Support Ali Asad

What can you do?
Please brothers and sisters, take out 10-15 minutes to write a quick letter. It is literally the least we can do for Ali. Here is what is needed:

Letters should be addressed to The Honorable Claude Hilton, Senior District Judge
dentify yourself, a bit about your background, maybe your profession
State why you are writing this letter
Explain how long you know Ali and in what capacity. Give your impressions of Ali Asad Chandia.
You might mention the suffering that Ali has already undergone, especially the last 2 years in the restrictive CMU unit of the federal prison system.
Ask the judge for leniency in his re-sentencing. Be respectful.
DO NOT send the letter directly to the court.
Sign the letter and mail it to Ali's lawyer no later than December 15, 2010 to: Marvin D. Miller, Attorney at Law, 1203 Duke Street, Alexandria VA 22314.

Court of Appeals for the second time has agreed with Ali

the Court of Appeals for the second time has agreed with Ali that the District Judge Claude Hilton did NOT justify his use of the "terrorism enhancement" when he sentenced Ali Asad to 15 years in prison in 2006.

A "terrorism enhancement" is a tool use to inflate the sentences for any "normal" crimes done in the furtherance of "terrorism". Had Ali's "crime" not been associated with "terrorism", his maximum sentence would have been about 6 years.

Read more > Posted on: November 11, 2010

Chandia Appeals Again...

In September 2005, Ali Asad Chandia was indicted on 4 counts for providing material support to Lashker-e-Taiba (LET), an organization in Pakistan that is fighting against the Indian troops for their atrocities committed against the Muslims in Kashmir. LET was designated as a terrorist organization by the US government in December 2001. Ali Asad Chandia, at that the time of his arrest and while waiting for the trial, taught 3rd grade at Al Huda School in Maryland and occasionally gave sermons and lectures at various mosques. He was well regarded by the parents and faculty as an academic and a teacher. Many testified on his behalf as character witnesses at his trial.

Sentencing Hearing for Ali Asad Chandia - Revisits Application of Terrorism Enhancement

Ali Asad Chandia will be back in District Court on April 25 in his continued quest for justice following his conviction in 2006 on charges of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. The popular third-grade teacher from the Al-Huda School in College Park, Maryland, will appear before Judge Claude Hilton, this time to more fully challenge the application of the terrorism enhancement to his sentence. The original 15-year sentence was challenged by Ali Asad in a formal appeal argued before the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond on October 30, 2007. At issue at the hearing will be whether the evidence provided by the government warrants the application of the terrorism enhancement to the sentence.

Hearing Date Scheduled for Sentencing

As Salaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuh Brothers and Sisters, Insha Allah this message finds you and your families in good health and strong iman . . . .

As you are already aware, on January 23, 2008, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with our position that the application of the terrorism enhancement in Br. Ali Asad Chandia's sentence was inappropriate. Upon doing so, they remanded or sent the case back to District Court Judge Claude Hilton for review and resentencing. Judge Hilton has since scheduled a sentencing hearing for Friday, April 25 at 9 a.m. in the Albert Bryant Federal Courthouse in Alexandria. This is the same judge and the same courthouse that we remember well!

What is at stake? If the judge were to decide in Br. Ali's favor and effectively remove the terrorism enhancement from the original 15-year sentence, the sentence would be significantly be reduced to 5 to 6 years. The implications are HUGE!

We need your help in a couple of ways:

Mark your calendars and plan to join us in the courtroom on Friday, April 25. Br. Ali will appear in court for the hearing and we want to demonstrate by our presence that we still strongly support and join with him to seek justice in this case. The courthouse is easily accessible by Metro and we will organize carpools as we get closer to the actual date. The sentence will be delivered at the end of this hearing. When considering whether you can make the arrangements to be there remember this - a few hours of your time on April 25 may, insha Allah, help to bring several years of freedom back to Br. Ali!
Continue to make du'a for Br. Ali and his family. Don't forget to also ask Allah to touch the heart of Judge Hilton who will be making the decision in this matter.

Again, Br. Ali wanted to express his sincere gratitude for the many expressions of support he has received from you during these challenging times. He is hopeful that, with the help of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, justice will prevail.
Take care and make du'a for us all.
Wasalaam.

Ali Asad Support Committee

Appeals Court Lets Ali Asad Conviction Stand But Sends 15-Year Sentence Back to Trial Judge

On January 23, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in the case of Ali Asad Chandia, a third-grade teacher at the Al-Huda School in College Park, Maryland, who was convicted in 2006 on charges of conspiracy to aid a terrorist organization. The unanimous decision, which upheld the conviction but overturned the 15-year sentence imposed, offers those who have followed the case closely both promise and frustration.