This is just a wild guess from watching too much "Law and Order" and reading the news - most terrorist organizations in the US are making money doing standard mob-type stuff like cigarette smuggling. It sounds like this he may have owed a lot of money to (or somehow angered) some of his fellow NGO members and activists and they decided to make an example of him.

This may open a whole can of worms, like the murders committed by the mob that ran "Your Black Muslim Bakery", in Oakland, CA.

Probably one of the most interesting and kind teachers I've ever had. First of all he was a very dry and frank man. Making sarcastic jokes such as calling guys hippies if they had long hair or telling someone to stop smoking if they coughed. This asside personally my experience with him was that he cared about what he said. We talked about travel, food, people, and music in the time i had in his class which was supposed to be a boring typing class. He took us all on a field trip to the convinient store on the last day of school for fun and to chalange the rules a little bit. He was no terrorist, racist, or sexist. Just a man who was sending money and books to palestinian refugees, under alot of stress with a job in education and a heart for people.

Local police are saying it was suicide, as the bindings were done by him, but I'm guessing he wanted to make it look like a murder. So much so that the ACLU local chapter fired off emails telling "activists" that he was murdered before they knew all the facts. Wonder why?

Suicide? I can buy someone taping their own mouth, but how'd he tie his own hands?

Try suicide, as a first guess. Duct tape could have been self applied. His family reports he was usicidial. If murder, come up with the suspects or stop speculating.

I work for ACC, this guy had a personal problem.

So he could have done a Makazian?

Maybe...

Perhaps he didn't intend to die - this could have been a staged hate crime/kidnapping gone awry, i.e. "They taped me up and threw me in the lake, but I was able to swim to shore after they left."

yes,i can also say he can tape his mouth,put how can he tape his hands he would have to gat help from other people in order to do this.

so i think that he was helped by someone or someone set it up to be suicide but killed him first i think they need to do an autopsy on him.

yes,i can also say he can tape his mouth,but how can he tape his hands he would have to get help from other people in order to do this.

so i think that he was helped by someone or someone set it up to be suicide but killed him first i think they need to do an autopsy on him.

Contrary to Griff's attempted beatification of Mr. Hamad, it appears to me that the world of the non-muslim is a much better place today without Mr. Hamad's presence.

Solomon, great catch and it should drive folks crazy trying to uphold one theory or another. If by his own hand, that is sad, I'd rather he honestly dealt with the fines he was given and had to make an apology to those he slandered. If murdered, I hope they catch the perps and give them life at hard labor making stone chips out of great big boulders. Oh, and no TV either nor any of the other goodies too often found in prisons.

CSI: Austin

They probably will, anyway, quinton. Actually, probably already have. But if he drowned, what would that prove anyway? There are several ways one can bind one's own hands, duct tape a fairly simple one, but they require advanced planning, and (if you know what to look for) there typically are certain signs.
However, I think we can all agree that there are only really two options here: either it was a murder and the responsible parties cleaned up after themselves well enough to make it look personally inflicted, or he did this to himself and made the wider circumstances look suspicious enough to possibly be (attempted) murder.
Either way, there should be a full investigation going on right about now.

Griff, yeah, great guy, because he "cared about what he said." There's no way that could ever go wrong, eh?

Judging from your writing, I conclude that this professor was not particularly concerned with teaching his students to communicate in clear English.

Good riddance to bad garbage. Did anyone praising this guy actually follow the links to see what he was really like?

According to this post in "The People's Voice", Hamad sent this letter out to his friends on April 6th..

"Dear friends,

Please DO NOT respond to this email as it is for your information only..besides the government harassment, the hateful environment from some students at school because I am an Arab and a Muslim...and their racist comments, I have been getting phone calls around midnight by some one saying "where is your camel.." and last...a car was vandalized about two years ago....last night around 1 30 in the morning..someone rang the bell and ran away....and you could hear all the dogs in the neighborhood barking when the person who rang the bell ran away...A real loving environment towards Arabs and Muslims....and it makes wonder..what have I done wrong?

SHUKRAN for your work and support
Salamat
Riad Hamad"

-- Also according to the People's Voice, one reason why Hamad may have been so depressed. In February....

About 18 FBI and IRS agents bearing guns and a search warrant from Judge Robert Pittman, [ well known for his hostility to Palestinians and Arabs and with whom Riad has had previous experience with] searched every nook and cranny of his apartment.

They left with more than forty boxes of papers, files, computers, CDs and an ounce and a half of catnip.

No charges were filed at the time against Riad and he was not arrested, but the investigators claim they had probable cause to investigate wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering.

They must have had a lot of probable cause if they had a warrant. Vin Makazian may have owed Big Pussy 30 large, but at least he didn't try to frame someone for his death. That's so unkind..

Riad Hamad was a beautiful man who sacrificed everything he had, including his life, to help the poor and disabled, particularly children. He was selfless and peace-loving, with a pure heart and a passion for justice and truth and refugee children in Palestine and Lebanon.

Because of his activism he was targetted by the FBI and by hate groups seeking to destroy him. He was never charged with any crime, and he never committed any crime. No matter the exact cause of his death, it was the result of a campaign of racism and hatred diected at him.

He will be missed by all of us who loved him, and most desperately by the impoverished families he helped.

Salamaat, Riad. Rest in peace.

I swear some people are mindless and blind, or we can say that some people don't use their brain or they have no brain at all...
RIAD HAMAD WAS A RESPECTFUL MAN WITH A VERY KIND HEART AND LIVE CONCIENCE THAT FELT WITH THE MISERY OF OTHER PEOPLE HE'S NOT WATCH PEOPLE DIE AND SUFFER WHILE HE JUST WATCHES HE WAS A SELFLESS PERSON IN EVERY WAY, HE COULDN'T SIT AND WATCH HE SENT MEDICINE MONEY AND BOOKS TO SUFFERING CHILDREN IN PALESTINE KNOWING THAT HE WASN'T RICH HE DEPRIVED HIMSELF TO HELP OTHERS RIAD HAMAD IS BETTER THAN ALL OF US IF NOT AT LEAST HAVE RESPECT FOR THE DEAD

Oddly enough, an episode of Law and Order just this week involved the death of a woman bound and gagged that turned out to be an accidental suicide. Thought of as a robbery/murder at first, at the very end one of the investigators looked at the bindings, and found that they were done by herself, rather than by someone facing her. As she had called her father before doing it, claiming she was bound in her trunk, it was a cry for attention that went wrong.

There's not enough public evidence except what's stated by the police to know whether it was a suicide or a murder, but if the former, I wonder if he may have gotten the idea from the show. Or if it's just one of those bizarre coincidences.

if ever there was a decent,honest person,it was riyad hamad.his biggest problem was knowing there were hungry humans all over the globe.and for the information of many of u hateful people,riyad had many jewish friends and the trust fund money was sent equally to churches and mosques in palestine.god rest his pure soul.he was too good to remain with us,a bunch of spiteful hate filled monsters.

"No matter the exact cause of his death, it was the result of a campaign of racism and hatred diected at him."

Hurrah for racism and hatred then.

TO ALL THE RACISTS ILLTALKING PEOPLE READ THE BELOW:
"PCWF is a non-political, non-religious enterprise whose aspirations are purely humanitarian and for the purpose of emancipating the children of Palestine and the human rights of the people and children of Palestine.

http://www.pcwf.org/

Riad had been expecting this for 37 years but refused to be intimidated, and insisted upon exercising his full right to defend Palestinian rights - and his own - in America.

Riad lived off his modest schoolteacher salary.

100% of the proceeds from PCWF have benefited thousands of Palestinians with jobs, food, medicine, books, hospital equipment and other humanitarian needs.

On April 6, 2008 he wrote:

Dear friends,

Please DO NOT respond to this email as it is for your information only..besides the government harassment, the hateful environment from some students at school because I am an Arab and a Muslim...and their racist comments, I have been getting phone calls around midnight by some one saying "where is your camel.." and last...a car was vandalized about two years ago....last night around 1 30 in the morning..someone rang the bell and ran away....and you could hear all the dogs in the neighborhood barking when the person who rang the bell ran away...A real loving environment towards Arabs and Muslims....and it makes wonder..what have I done wrong?

SHUKRAN for your work and support
Salamat
Riad Hamad"

I get plotlines from both shows confused all the time, too. It was an episode of CSI from season five called, "Formalities".

by the way my above comment was taken from this site:
http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2008/04/18/p24853

open your eyes people

http://www.islamonline.net/English/In_Depth/PalestineInFocus/Thepeople/articles/02-1.shtml

One less terrorist supporter and apologist in the world. I wish I could say "Rest in Peace," but Hamad was a Muslim. He's probably having a wild time having sex with 72 raisins and young boys with skin like pearls, drinking wine, and drooling over the breast, thighs, and legs of the raisins.

A letter fromthe Palestine Children's Welfare Fund circulatingon the Internet

Dear Friends,

We are pleased to announce that the Jewish Palestine Solidarity Committee of Jewish Voice for Peace contributed 982 dollars ( nine hundred and eighty two dollars) which was raised through the sales of Palestinian olive oil to the children of Palestine.PCWF received the check and money will be forwarded to the Jayyous Charitable Society to buy 250 sets of books to teach children English.The money will be part of a drive by PCWF to equip the library of the society with books, notebooks, coloring pencils and other childrens tools for the children to learn and enjoy simple things during their spare timeWe will also be arranging drawing competitions, writing competitions and tree planting events to thank the Jewish Voices for Peace and to express our appreciation for their solidarity and generosity.

Please forward this message to your friends and colleagues and let them know that Sharon and his gang do not represent the Jews and their actions have nothing to do with Judaism.
Thanks for your patience and support,

Salamat

Riad Hamad

ok first of all this is not a joke, mr.hamad was a great man and a great teacher he is not a terrorist he is simply trying to help out people that are less fortunet than us if you think about it if you lived in oklahoma and yournegboring state had a natral disaster wouldnt you help them outif you had the time and the money to wich he did? MR.HAMAD IS NOT A TERRORIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May Riad rest in peace. May God grant him pardon and the garden of Paradise. People who knew him closely know that he was a very considerate, kind and hard-working man who spared no effort in helping people, especially palestinian children who are under siege in Palestine. Non-muslims as well as muslims feel his loss as almost irreplaceable. But his works will not go in vain, and others will continue to work along the example that he has set for sincere and hard-working activists.

People reading these comments should know that emails have gone out on various activist lists advising people of the death and telling people to go out proactively and make sure that Hamad is remembered as a man of peace, not a hatemonger. They've been advised to do it even before any stories appear so that if he is written about, that's the view of him that's portrayed. In fact, that's how I found out.

MR.HAMAD IS NOT A TERRORIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...Not anymore.

It's true that Riad's friends are sharing the incomprehensible news of his sudden death. We know there are racists and hatemongers who will try to demonize his name and reputation, as some have already done here.

Riad was such a remarkable man, a man who loved all people who believe in peace and justice no matter what their religion or race, that we know he and those like him can be frightening for those who don't share his values and his beautiful spirit.

Riad stayed remarkable cheerful when he was attacked and slandered during his life by Islamophobes and radical zionists. He kept his eyes on the prize, which for Riad was saving innocent children suffering an insufferable and brutal occupation.

Those of us who knew and loved Riad will not allow his memory to be attacked by mean spirited and small minded individuals who can never aspire to his greatness.

SHUKRAN for your work and support, Riad.
Salamat

If Riad committed suicide we understand.
If was murdered we know why.

These things happened every day some sixty/ seventy years ago in some other country and the rest is history.
Riad, all my love…we will NOT stop caring for your children.
You have at last found peace and freedom.

Good riddance to a terrorist. I'll be glad when my Israelis take you "people" out once and for all.

It's not that I'm a racist hatemonger, Maria, but I would say that for a Muslim in America raising money for dubious charities, careful is the watchword. And I happen to think this guy is guilty of funding terrorism.

This type of rhetoric and behavior will only get worse while the liberals refuse to allow America and it's allies to prosecute and win the war against these terroristic Islamic Muslims.

Terror breeds fear, fear breeds anger and hate. So, actually, the Muslims are reaping what they have sown. They are the victims of terror, fear, anger and hate. Dangerous it is to walk the path of the dark side.

There isn't anything dubious about small children who need food and medicine, many of them handicapped and all of them poor. Every penny donated to Riad's Children's charity went to help a child, probably as much of it coming from Jews as from "Arabs."

It's sad to see somebody talk about "the Muslims" in the way you do. I imagine if I said "the Jews" you would be offended, and I wouldn't blame you.

I know many many Arabs -- not all of them Muslim by the way. And many Jews, in and outside of Israel. I know quite a few Jews I would call "terrorists", having been attacked, robbed and beaten by a bunch of rabid settlers while standing peacefully on Palestinian land. I never met an Arab terrorist, though I know there are a good number. And actually I would consider most of them to be "counter-terrorists."

I could say I wish you had known Riad, but I can tell you wouldn't have even tried to know him. Your loss. He was one in a million.

Riad stayed remarkable cheerful when he was attacked and slandered during his life by Islamophobes and radical zionists.

Nuff said. Typical lefty Austin-think. Let's you know exactly where his sentiments were. I wonder how much of the "children's" money went to buy guns for the "counter-terrorists"?

It is a horrible thing that he has died but it seems within the realm of possibilities that this may have been a PR stunt gone wrong. The radio said the duct tape was "loosely wrapped", whatever that means. Hamad was willing in the past to sue his perceived enemies; maybe this time he was trying to demonstrate local "Islamophobia" to get news coverage. Who knows?

It obviously wasn't an accident
Most accidents that happen to political big mouthes in the united states involve falling down stairs.
Check the stats.
I think the stairs in the rest of the world must be cushioned , or have wider steps.

How could an arab ever feel suicidal living in Texas , that sounds pretty implausible, unless people were treating him like a Mexican by mistake.

No one would kill anyone in Texas for political reasons, try and think of an example, Its the land of the free right.

American democracy might be based on murder and slander behind the game show facade, but here in Europe its sooo boring , you pays your money and make your choice.

I think it was a hit squad of Palestinian red necks, because they are the only people in the world with no working form of democracy.

The lake is named after a family of murderers aint it , that might be significant.....

Love and Peace

Here's what you apologists and defenders of Mr. Hamad STILL don't seem to get: We the people of the United States of America are STILL waiting for apologies, many apologies, public apologies, for all of the celebrating that went on in Gaza and elsewhere on 9/11. We are still waiting. I've looked for it on TV, I've looked for on the internet, and I STILL haven't found anything resembling it.

You continue to say Islam is a religion of peace. This simply does not square with the reality of the last five years. Muslims blow each other up when they're not blowing up American and British and Australian armed forces, or lobbing shells into Israel. You're always blowing shit up! And yet you persist in insisting you're a religion of peace?

The ball is very much in your court right now, and I think you know it. I am positive I'm not the only one who has had it with your schizophrenia. If you're REALLY about peace, then stop blowing shit up all the time, and stop blaming everybody else for your problems too. You've got like six gazillion dollars from oil revenues and you STILL can't feed your own children? Do you realize how ludicrous that is? Get your house in order, RIGHT NOW, and stop ruining my day with all of your lunatic blather about Israel and George Bush and the FBI and everything else. The ball is in your court. Take care of it, or Coach Bobby Knight will jerk your sorry ass from the game and kick you in the leg on your way to the bench. Your game STINKS right now, and it's up to you to get better.

That's all.

No TV? Are you kidding? I'd make them watch Oprah and Dr. Phil reruns at top volume in their spare time.

One less splodeydope in the world. It's good news for all.

TO LITTLE MISS KELLY PALMER

first of all if you are bored with this thing or feel like you're wasting you're time on something other than your make up and dresses, then stop reading this blog OR you can check google for news and records about isreal occupying lebanon for many years and killing it's people and CHILDREN especially, wwith their high technlogy that comes from your tax money; if you have a bit of HUMANITY in you you would recognise that RIAD HAMAD was a PEACE ACTIVIST he only wanted peace while you sit and throw your hateful comments about Arabs that are people like you; who unfortunatly were shown to you by media as monsters while believe me we are much more free minded and educated than you are in million times so please go do your homework before accusing other people of racism and hatred look inside your heart and see the hatred sewn by media in you.
DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT 9 11 WAS DONE BY ARABS AND THUS OVERPOWERING AMERICAN RADARS AND HIGH TECHNOLOGY.

I never heard of Riad Hamad before.

After a simple search it seems that calling this guy a "peace activist" is a big stretch.

A "Peace Activist" doesn't send money to terrorists, create a website praising suicide bombers, honor "snake" yassin the late "spiritual leader" of hamas and so on.

A REAL "Peace Activist" denounces violence on BOTH SIDES. That means in addition to Riads denouncing Israel and the US, he would also denounce violence emanating from so-called "palestine", or 'PaleSWINE", and violence from hamas, islamic jihad, Al-Qada (remember them), muslim brotherhood, islamic jihad, plo, pflp, fatah, islamofascist regime of iran.

When have you ever seen an "anti-war activist" hold a sign denouncing al-qada, osama bin laden and the rest of his gang?

The answer is NEVER.

During WW2 if someone defended nazi Germany, that person would be picked up by the FBI and put into protective custody.

Riad shouldn't have died in the US. I'd rather he meet his destiny facing off with American soldiers in iraq.

It's difficult to read some of the evil comments on this blog, comments coming from Zionist apologists for Israeli terror against an occupied Christian and Muslim Palestinian people. The websites you refer us to are ALL Zionist websites. The URLs many of you attach are the worst examples of Islamaphobia and racism.

Since many of you writing this crap had never met Riad nor worked with him nor read anything about him that wasn't colored by Daniel Pipes and his ilk, what right to you have to judge?

This man worked for the past 15 years giving everything he had to the Palestinians, women and children who have suffered under the boot of Israel. I knew him for six years, worked with him, raised money for PCWF, and I have been honored to know him. Most of you with your sneering nasty postings don't the the intelligence or humanity to kiss Riad's shoes.

I'd suggest you learn something about what is really happening in Palestine. Buy Ilan Pappe's book, "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine" for a start... for those of you who can read.

Eddie wrote:

A "Peace Activist" doesn't send money to terrorists, create a website praising suicide bombers, honor "snake" yassin the late "spiritual leader" of hamas and so on.

@Eddie: I don't think you've been paying enough attention to 'peace activists' the last thirty or so years.

Berlin wrote:

It's difficult to read some of the evil comments on this blog, comments coming from Zionist apologists for Israeli terror against an occupied Christian and Muslim Palestinian people

@Berlin: Jordan is Palestine. Israel is Israel, and it's the most legitimate, democratic, liberal state in the region.

Spoken like a true racist, Sterling. The idea that Jordan is Palestine and Israel is Israel is appalling. Israel is not a democracy, it's a theocracy. It has no constitution, because then, it would have to obey it. It has not set borders, because it would have to live inside them. It treats its Sephardic Jews as second class citizens, its Ethiopian Jews as third class citizens, and its Christian and Muslim Palestinians are 4th class citizens. I can't begin to tell you how racist that place is and how horrible.

I lived there for two years, an Ashkenazi Jew, the favored ones in Israel. I finally couldn't stomach the horrors I saw in the occupied territories and was amazed at the courtesy and humanity of the Palestinians there, people who have NO civil or human rights.

I left to come back and bear witness to what Israel thinks it does in my name. The rest of you who disparage Riad and/or think you know what you're talking about should go and see for yourselves. We Americans pay for this genocide, and we should be ashamed of ourselves. Until Israel becomes a state for all of its people, it can't come close to saying it's a democracy. It gives democracy a VERY bad name.

Wow, the call has indeed gone out. Greta Berlin, Anna Baltzer...the full-time professional dismantle Israel activists are all showing up. I feel like I'm really getting to know him through the wonderful company he kept. I think this thread has done more to throw the "he was a man of peace" BS out the window than I ever could have hoped.

Anna Baltzer:

Spoken like a true racist, Sterling.

Last time I checked the so-called "Palestinians" and the bulk of the citizenry of Israel were the same race. More, they're both subsets of the same ethnicity: semitic. Where they vary is in culture and religion, and those are both fair game.

Also, since you like to hurl insults, you can go fuck yourself.

Oh really Solomon? And you would be? Having been in the occupied West Bank three times over the past four years and witnessed for myself the daily suffering of the Palestinians, I fail to see your point. I have seen and participated in Palestinian nonviolent actions in places like Bil'in, where the only violence was against us. I have seen Quaker peacekeepers beaten by illegal settlers. I have been there when illegal settlers shot and killed six sheep for no reason than they could while the Palestinian shepherd wept. I have seen Palestinian children shot through the head by Israeli snipers, deliberately targeted. People like you, apologists for the racist state of Israel are frightened, sad racists, because your deepest fear is that the truth will get out and Israel will be exposed for what it really is...a white, racist state similar to what South Africa once was.

Riad Hamad is just the latest victim of this vicious regime, a man who spent a great deal of his life trying to make other's lives better. And what have you done Solomon? What?

I'm honored and proud to have worked with Riad. I never saw him raise his voice over what was happening to him. Many of us were and are much more outraged over his treatment by the U.S. government, egged on by the Zionists in this country.

So you go right ahead Solomon and rant, because you're afraid of the truth. You certainly do not fit your name. Sad really.

And I've got to laugh when you start calling other Jews anti-Semites. Or self-hating Jews. Give me a break, you silly man. Because I despise what the U.S. government does in my name, does that make me a self-hating American? No, that makes me a patriot, something you seem to have forgotten since you obviously have more loyalty to Israel than you do to the U.S.

Greta Berlin wrote:

I have seen Palestinian children shot through the head by Israeli snipers...

I call 'bullshit'.

Sterling

I call 'bullshit'.

look for the name : MOHAMMAD AL DORRA on google
he's a boy who was shot to death straight in the face in his fathers arms by israei soldiers.
YOU PEOPLE ARE REALLY BLIND OR YOU ACT LIKE IT

Al Dura (or Durah). Go here.

Watch in this order: Pallywood, The Birth of an Icon, then Icon of Hatred. Highly recommended.

My daughter's friend had this guy as her keyboarding teacher at Small. She says he definitely had "issues" and would go off on his political views quite frequently. She ignored him because, as a typical teenager, she thought he was "boring". Her mom was not too happy about it but didn't feel it was worth making a fuss.

The combination of a rambling, "the government's out to get me" letter with his suspicious death seems to definitely point to someone with deep personal problems. My sister-in-law always thinks the CIA is after her, too, but that's only when she's not taking her meds.

I hope the police take fingerprints off the duct tape from Riad.

I also hope the police get a copy of Greta Berlins fingerprints.

Greta Berlin and Anna Baltzer, do you consider your occupation of Native American land racist?

If you are against all occupation and are not Native Americans, leave the US otherwise YOU will be racist occupiers, oppressors of Native Americans.

Which country will you return to?

posted on:http://pupaganda.com/

"Is it possible Riad Hamad was targeted for suicide as well, sort of the same way prize-winning American investigative journalist Gary Webb committed suicide with multiple gunshots to the head? Webb investigated Nicaraguans linked to the CIA-backed Contras who had smuggled cocaine into the U.S. which was then distributed as crack cocaine into Los Angeles. Gary had to go, as he had yet another book on tap before he killed himself over a stolen motorcycle. Riad had to go too, as he was a thorn in the side of the neocons, the FBI, ICE, and the IRS.

Finally, it should be remembered that back in 2003, Israel declared its intention to embark “upon a more aggressive approach to the war on terror that will include staging targeted killings in the United States and other friendly countries,” according to United Press International. “The Israeli statements were confirmed by more than a half dozen U.S. foreign policy and intelligence officials in interviews with UPI. Israeli hit teams, which consist of units or squadrons of the Kidon, a sub-unit for Mossad’s highly secret Metsada department, would stage the operations, former Israeli intelligence sources said. Kidon is a Hebrew word meaning ‘bayonet,’ one former Israeli intelligence source said.”

Is it possible a neocon hit team or as likely a Mossad “bayonet” team took out the school teacher Riad Hamad?

Certainly, it makes more sense than the lame claim that Mr. Hamad wrapped himself up in duct tape and threw himself in Lady Bird Lake."

Riad Hamad continues to bless our lives.
Responses to Riad’s life enable us to see what we truly are.
Some of these posts are vindictive.
Some of these posts are humane.
Riad, you are a kind of litmus test of character.
What you faced in life, you face here. And you enable us to face ourselves.

And all who support Riad have faced the same opposition, and will continue to.
It is part of the struggle to support humanity in a humane manner, with actions, not slogans.

Yes, Riad helped people far and wide. When I met a family in a remote refugee camp in Syria, who had received aid for the two year old to get a heart operation in America…by chance they were going to Austin, Texas, so when they asked me if I “knew someone in America” who could be neighborly while mother and two-year old went for the operation, I got Riad in touch with them. What an incredible coincidence and blessing. He made sure the little boy and mom were loved by a whole cadre of new friends in Austin. And he continued to keep in touch with the family after they went home.

When I was in Jenin Refugee Camp after the Big Invasion, and during many smaller invasions, Riad arranged to send me a camera. Mostly, however, I was living life, not photographing it. But let me confirm what another writer has said.
I have seen a boy shot dead for the crime of standing in front of his home, unarmed, while the soldier yelled at the boy’s mentally handicapped father to “Rouh/go away,” as he saw his son lying shot on the ground. Is there a more pitiful sight than that man being turned away at that moment, and walking heartbroken down the incline of the street? Fuad Abu Ghali, rest in peace.

I have been in a primary school for girls, huddled in the back rooms with hundreds of little girls, age ten maximum, and their teachers, as Israeli tanks shot INTO the school.

I have visited the Ibrahimiyya School for girls where Riham Ward was writing on the blackboard when she was fatally hit by a huge shell, more than 12 inches long, from a tank parked outside the school. Why was a tank firing into a girls’ school classroom?

I have visited a number of students in hospital, shot by Israeli snipers on their way to school and university.

But, like Riad, I know this is only part of the story. I have Jewish and Israeli friends who work *against* the terror, and *for* the humans. I have seen Israeli soldiers put down their weapons and instead, shake hands with the kids who stopped throwing stones. I know that the soldiers are people first, and that many of them do not believe in what the military forces them to do. Remember the recent statistics for Israeli soldiers: more have died by their own hand, i.e., suicide, than have been killed. Read what the Refusers, those who refuse to serve in the Israeli military, say. They have been there. And they have changed direction, to go toward humanity, for the sake of their own selves as much as for others.

Look through the posts here and see where the hatred and fear-mongering are coming FROM. It is not from Riad’s friends. Thanks to all writers, for showing your colors. Look further, and you may find something even more true, even within yourself.

God bless you, Riad, for facing this, and for rising above it to provide some survival for innocent people, making the way for human progress.

Annie Higgins

I have more sympathy for the passengers and crew of the four commercial airliners hijacked on 9/11 and for the people who died in the two World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon than for Riad and his fellow travelers of hate.

EDDIE then please visit this link:
http://www.pilotsfor911truth.org/

Bush's hand are tainted with 9 11 blood along like the blood of victims in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, etc... i wonder how he's going to face the God he claims to talk to one day

If anyones hands are covered with blood its the EVIL people like yourself that push the hoax of someone other than islamofascists committed the 9/11 SNEAK ATTACK on the US.

Don't forget the
- 1993 bombing of the WTC
- bombing of PanAm 103
- assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
- assassination of Anwar Sadat
- death threats against Salman Rushdie for writing a book of fiction
- death threats against the great Hirsi Ali
- the Finsbury Park mosque and their celebration of the "Magnificent 19" of 9/11
- Madrids 3/11
- Londons 7/7 transport attacks and last summers British Muslim doctors SUV airport attack

Here's a simple question for you...

If some of the Arabs who have been identified by the FBI for the 9/11 sneak attack are alive, why aren't they on Al-Jazeera TV for the world to see?