Another Opportunity Lost

Another Opportunity Lost - People from Albany, NY, have been attempting to visit Yassin Aref in prison. Since May, 2007, he has had only two visits. This is what he wrote to Steve Trimm, regarding the warden denying Steve the opportunity to visit:

"I am sorry they denied your request to visit me and thank you for your sincere interest. As I said before, the heart and soul can stay in contact and it doesn't matter how far apart we are. I feel you are with me. I often "speak" to you in writing and "listen" to the advice you write.

"I can't understand how the government expects people in prison to change and become better when they are not allowed to have new friends and relationships. If a person stays with old friends only, how can he learn something new and change?

"If some of us in the CMU don't understand American culture, why can't we be put with Western people who can teach us the culture? Why don't they allow someone like you to visit me? The government reads your letters to me and knows your ideas.

"Even if the men in CMU are going to be deported after they are released, the government is missing a big opportunity. If they could teach them about Western culture and send them home with new ideas about it, this would be a way to change hate to love and to support democracy."

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Updated
February 24, 2008

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