freesoltan-blog

[freesoltan-blog]

Freedom never tasted SO SWEET! Welcome back, Soltan! :)

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By the grace of God, we are incredibly happy to confirm that Mohamed is on his way home after nearly two years in captivity. After extensive efforts, the U.S.Government has successfully secured Mohamed’s deportation back home to the U.S., mercifully concluding this dark chapter for Mohamed and our family.

We are forever indebted to the countless individuals who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to secure his release, the vast majority of whom have never even met Mohamed. To witness you all – regardless of race, religion, political affiliation, gender, age – come together during this time has been greatly illustrative of the power of the human spirit and we are in awe of each and every one of you.

The past two years have been profoundly instructive on not only the variety of torments that individuals are capable of inflicting upon one another, but, more importantly, on our ability to unite and work together behind universal principles of human dignity to effect some measures of justice during our limited time here. We are, however, forever cognizant that there are many nameless individuals in this world who continue to wrongly languish in captivity. We encourage each and every one of you to champion their causes, as you have so graciously done for Mohamed, and pray that they and their families one day feel the same relief that we feel today.

As you can imagine, after spending several hundred days on hunger strike, and many months in solitary confinement, Mohamed's health is dire. He will receive medical treatment as soon as he arrives on U.S soil and will spend the immediate future with his family recovering. We kindly ask that all further inquiries are directed to Hanaa Soltan (hanaasoltan@gmail.com) or Waleed Nassar(waleed.nassar@lewisbaach.com). For Arabic language inquiries please contact Omar Soltan (soltan05@gmail.com) or Sara Mohamed (seramoh92@gmail.com).

فضل الله ومنته، يسرنا أن نؤكد أن محمد عائد إلينا بعد إعتقال دام سنتين. بعد جهود طويلة، استطاعت حكومة الولايات المتحدة أن تؤمن ترحيل محمد إلينا، بعد صفحة سوداء دامت بِنَا وبمحمد.

نحن وإلى الأبد مديونين لكل الأشخاص الذين بذلوا جهدا ذريعا لضمان خروجه، والأغلب الذين لم يلتقوا بمحمد قط. حتى تشهدوا، أنه اجتمع جميع الأشكا��، والديانات، والإنتمائات السياسية، والأجنس، والسن ليرسموا للعالم سنة الإجتماع تحت قضية إنسانية، ونشكركم جميعا جزيل الشكر على ذلك.

العامين الماضيتين لم تُري العالم فقط ما أمكنه البعض من إصابة الآخرين بالأذى ولكن أرت العالم التجمع تحت رأية واحدة وغاية إنسانية تهدف إلى تحقيق تنفيذ مبادئ الكرامة الإنسانية. ولكننا سنظل عاجزين عن ذكر وشكر كل من ساهم وساعد في هذه القضية، في تحرير محمد، ونتمنى أن تسعد جميع أسر المعتقلين كما نسعد اليوم.

وكما تعلمون، محمد قد مر بسجن دام سنتين، وإضراب دام ٤٩٠ يوما قد أضر بصحته ولذلك، وخلال الوقت القادم، سيركز محمد في العلاج واسترداد صحته التي تدهورت بشدة، ونرجوا توجيه أي أسئلة بخصوصه تمر خلالنا محترمين ظروفه وظروفنا، وشكرا..

[freesoltan-blog]

594 days later, Mohamed will be given a sentence tomorrow. We demand Egypt to #FreeSoltan! http://thndr.it/19Ox1rD

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Translated version of Mohamed's most recent letter to family. In the name of God, The Beneficent The Merciful, “So be patient, for God’s promise is true: do not let those with no firm beliefs discourage you.” Quran 30:60 To my dearest mother Asmaa, brothers and sisters Hanaa, Waleed, Khaled, Hamas, Omar and Bushra, and to my nieces and nephews Ameen, Elyas and Lina : May the Peace of God and His Mercy be with you. There are transformational moments all of us experience during which something about us changes. Sometimes it is the mind that is moved by this moment, whereas at other times it may be our body or soul; however, rarely do we experience an event where all three are transformed at a single moment in time - the kind of experience that words can not express. Yesterday was an example of this rare occurrence which I do not think will happen to me again. We did not hear the verdict [regarding my dad’s case] when it was passed - so we simply waited to hear it from the officer in silence and shock. When the news finally came and my eyes met my dad’s eyes - this was “that moment.” I tried preparing myself mentally for any verdict or judgment passed no matter how unjust it would be for us all. I promised myself to be a source of strength and perseverance to those around me and even shared comforting words with them. Yet when I looked into my dad’s eyes I could not contain myself from collapsing in his embracing arms. It wasn’t the verdict that made me do this, but the look of absolute contentment of one who fully trusts in God and submitted his affairs to Him alone. It was his warm and sincere smile that faced fear and death with full confidence that Shahaadah at the doorsteps of Al-Aqsa is a true promise. It was his staple warm and loving Soltan embrace filled with confidence and certainty that God’s relief will certainly come. Even though It was a silent moment that did not serve as a pretext to a conversation, his glances spoke to my mind, smile to my emotions and embrace to my body. It was sufficient enough of a moment to come to a realization as to who Salah Al-Deen Soltan really is: a great scholar, Godly worshipper, persevering leader, loving father, honorable husband, authentic brother and faithful friend - a lion that only feared the one who created death and life. It was that moment that embodied the most elevated of meanings - to be reassured that mankind does not control his outcomes but rather they are in the hands of God alone; therefore man should submit his will to the All Wise, All Knowing, Most Compassionate and Forbearing since the highest levels of freedom will only be achieved by his level of obedience to the Creator. I realized this, as well as many other meanings, during these silent moments. My dad then whispered in my ear and told me, “We’ve sold our souls to God my son - he does with them as He pleases without asking,” I responded with all that came to me. “Excellent is the transaction dad, and excellent is the purchaser.” I wanted to share with you what the atmosphere felt like yesterday that lifted our moods, increased us in faith and held fast our resolve - a glad tiding of a near relief and opening by the will of God. I also wanted you to know who your father really is so that you may learn from him and be proud of him. He has submit his matter to his Lord so rest assured that he is being protected with a Trustworthy Guardian in whose watch no one is harmed. In fact, any who direct themselves wholly to God and do good will have their reward with their Lord: no fear for them, nor will they grieve. (2:112) Do not lose heart or despair– if you are true believers you have the upper hand (3:139) Those whose faith only increased when people said, ‘Fear your enemy: they have amassed a great army against you,’ and who replied, ‘God is enough for us: He is the best protector,’ returned with grace and bounty from God; no harm befell them. They pursued God’s good pleasure. God’s favour is great indeed. It is Satan who urges you to fear his followers; do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are true believers. (3:173-175) I leave you in the care of the Lord of the weak who responded to the supplication of the oppressed when they called, “By my Might and Glory I will help you (against the wrong doers) even if it is after a while.” With sincere love and longing, Abu Salah Ad-Din [Mohamed Soltan] 17/03/2015

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One year on full hunger strike. One year without any food. Mohamed Soltan has completed 365 days on hunger strike, and is in an extremely critical condition.

Don't remain silent, and help us trend worldwide, and put pressure on Egyptian officials to release Mohamed Soltan! Mohamed is to appear before the same judge on February 1, 2015.

Please join the event for more details and share.

‪#‎SaveSoltan‬

[freesoltan-blog]

One year ago, Soltan decided to go on a hunger strike.

Free Soltan

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Tweet By: Abdulrahman Al-Ruwaishan It is etched in his hunger-harrowed face, drawn in the blood that spills onto his chin, shown in the wake of a receding hairline. A sniper’s bullet to the arm. An arrest warrant issued two days after the arrest itself. Cramped living, filthy quarters, primitive medical care. Torture, mockery and abuse. A year on hunger strike. More than 25 summonses to court. 25 postponements in the trial. Disregard for failing health, not to mention innocence. Brushes with oblivion. Frantic moments when death and life seemed almost coexistent. The litany of outrages is written on Mohamed’s face in the latest pictures to be released on social media. I don’t know if Mohamed knew all this would happen when he embarked on his hunger strike. I do know that Mohamed is now locked into a mortal struggle. The outcome will not, and cannot, be determined by any save the man himself. I've said it before but I’ll say it again: in [...]

What about us? What can we say for ourselves? Those who know Mohamed and love him can do more than stand aside and watch. If Mohamed is past the reach of our modest abilities, the rest of the world is not. The rest of the world must come to know Mohamed’s story. Not hear about it, not see it flitting by within the rushing stream of cyber-information, not hear it distant and remote within the tangled hubbub of the media—they must know it, and know it well.

[freesoltan-blog]

Breaking ||

Reports of increased physical and psychological torture of Soltan have been confirmed by the release of the images below. We are petrified with the thought of what condition Soltan is currently in and we continue to call on all human rights organizations and the U.S. Government to do whatever it takes to secure his immediate release. The family has been pleading with Soltan to break his strike due to his dire condition, the increased torture tactics being used against him, and the suicide attempt narrative being pushed by the authorities. Soltan has been refusing to break it. However, he has recently agreed to begin taking in a sufficient amount of liquids.  Soltan has suffered tremendously at the hands of his captors. We pray he can keep his mental and physical strength. We ask that you do the same.

[freesoltan-blog]

one year and 6 days of hunger strike

The trial has been postponed to February 1st 2015.  Mohamed will have completed 371 days, that is one year and 6 days of hunger strike.  He will have been in prison for 1 year, 5 months, and 7 days. A total of 525 days.

As a reminder : Mohamed was detained from his home, when they weren't even looking for him. A warrant for his arrest was issued two days after he was in their custody. Mohamed is held on trumped up charges, and not a shred of evidence has been brought against him.  Mohamed is part of a case that has 51 others, and there is only one witness who has testified against all 51. 

Free Soltan. 

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Day 328 on hunger strike. Tomorrow his trial resumes.  Keep him in your and all those unjustly detained in your prayers.

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Update on Mohamed: The family is troubled to hear that the one person who cares for Mohamed’s survival has been separated from him in times where Mohamed’s emotional and physical health are in critical condition. During Mohamed’s recent visit, his family learned that Mohamed is refusing liquids or any medication as a form of strike due to transferring his father to what is considered to be the worst prison in Egypt, Al Aqrab prison.

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WASHINGTON — “Last year I put my hands up like #Mike Brown did and the Egyptian police shot me twice with bullets my US gov’t paid for!” wrote Mohamed Soltan, 26, in a letter from a prison cell in Egypt.

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Day 301 on hunger strike. Activists at the New York Marxism conference in solidarity with political prisoners in Egypt. Picture via Sherry Wolf

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DAY 301 ON HUNGER STRIKE!

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“There was no comparison of course, this test is much more extreme and definitely more painful,” he wrote, but he said he believed that he would be “molded by God to be a wiser human, an effective leader, and a stronger advocate of freedom and peace.”

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Soltan in court today on his 27th birthday. (2nd birthday in jail!) The trial got postponed yet again to the 1st of December. Soltan is now on day 294 of his hunger strike...

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Soltan's next trial is in 5 days! Don't forget to keep him in your constant prayers. Free Soltan! Save Soltan!