*In the face of trying to silence a universal message, we will be featuring videos of Professor Tariq Ramadan in each update. *** Face à la tentative de faire taire un message universel, nous présenterons des vidéos du Professeur Tariq Ramadan dans chaque mise à jour. _____________ (*French below) CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY: HELP US PROVIDE A FAIR TRIAL The prosecution’s team consists of a large number of lawyers, public relations people, and biased media support which has led to a necessary revision of the approach to Professor Ramadan’s defense. While a second lawyer of renown has joined the defense team, it is still not enough when faced with such an uphill battle. This has been a polarized debate, making it a trial by media which has sought to judge the man even before the justice system has determined whether a trial will go ahead. The battle will be fought on multiple fronts. From a legal point of view, a team of lawyers will need to be assembled to guarantee a chance of success in what is announcing itself to be a long and difficult endeavor. From a ‘media’ point of view, funds are needed to ensure that the one-sided coverage is rectified. Actions will be brought for defamatory statements aiming to taint the image of the Professor. The other side of the story needs to be heard. WHAT WE NEED Any contribution you make—whether it is because you support Professor Ramadan or if it is simply in support of the principles of fair treatment and the presumption of innocence—will be humbly received with our utmost gratitude. Your generosity and concern will ensure that we have a voice and help us fight for justice. To contribute, go here: https://www.launchgood.com/project/free_tariq_ramadan#!/ *********** AIDEZ TARIQ RAMADAN À OBTENIR UN PROCÈS ÉQUITABLE, CONTRIBUEZ FINANCIÈREMENT Vous le savez, nous avons élargi son équipe juridique. La prestation de Me Emmanuel Marsigny(1) a permis de rétablir des vérités importantes face aux médias. Mais ce n’est pas terminé. En face, les avocats sont nombreux, de renom, avec des moyens importants. Nous allons encore renforcer et élargir l’équipe juridique afin que Tariq Ramadan ait une défense forte et de qualité. Sur le plan médiatique, des fonds sont nécessaires pour contrebalancer la couverture partiale de l’affaire. Des plaintes pour diffamation seront portées contre les déclarations ayant pour but de ternir l’image de Tariq Ramadan. L’autre version de l’affaire doit être entendue. CE DONT NOUS AVONS BESOIN Aujourd’hui, nous avons encore besoin de votre engagement et de votre soutien pour faire entendre la voix du droit et faire en sorte que justice soit rendue. Il n’y a pas de petits moyens, il n’y a que de belles intentions. Pour contribuer, allez ici: https://www.launchgood.com/project/free_tariq_ramadan#!/ ******* TRANSCRIPT OF IMPORTANT SOUND BITES FROM YESTERDAY'S INTERVIEW WITH EMMANUEL MARSIGNY, TARIQ RAMADAN'S NEW LEAD LAWYER CLIP #1 INTERVIEWER We have heard Tariq Ramadan claim his innocence. That was at the start of the preliminary investigation after two complaints were filed against him last year. Today four complaints have been filed. Is the defense still taking the same position? EMMANUEL MARSIGNY Absolutely; more than ever. Concerning the first two accusers The file I have studied shows not only that they have lied; they also contradict themselves the first technical investigations contradicts their claims. That is why I am calling upon the Public Prosecutor to take action. If he fails to do so The defense will assume its responsibilities It is out of the question for Mr. Tariq Ramadan to be tried in the media. It is certainly not the place. When I hear many of your colleagues speak of the case, clearly they do not know what they are talking about. Nothing at all. Who can legitimately speak about it aside from the protagonists And the prosecutor? The magistrates must remain silent The prosecutor may speak Legal counsel may not speak Except to protect the rights of the accused. CLIP #2 EMMANUEL MARSIGNY It is not because these two young women have made accusations that they are telling the truth. INTERVIER (-----) MARSIGNY I am telling you what is essential aside from the accusations… No one is unaware of the accusations. We are aware of the accusations against M. Darmanin, a cabinet minister, The problem today is not whether Mr. Tariq Ramadan is innocent or not. He says he is. The problem is: do the details of the case accumulated thus far weaken or undermine the credibility of the plaintiffs? CLIP #3 EMMANUEL MARSIGNY That’s a simple-minded approach If tomorrow I had to grade you I’d give you a zero. You are saying: if you take one testimony, and add another testimony, and add yet another you’ll have the truth. CLIP #4 Let’s take Marie, the latest (interruptions by interviewer, journalists) I listened to her testimony on Europe 1 (Interviewer: no fewer than nine rapes) She said this: I’ve told the police what happened; They said it was rape. I would like someone to explain to me How you can be raped nine times travelling with your little suitcase from London To Brussels to Paris to suffer the kind of violence she describes? Why should he be put in prison for that? CLIP # 5 EMMANUEL MARSIGNY Madame Ayari, the first one to file a complaint; she handed over her mobile phone. The first investigations revealed zero, no direct contact. They also examined her computer it showed no trace of any contact with Mr. Ramadan. What’s her explanation? Oh, she explains, I don’t have them because Mr. Ramadan asked for my Facebook password. I trusted him so I gave it to him, he went on Facebook and deleted the messages. CLIP #6 EMMANUEL MARSIGNY Let’s take a closer look at Marie She is well known to the authorities From her involvement in the Carlton affair. Yesterday I read your colleagues In l’Express that she was credible… (Interruptions) I read the verdict in the Carlton affair. I read what the magistrates – Not Mr. Ramadan’s legal counsel – said about this young woman: her testimony cannot be taken at face value (Interruptions) In a case where there is no material evidence the defense must of course take pains to ascertain who is making the accusations, are they believable is the person credible. JOURNALIST But what about the material evidence? EMMANUEL MARSIGNY Material evidence for rape? Really, for rape? CLIP #7 EMMANUEL MARSIGNY What I am saying is that we are not going decide today whether Mr. Ramadan is guilty or not. What I am asking is simple: Today, in France, is Mr. Ramadan innocent until proven guilty? It’s a serious question: Is this the image of justice that France wants to send to the world? That a man can be thrown into prison On the basis of accusations without a shred of evidence? CLIP #8 EMMANUEL MARSIGNY Mr. Ramadan was summoned to appear To testify in a rape case. A criminal case. He flew back to France and made himself available to French justice. He will remain, to defend himself and fight to prove his innocence. Besides, even if he did flee That would not be proof of guilt. CLIP #9 EMMANUEL MARSIGNY I can tell you one thing: Mr. Ramadan is a sick man. He has been sent to hospital (Interviewer interrupts) He has been re-hospitalized. EMMANUEL MARSIGNY He is in hospital. Nine physicians, including four French have diagnosed him with multiple sclerosis. The prison physician has stated That his condition is incompatible with incarceration. The Paris Court of Appeals ordered a second opinion. The physician examined him for twenty minutes, did not consult with any of the treating physicians and only skimmed their reports. Didn’t even weight him; made him 10 kilos too heavy. Keep him in prison, he said. But the prison physicians found his condition serious enough to return him to hospital. On February 28, two physicians Were appointed by the court. They must submit their report by March 30. Today is March 15 and they have not yet even examined Mr. Ramadan. So, yes, when you are Mr. Ramadan And when you are handling Mr. Ramadan’s defense There comes a time to speak out when you realize that there is something amiss about his trial. CLIP #10 My colleague for the prosecution, Éric Morin, at the appeal hearing, was discussing the medical certificate – I was not involved in the case at the time, fortunately I was not present… I would not have let it go by. The chief prison physician’s name is Farid Mehareb. So my colleague says, “Ah yes, the medical certificate of this doctor Farid…” What does he mean by that? What kind of allegation is that? Is it because he’s an Arab, a Muslim? Would you like to get to the heart of the matter? CLIP #11 Let’s talk about Christelle. The police questioned her. Have you been in contact with Mme Ayari? No, she says. But the technical investigation shows that she is lying, They questioned her again, Yes, she says, it’s true. No one is asking why, Just like no one is asking how is it that these two young ladies never spoke? They had the same four telephone numbers, Including that of Ms Fourest. No one is asking why. CLIP #12 Mr. Ramadan is not seeking More rights than anyone else. Nor is he seeking less. He is innocent until proven guilty He is facing his accusers He must have all the time he needs Judicial time; above all, give justice time To do its job. On condition that the legal system Allows for both prosecution And defense. This is the real question. Today, we have the impression That it is enough to make accusations; even though there are clear contradictions, we’re not going to go any farther CLIP #13 You know, of course, that Christelle has admitted to the police that she set up fake Tariq Ramadan accounts to spread false information about Tariq Ramadan How do you expect people who are Supporting Mr. Ramadan, who follow him, Who admire him—right or wrong—do not conclude that something is wrong? *********** Testimonial from an individual who knows Professor Ramadan well: TARIQ RAMADAN HELPED ME FIND PEACE By Tamim Mobayed My connection with Dr. Ramadan began long before I met him. As with many young Muslims coming-of-age in the post-9/11 era, particularly those of us living in the West, times were confusing. Often, it felt like people were calling you to one of two options: #1 renounce your religion altogether, or at the very least abandon any aspect of it that contained gravitas, and assimilate or #2 reject the “west” in its entirety and be a “real Muslim”. Many around us were dismissing them as irreconcilable. Tariq Ramadan’s was the loudest voices calling us to not only find balance between our European-ness and our Islamic identity and showed us both were complimentary. Yes, there would be points of disagreement, but this was as natural as it was manageable. He called on us not to be ashamed of these differences and to be proud of our tradition, all the while calling on us to give to the society around us. To stop seeing ourselves as guests or visitors to Europe. When we consider that it is often the clash of these extreme narratives that leads to the catastrophe of terrorism, it would not be hyperbolic to say that Dr. Ramadan’s teachings have been amongst the most significant factors in remedying terrorist tendencies amongst young Muslims in the West. There is no splitting of the psyche in Dr. Ramadan’s Islam, nor any violent turbulence, or cognitive dissonance; only harmony with ourselves, our societies, and the wider world. As the years passed, he became the role model to many of us and a symbol of our dignity. With the Islamic part of our identity being under consistent criticism and at times, debasement and humiliation, the role of Dr. Ramadan as an icon to many of us increased in importance. At a time when the newspapers were consistently disparaging Islam, he represented us on the biggest arenas, going toe-to-toe with the Sarkozys’, the Hitchens’, and the Dawkins’. He helped us remember that “Arabness” and Islam are beautiful, something we often forgot under the deluge of negative press being directed towards us. By first attending one summer school and subsequently being taught a module on Islamic philosophy and theology by him, I was able to experience Dr Ramadan as a teacher. He consistently challenged us, humored us, and in moments of brilliance, inspired us. All of the settings in which I saw him were mixed (in terms of gender). Not only did I never see anything untoward, I never so much as sensed a teaching, a principle or an attitude akin to “either you’re veiled or you are raped”. The disrespect, misogyny, small-mindedness, and aggression, that is embodied in such an attitude could simply not be further from the teachings or the man that I know. Where I do encounter manifestations of this attitude often is amongst the derogatory orientalist projections put upon us. Within his teachings and his example, I only found compassion, courtesy, and respect for those around him. We had the pleasure of hosting Tariq Ramadan for a fundraiser shortly before this issue exploded. I want to finish this by noting 3 of the things that struck me about what he had to tell us that evening. Firstly, his fatherly scolding of us for looking at the world in terms of two groups: Muslims and “non-Muslims”. He emphasized that this was reductionist and unnecessarily divisive. He also called on us to address the arrogance behind labelling others against a significant aspect of yourself or your “in-group”. Secondly, Tariq Ramadan put out a call for us to be more dynamic and developed than simply offering the Islamic prohibition of interest as a solution to the world’s financial crises. His belief in the value of Islam is ever-evident as are the challenges to climb higher and not to settle with where we are now. Lastly, Dr. Ramadan spoke about the importance of the Palestinian issue. Like many champions of social justice, he Ramadan is always reminding his listeners of the importance of causes of the oppressed. What struck me that evening was a realization that I could not recall a time I heard the Tariq Ramadan speaking in public without mentioning the Palestinian cause. At a time when others are choosing to bypass this issue for the sake of convenience, or their own careers, Dr. Ramadan has been relentless in keeping this cause in mind, and in the minds of millions of his listeners. Just as crucially, he does not come under the umbrella of those who speak up on Israeli oppression, while ignoring oppression that stems closer to “home”. Tariq Ramadan’s criticism of Arab regimes earned him “persona non grata” status in different countries across the Middle East. This element of speaking truth to power, despite personal ramifications, is what earned him the love and respect of many. In these 3 things: the calls for universality, application of Islam in a dynamic way, and his ever-championing of the cause of the oppressed, I am also reminded of the regrettable fact that many consider Dr. Ramadan an enemy to them and their machinations. I have confidence that they will not be able to stifle this important voice. https://blogs.mediapart.fr/esprits-libres/blog/160318/tariq-ramadan-helped-me-find-peace