stewart's actions may have played a role in the attacks on 9/11. She conspired with and aided and abetted the transfer of information from her client Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the convicted mastermind behind the first World Trade Center bombing, and his followers.
"Government investigators searching Stewart’s law offices found a draft of the sheikh’s fatwa that bin Laden later said inspired him. In it, Abdel Rahman enjoined his fellow Muslims everywhere to kill Americans, even children, “to treat them with brutality,” and to “drown their ships, shoot down their airplanes, kill them on earth, in the sea or in the sky, kill them everywhere you find them” in order to obtain his release from U.S. prison."
This woman is a traitor pure and simple. She has been convicted and disbarred. She should be in prison not subverting the minds of young attorneys.
Dan Maloney
New York State Coordinator
Gathering of Eagles
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