Campaigns > Mortada Ahmed / Beja Solidarity Campaign / Manjeet Kaur / Vahidi family / Save The Family Home / Mary Adenugba / Gool Nazari / Lydia & Bernard / James Fallah-Williams / Bahrain Solidarity Campaign / Stop Deportations to Iran / Big Society Means Big Cuts!
Save The Family HomeUpdate 08/11/11 - Opposition to collective punishment of Farooqi family gathers pace - 10,000-strong petition delivered to CPS A Manchester family faces eviction from their home in Longsight. If the police are successful, a family with a young baby and an eight year old child will be made homeless, their home seized, and the proceeds of the sale given over the Magistrates Court. Father Munir Farooqi was recently convicted on terrorism charges following an undercover police operation. CDs and booklets were the only material evidence provided. Mr Farooqi’s son Harris, speaking outside the CPS Offices last week, said 'we believe a miscarriage of justice has occurred'. Campaigners handed over a 10,000-strong petition calling on the 'collective punishment' to be stopped. Harris, who lives at the house with his mother and other members of his family, and who was himself acquitted of a charge of preparing for an act of terrorism, said: “I have been through hell for the past two years. I cannot believe what the police are doing to me and my family." “There are five adults and two children living at the house. We are all innocent of anything and my father is appealing his conviction. This has been our family home for years and I feel so sad that my mother and family have to go through this nightmare. We just want to live in peace and want the CPS to reconsider its application for the forfeiture of our home.” His sister Zulaikha added: “My daughter is only a few months old. She is innocent as we all are. We never expected this from the police.” Nahella Ashraf, who is helping to co-ordinate the campaign, said "This is attempt to use legislation to seize a family home. It is not a coincidence that they are trialling this legislation by attacking a Muslim family in Manchester. If they are successful they will no doubt try to evict the families of people with convictions arising from the riots. That was the threat made when David Cameron recently visited Manchester." When asked whether he thought the campaign would win, Harris told Socialist Worker, "When a person has committed no crime he always wins". The CPS are soon due to decide whether to take the case to court for hearing early next year. The Save The Family Home campaign is at an early stage but already it has won support from local churches, mosques and the wider community. |
Click here for the initial press release
Click here to reach the Save The Family Home website Click here to download a hard copy of the petition. Please print, collect signatures and return ASAP. Or, click here to sign the online petition. Video: Press TV reportVideo: presenting the petition to the CPS
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Update 02/11/11 - Over 160 people packed out a public meeting on Monday (31st Oct) in support of the Save The Family Home campaign. They heard speakers including representatives from MPACUK (Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK), Cageprisoners, Madina Mosque, RAPAR, Manchester Somali Men's Forum, and members of the Farooqi family themselves (see below). A petition against making the family homeless will be publicly handed in to CPS on Tuesday November 8th. See full press release here: Continuing with CPS threat to make Longsight family homeless will have “massive impact on community relations”
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The ‘Save The Family Home’ campaign is to stop the collective punishment of the families of individuals convicted of crimes. It has been launched in response to the Crown Prosecution Service’s threat to forfeit the home of the Farooqi family, who live in Longsight, Manchester. The family includes a seven-month-old baby and an eight-year-old child. The Farooqis have been told by the CPS that they may be made homeless as a result of Munir Farooqi’s recent conviction on terrorism charges.
Mr Farooqi, the father of the family, although appealing against his conviction, is currently serving a prison sentence. However, the CPS is threatening to collectively punish the entire family by applying for a forfeiture order under the Terrorism Act. If granted, the order would enable the property to be sold and the proceeds placed into the Magistrates’ Court.
It is very rare for families to face this form of collective punishment, and although it is part of the terrorism legislation it has never been applied in practice before now. We believe that punishing the families of an individual convicted of a crime is highly unjust.
Munir Farooqi’s son Harris lives at the house with his mother and other members of his family, and was himself acquitted of a charge of preparing for an act of terrorism. He says: “I have been through hell for the past two years. I cannot believe what the police are doing to me and my family.
“There are five adults and two children living at the house. My younger sister is eight and my other sister’s baby is only seven months old. We are all innocent of anything and my father is appealing his conviction. This has been our family home for years and I feel so sad that my mother and family have to go through this nightmare. We just want to live in peace and want the CPS to reconsider its application for the forfeiture of our home.”
Harris’ sister Zulaikha says: “My daughter is only a few months old. She is innocent as we all are. We never expected this from the police.”
So far the campaign has been petitioning people attending mosques in the Manchester area, and the police have now called the Imams into Longsight police station to discuss the campaign. No family members or other campaign representatives are being allowed to attend this meeting. The campaign believes that this is an attempt by police to influence the Imams against the campaign, thereby putting serious pressure on it to shut down. The campaign asserts the right to protest without police harassment, be it direct or by proxy.
Please show your opposition to the injustice of punishing a whole family – including young children – on the basis of one family member’s criminal conviction, and your objection to police pressure on a peaceful campaign against an unjust law:
· Demonstration tomorrow, Tuesday October 18th, 4.15 pm outside Longsight Police Station
· For more information, please contact 07988572976
Update 02/11/11 - Over 160 people packed out a public meeting on Monday (31st Oct) in support of the Save The Family Home campaign. They heard speakers including representatives from MPACUK (Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK), Cageprisoners, Madina Mosque, RAPAR, Manchester Somali Men's Forum, and members of the Farooqi family themselves (see below). A petition against making the family homeless will be publicly handed in to CPS on Tuesday November 8th. See full press release here: Continuing with CPS threat to make Longsight family homeless will have “massive impact on community relations”
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The ‘Save The Family Home’ campaign is to stop the collective punishment of the families of individuals convicted of crimes. It has been launched in response to the Crown Prosecution Service’s threat to forfeit the home of the Farooqi family, who live in Longsight, Manchester. The family includes a seven-month-old baby and an eight-year-old child. The Farooqis have been told by the CPS that they may be made homeless as a result of Munir Farooqi’s recent conviction on terrorism charges.
Mr Farooqi, the father of the family, although appealing against his conviction, is currently serving a prison sentence. However, the CPS is threatening to collectively punish the entire family by applying for a forfeiture order under the Terrorism Act. If granted, the order would enable the property to be sold and the proceeds placed into the Magistrates’ Court.
It is very rare for families to face this form of collective punishment, and although it is part of the terrorism legislation it has never been applied in practice before now. We believe that punishing the families of an individual convicted of a crime is highly unjust.
Munir Farooqi’s son Harris lives at the house with his mother and other members of his family, and was himself acquitted of a charge of preparing for an act of terrorism. He says: “I have been through hell for the past two years. I cannot believe what the police are doing to me and my family.
“There are five adults and two children living at the house. My younger sister is eight and my other sister’s baby is only seven months old. We are all innocent of anything and my father is appealing his conviction. This has been our family home for years and I feel so sad that my mother and family have to go through this nightmare. We just want to live in peace and want the CPS to reconsider its application for the forfeiture of our home.”
Harris’ sister Zulaikha says: “My daughter is only a few months old. She is innocent as we all are. We never expected this from the police.”
So far the campaign has been petitioning people attending mosques in the Manchester area, and the police have now called the Imams into Longsight police station to discuss the campaign. No family members or other campaign representatives are being allowed to attend this meeting. The campaign believes that this is an attempt by police to influence the Imams against the campaign, thereby putting serious pressure on it to shut down. The campaign asserts the right to protest without police harassment, be it direct or by proxy.
Please show your opposition to the injustice of punishing a whole family – including young children – on the basis of one family member’s criminal conviction, and your objection to police pressure on a peaceful campaign against an unjust law:
· Demonstration tomorrow, Tuesday October 18th, 4.15 pm outside Longsight Police Station
· For more information, please contact 07988572976
