284 British Imams and Community Leaders Call for Shaker Aamer’s Release from Guantánamo

As I first mentioned in an article last week, there’s a Parliamentary debate tomorrow for Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in Guantánamo, when MPs, from amongst the 38 members of the recently established Shaker Aamer Parliamentary Group, will be seeking assurances from the government that Shaker’s long and unjustifiable imprisonment will soon be brought to an end. See the list of members of the Parliamentary Group here.

I’ll be speaking, as a long-time activist and the co-founder of We Stand With Shaker, at a rally organised by John McDonnell MP at 12.30 in Committee Room 11 of the House of Commons, and earlier, at 11am, Shaker’s sons, and his father-in-law and brother-in-law, will be handing in an Amnesty International petition, signed by over 32,000 people, to 10 Downing Street.

On the eve of the debate, I wanted to make sure that I publicised a letter to David Cameron — and Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband — from 284 imams, community leaders and activists within the Muslim community — calling for Shaker’s “urgent release.”

Nothing on this scale has ever been attempted before, and it is a credit to the letter’s organiser, Imam Suliman Gani, a teacher, broadcaster and friend of Shaker’s family — who has been working tirelessly for Shaker’s release, and with whom I have been campaigning for many years — that it has taken place now.

The letter, originally published on the website of the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign, is posted below:

Letter from British Imams, community leaders and activists calling for the release of Shaker Aamer

Dear Prime Minister David Cameron,
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg,
Ed Miliband MP

We the undersigned call for the urgent release of our brother Shaker Aamer from Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp.

Shaker Aamer is the last British resident detained in Guantánamo, since 14 February 2002. This year marks 13 years of his incarceration, with a rapid deterioration in Shaker’s mental and physical health condition.

Shaker Aamer has been cleared for release in 2007 and again in 2010. He has never been charged, nor has he ever been given a trial.

We urgently ask for Shaker Aamer to be released and returned to the UK, to be reunited with his British wife and four children in London, the youngest of whom has never met his father.

In April 2013, over 110,000 signatures were collected from the British public urging Shaker Aamer’s release, yet in spite of great public support, there has been a lack of response towards his release.

We urge you to co-operate with the cross party Parliamentary group set up by John McDonnell MP, and take immediate action to secure the release of Shaker Aamer!

Yours sincerely

1) Imam Suliman Gani, South London
2) Jamil Rashid, MRDF
3) Shiplu Miah, MEND
4) Shamiul Joarder, FOA
5) Imam Yunus Dudhwala, East Ham
6) Dilly Hussain, 5Pillars News
7) Yasmin Khatun, Journalist Islam Channel
8) Imtiyaz Damiel, Lecturer, Al Kauther Institute
9) Imam Shuaib Nurgat, Masjid Umer, Walthamstow
10) Dr Ashraf Laher, Jamiatul Ulama
11) Ghulam Esposito Haydar, Myriad Foundation
12) Vaseem Ahmed, Redbridge Islamic Centre
13) Imam Abdul Mateen, East London
14) Khabbaab Ahmad, Founder, Al Hashim Academy
15) Imam Abdul Majid Iltaf, Crawley
16) Irfan Akhtar, Secretary of Waltham Forest Islamic Association
17) Asghar Bukhari, MPACUK
18) Raza Nadim, MPACUK
19) Imam Khalil Laher, East Ham
20) Imran Shah, MEND
21) Mohammed Shafiq, Chief Executive, Ramadhan Foundation
22) Ahmad Nawaz, General Secretary, Ilford Islamic Centre
23) Yusuf Khapi, Neeli Mosque
24) Amjad Shaikh, Hoxton Mosque, London
25) Malik Gul, Director of WCEN
26) Massoud Shadjareh, Islamic Human Rights Commission
27) Imam Fadhlul Islam Khan, The Shade Centre
28) Dr. Daud Abdullah, Middle East Monitor
29) Zaher Birawi, Europal Forum
30) R Altikriti, Muslim Association of Britain
31) Walaa Ramadan, MAB
32) Aiman Tariq, UKIM
33) Maham Karim, UKIM
34) Dilowar Khan, Islamic Forum Europe
35) Yousof Khan, IFE
36) Haitham Al-Haddad, MRDF
37) Abu Sayed, Dawat ul Islam UK
38) Mohamed Ali, CEO, Islam Channel
39) Khoyrul Shaheed, Darul Ummah
40) Belgalem Kahlalech, MAB
41) Nazim Ahmed Chowdhury, Dawatul Islam UK
42) Altaf Hussain, Dawatul Islam UK
43) Omer El-Hamdoon, MAB
44) Imam Suhail Bawa, Khatme Nabuwat Academy
45) Shoaib Khalid Bhatti, Muslim Lobby Scotland
46) Shaykh Zaheer Mahmood, Birmingham
47) Imam Mohammed Hoque, Leeds
48) Abdur Rahman Ibn Yusuf, Zamzam Academy
49) Mufti Yusuf Danka, Croydon
50) Reza Pankhurst
51) Imam Muhammad Ameen Gani, Luton
52) Imam Nagib Khan, Bristol
53) Ustadh Adnan Rashid, Hittin Institute
54) Imam Saqib Mahmood, Zuhri Academy, Luton
55) Moulana Muhammad Rayhan, Zuhri Academy, Luton
56) Imaam Muhammad Umar Masjid Noor, Luton
57) Moulana Aminur Rahman, Zuhri Academy, Luton
58) Moulana Noorul Ameen, Al Hikmah, Luton
59) Imam M Abul Hassan, Jamiatul Uloom, Luton
60) Moulana Kaydul Islam, Luton
61) Imam Mohammed Shajahan, Jamiatul Uloom, Luton
62) Imam Abdul Alim, Northampton
63) Imam M Abbas Khan, Masjid Zakariya & Almadina Institute
64) Moulana Minhajul Haque, Al-Hikmah, Luton
65) Shaykh Syed Ali, Ta’allam Tuition, Luton
66) Atif Mahmood, FHYT Farley Hill Youth Trust
67) Imam Hafiz Abu Lais, Dacorum Bangladesh Welfare Association, Hemel Hempstead
68) Imam Abul Mansur, Teacher, Hemel Islamic Academy
69) Imam Muhamed Gani, Chaplain
70) Hafiz Kaysar Hussain, Community Worker, Global Aid UK
71) Mahmud Choudhury, Secretary, Shahjalal Masjid, Poplar, London
72) Dr Ahmed Younis, Lecturer Medical School, Tooting
73) Dr Imran Khan, Tooting
74) Imam Muhammad Usman, Tooting
75) Imam Aziz Ibraheem, Iman Trust, St. Helens, Merseyside
76) Rahim Jung, Broadcaster, TV Presenter and Campaigner
77) Mumtaz Ali (AFG), Trustee, a Humanitarian Aid Charity UK
78) Imam Mustafa Graf
79) Imam Abdul Majid, Streatham Hill Mosque‏
80) Imam Abdul Wahhab, Markaz us Dawat wal Irshad, East Ham
81) Mohammed Hoque, Darul Uloom, Bury, Al-Azhar
82) Imam Mujahid Ali, Hafs Academy, London
83) Abubaker Laher, Batley, West Yorkshire
84) Khaled Fikry, Imam, Lecturer, MD Madinah International University
85) Imam Mohammed Mota, Jame Masjid, Batley
86) Abdullah Kola
87) Amin Sadak, Chingford Masjid
88) Shaykh Haytham Tamim, Chairman of Utrujj Foundation
89) Imam Shakeel Begg, Lewisham Islamic Centre
90) Qaari Ishaaq Jasat, Masjid e Abu Bakr, Walthamstow
91) Imam Shaqur Rehman, Redbridge Islamic Centre, London
92) Imam Mohammed Abul Hassan, Khateeb at University of Bedfordshire, BPD Academy, Luton
93) Ismail Patel, Friends of Aqsa, Leicester
94) Imam Mohammed Ilyas, Canary Wharf Community Organisation
95) Dr. Musharraf Hussain, CEO & Chief Imam, Karimia Institute
96) Imam Abdul Khabir, Idara Mosque
97) Mufti Mohammad Ashfak, Masjid Umar Farooq, Bradford
98) M Pandor, Batley
99) Imam Irfan Soni, Rabetah
100) Imam Amin Sadak, Chingford Masjid
101) Ebrahim Ravat, Rabetah, Batley
102) Imam Huzaifa Kolia, Masjid Abu Bakr
103) Imam Mohammed Ejaz, Sharee Council, Dewsbury
104) Imam Salim Makda, Masjid Umar
105) Imam Ahmed Sarkar, Darul Uloom
106) Shaykh Ayyub Surti, Da’watul Haq
107) Imam Muhammad Saeed Mulla, Chingford Masjid
108) Hashim Sacha, Chair Rabetah Al Ulama
109) Mufti Hafiz Syed Fokhrul Islam, Luton
110) Imam Khurshid, Jamia Masjid Hanfia, Bradford
111) Imam Hajji Abdul Motin, Bait Ul Aman Jamia Masjid, Bradford
112) Imam Sajid Farashi, Jamia Masjid Sayyidah Amini, Bradford
113) Imam Hafiz Sujad, Madni Jamia Masjid, Bradford
114) Imam Talib, Roxy Masjid, Bradford
115) Imam Mufti Imran Sayed, Majlise Dawatul, Leicester
116) Imam Muhammad Patel, Leicester
117) Imam Muhammad Lorgat, Leicester
118) Imam Sameer Ismail, Leicester
119) Sabir Khan, Bolton Council of Mosques
120) Imam Sajid Mahmood Masjid Aminah, Bradford
121) Imam Muhammad Saleem Nawab, Quwwat ul Islam, Upton Lane
122) Imam Rayan Mahmud, Iqra TV Presenter
123) Imam Fadhil Ahmad Choudhury, London
124) Imam Syed Ali, Shahporan Masjid, London
125) Michael Aamer the eldest son of Shaker Aamer has just added his name to the list.
May father be united with his wife and 4 lovely children soon. Amen
126) Adnan Qurayshi, Al-Ashraaf School, BBCA Masjid
127) Shah Shuaib Ahmed, Al-Ashraaf Ilford & IZA
128) Abdul Mukith, London
129) Imam Ilyas Badat, Quwwatul Islam, Upton Lane
130) Usman Adam, Quwwatul Islam Society
131) Imam Tahir Talati, Zakariya Academy
132) Atif Ali, Masjid E Abu Bakr, Walthamstow
133) Asim Qureshi, Cage
134) Ali Ahmed, AlWaqi’ah
135) Saleem Beg, former Imam, Dar al-Hadith.
136) Imam Maulana Mohamed Thawa, Plashet Grove Masjid, London
137) Imam Mushtaq Patel, Masjid-e-Tauheed, East Ham
138) Imam Zaakir Munshi
139) Imam Farooq, Leyton Masjid, East London
140) Yusuf Razi, Green Street Mosque, London
141) Qari A. Rahman, Romford Mosque, Romford
142) Niaz Ahmed, Barking Road Mosque, East Ham
143) Hamid ur Rahman, Selwyn Road Masjid, London
144) Maulana Zeeshan Ahmed, Lea Bridge Road Centre, London
145) M. Hanif, Shah Jalal Mosque, London
146) Basheer ud Din, Barking Road Islamic Centre, London
147) Musa Admani, Northholt Mosque, London
148) Adil Farroqi, Stanmore Mosque, London
149) Musa Wahalu, Goodmayes Tutor Centre, Essex
150) Maulana Islam Ali, Wakefield Mosque, West Yorkshire
151) Mufti Faizur Rahman, Stockport Road Mosque, Manchester
152) Dawood Ismail, Chairman, Leeds Road Centre, Bradford
153) Mufti Iqbal Qadree, Tayibah Mosque, Bolton
154) Mr Ahmed Ismail, Chairman, Muslim Society, Coventry
155) Imam Qari Hashim, Crawley Mosque, Sussex
156) Imam Qari Rafiq, Masjid Noor, Gloucester
157) Maulana Abdul Muneimin, Masjid Ayesha, London
158) Haji Abdur Rahman, Chairman, Kokni Society, Luton, Bedfordshire
159) Imam Hafiz Farooq, St. Saviour’s Road Mosque, Leicester
160) Haji Mustafa Karim, Chairman, Kenya Muslims Society, Leicester
161) Imam Maulana Suleiman, Masjid-an-Noor, Leicester
162) Haji Abdul Quddus, Chairman, Haj & Umrah Tours, Blackburn
163) Mr Ramzan Hasham, Chairman, Kumbhar Society, Blackburn
164) Haji Esmail Patel, Chairman, Whalley Wholesalers, Blackburn
165) Maulana Nakhuda Ahmed, Ex-Imam, Masjid-e-Noor, Preston
166) Mr Ahmed Yusuf, Lecturer, Bolton College, Bolton
167) Haji Iqbal Hussein, Chairman, East Africa Society, Birmingham
168) Haji Gulam Mohammed, Chairman, Sunni Society, Coventry
169) Catherine Heseltine, MPAC
170) Shaykh Abu Abdissalam, Makkah
171) Yusuf Hansa, Chairman, Noor Ul Islam, London
172) Imam Minar Ali, East Ham
173) Farouk Ismail, Redbridge Muslims
174) Asif Hassan Ali, CSCB, Croydon Safeguarding Children’s Board
175) Carl Arrindel, ICTV
176) Alyas Karman, Diversity Ltd.
177) Sufyan Ismail, CEO of Mend
178) Imran Adam, Video Journalism
179) Rahat Ali, MEND
180) Imam Mohammad Khan, NW London
181) Abdul Aleem, Qiblah Premium
182) Imam Zalin Hussain, Al-Muzzamil Mosque
183) Imam Irfan Patel, Jamiah Masjid, Gillingham
184) Imam Muhammed Anas, Zakariya Academy/Forest Gate Masjid
185) Mohammed Asim Razaq, Chairman, Masjid Abu Bakr
186) Irfan Akhtar, Executive Committee, Muslim Community Trust
187) Abdul Majid, Vice President, Waltham Forest Islamic Association
188) Adil Baporia, Trustee, Chingford Islamic Society
189) Mehmood Patel, Chairman, Masjid Tawheed
190) Yusuf Hansa, Chairman, Noor ul Islam
191) Mohammad Khergami, Green Street Mosque, London
192) Ismail Achhodi, Forest Gate Masjid, London
193) Mohammed Masood Kaziwala, Madina Mosque, East Ham
194) Yusuf Tadkeshwarwala, Ilford Mosque, Ilford, Essex
195) Elyas Sacha, Studley Road Mosque, East London
196) Yakub Patel, Shrewsbury Road Mosque, London
197) Haroon Lodhi, Plashet Road Centre, London
198) Kasim Miyanjee, Central Mosque, Southall
199) Qari M. Taahir Abbasi, Abu Bakr Mosque, Southall
200) Maulana M. Salim Makda, Palmers Green Mosque, London
201) Ismail Pathan, Leyton Green Centre, East London
202) Ashfaq Dungarwala, Browning Road Mosque, Bradford
203) Maulana M. Ismail Desai, Harrowgate Road Centre, Bradford
204) Mr. Abdul Haq Dabheli, Chairman, Horton Grange Centre, Bradford
205) Imam Haafiz Rabbani Lahori, Madina Mosque, Huddersfield
206) Imam Ashraf al- Misri, Masjid Hidayah, Manchester
207) Maulana Abdullah Pathanwala, Bicknell Street Mosque, Blackburn
208) Maulana M. Shafiq Meerpuri, Leeds Road Centre, Bradford
209) Dawood Karodi, Wood Green Road Mosque, Leicester
210) Osman Jalalpurwala, The Mosque, Nuneaton
211) Maulana M. Yusuf Seedat, Chairman, Islamic Centre, Fairbank Road, Bradford
212) Maulana Asif Ayub Fakir, Hayes Mosque, Middlesex
213) Shaykh M.Faisal Ismail, Edgware Road Centre, West London
214) Haji Abdul Aziz Abu, East Africa Society, Leicester
215) Ebrahim Khan, Madni Masjid, Bradford
216) Haji M. Ghani Garatwala, Lecturer, Leicester College
217) Haji Yusuf Ismail Jamal, Bradford College
218) Mr. Bashir Ahmed Pandor, Solicitor, Bradford
219) Dr. Mehboob Alam Khan, Homeopathic Doctor, Bradford
220) Haji Ismail Bhai Loonat, Chairman, Alipur  Society, Batley
221) Haji Ismail Noor Mohammad, Muslim Society, Coventry
222) Imam Maulana Moazzam Mohammad, Central Mosque, Rochdale
223) Asif M. Khan, Swindon Mosque, Swindon
224) Haji M. Yusuf Kabbani, Chairman, York Muslim Association, York
225) Imam Maulana Ebrahim Mangera, Jamia Mosque, Derby
226) Imam Shabbir Ahmed Patel, Masjid-e-Usman, Walsall
227) Imam Inamul Haq Malik, Croydon Mosque, Croydon
228) Syed Shafi, Chairman, Cann Hall Masjid, Leytonstone
229) Will Hutton, President of Leeds University Amnesty International
230) Oscar Frandsen, Campaign Representative of Leeds University Amnesty International
231) Jo Cutler, Amnesty International Member and Student Activist
232) Eleanor Wakeford, Treasurer, Leeds University Amnesty International
233) Saghir Hussain, Solicitor
234) Majed Iqbal, Freelance Journalist and Muslim Blogger
235) Abdul Aslam, Manager, Ravensthorpe Centre
236) Ruhal Ahmed, Ex British Guantanamo Detainee
237) Mr Nazir Daud, Business Executive
238) Laura Stuart, Human Rights Activist
239) Mr Orlando Miller, Ex Royal Air Force
240) Samayya Afzal, Women’s & Campaigns Officer, University of Bradford Union of Students
241) Iqbal Nasim, NZF
242) Imam Huzayfa Shaikh, Al Khair
243) Harun Daud, Trustee, Tooting
244) Saleem Chagtai, Khateeb
245) Maryam Hassan, Activist
246) Mohammed Patel, Leyton
247) Samad Billoo, The Respect Party
248) Shoyab Divelli, Z.I.A. BOLTON
249) Imtiaz Mian,Teacher, Madina Masjid, Manchester
250) Mohamed Umar Dana, Ashford and Staines Community Centre
251) Imaam Shokat Patel, Quwwat ul Islam, Forest Gate
252) Shah Safwan Ahmed, Al Falah Primary School
253) Shah Yahya Ahmed, Al-Ashraaf, Whitechapel
254) Shah Hamza Ahmed, Al-Ashraaf, Whitechapel
255) Shah Talha Ahmed, Al-Ashraaf, Whitechapel
256) Shah Mujahid Uddin, Forest Gate
257) Maulana Raza Ali, Masjid Abu Bakr
258) Dr. Uthman Lateef, Slough
259) Usman Qureshi, Trustee, HHUGS
260) M Quresh Ali, Al Hikmah Learning Centre, Bradford
261) Shohidul Islam, London Youth Worker, Tower Hamlets
262) Fahad Ansari, Human Rights Solicitor
263) Ali Ahmad, Imam, BBCA Cultural Centre
264) Hafiz Mawlana Abdul Mateen Khandoker, MKMA and Jamiate Ulamae Islam Europe, Milton Keynes
265) Mufti Shakir Ahmed
266) Shaykh Faisal Ismail, Edgware Road Centre, West London
267) Ilyas Badat Quwwatul Islam Upton Lane
268) Imam Ibrahim Mogra, MCB, Leicester
269) Khawar Chaudhry, TKC Foundation
270) Mufti Shah Sadaruddin, London
271) Molana Muhammad Anas, London
272) Mufti Shah Talha Ahmed, London
273) Molana Shah Yahya Ahmed, London
274) Mufti Shah Shuaib Ahmed, London
275) Mufti Shah Hamza Ahmed, London
276) Mufti Shah Safwan Ahmed, London
277) Imam Uthman Jeewa, Al Medinah Mosque, Brighton
278) Mufti Suhail Ilyas, Imam, Seven Kings Muslim Educational Trust
279) Iqbal Gangat, Imam of Masjid Zeenatul Islam, Coventry
280) Moulana Iftikhar Hussain, Islamic Ansaar Foundation, Birmingham
281) Moulana Sikandar Iqbal, Islamic Ansaar Foundation, Birmingham
282) Moulana Sulayman Patel, Imam, Masjid Naqueebul Islam
283) Moulana Zubair Ahmed, Imam, Masjid Naqueebul Islam
284) Hamid Mahmood, Head of Fatimah Elizabeth Cates Academy, Walthamstow

To add your name, if you’re a prominent member of the Muslim community, please email the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign.

Andy Worthington is a freelance investigative journalist, activist, author, photographer, film-maker and singer-songwriter. He is the co-founder of the “Close Guantánamo” campaign, the director of “We Stand With Shaker,” calling for the immediate release from Guantánamo of Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in the prison, and the author of The Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America’s Illegal Prison (published by Pluto Press, distributed by Macmillan in the US, and available from Amazon — click on the following for the US and the UK) and of two other books: Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion and The Battle of the Beanfield. He is also the co-director (with Polly Nash) of the documentary film, “Outside the Law: Stories from Guantánamo” (available on DVD here — or here for the US).

To receive new articles in your inbox, please subscribe to Andy’s RSS feed — and he can also be found on Facebook (and here), Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. Also see the six-part definitive Guantánamo prisoner list, and “The Complete Guantánamo Files,” an ongoing, 70-part, million-word series drawing on files released by WikiLeaks in April 2011. Also see the definitive Guantánamo habeas list, the full military commissions list, and the chronological list of all Andy’s articles.

Please also consider joining the “Close Guantánamo” campaign, and, if you appreciate Andy’s work, feel free to make a donation.