Waiting for Mercy: The Case against Mohammed Hossain and Yassin Aref 2009
Distributed by Third World Newsreel, 545 Eighth Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10018; 212-947-9277
Produced by Tony Grocki
Directed by Ellie Bernstein
DVD, color, 68 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Terrorism, Patriot Act, Political Science, Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, Human Rights, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology
Date Entered: 07/16/2010
Reviewed by Malcolm L. Rigsby, Department of Sociology, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, ARThe viewer leaves this discussion with a question in mind. Was this good criminal investigation and good prosecution, or was this a case of police entrapment combined with a prosecutorial law that denies “due process” procedure? Regardless the viewer’s response to this question the film provides ample discussion material to call for debate and analysis of how criminal law and procedure is developing in the United States of America in the aftermath of 9-11.
The film chronicles the investigation and arrest of two individuals associated with the Masjid As-Salam Mosque in Albany, New York in 2004. Although the film eventually draws the viewer into the sequence of news reports, interviews, and commentary it is in desperate need for an initial introductory scene(s) in which the setting is established. The film lacks a menu and upon insertion into the player immediately begins to play. Without an introduction and without a menu the viewer is left to struggle through the first 10 or so minutes before understanding where the informative, but haphazard news clips are taking them. Aside from this momentary set-back the video did intrigue me and cause me to consider many questions that it introduces.
Good narration, excellent interviews, and use of succinct and well copied news clips make for an enjoyable viewing. The film is definitely calling for activism in reviewing and seeking redress of the legal procedures under which Mohammed Hossain (a U.S. citizen) and Yassin Aref were arrested, convicted, and sentenced to prison. It does cast a suspicious eye on the definition of entrapment in cases such as that experienced by Hossain and Aref. The argument is that America should be carefully watching its legal system and be apprehensive of law and procedural authority that could lead to a revived McCarthyism in the U.S.
This film deserves full consideration. Questions that arise include how much power government should have to determine which groups may be singled out for close scrutiny, and if arrest is made under what circumstances may due process be suspended or curtailed.
The film trailer may be viewed at the Waiting For Mercy website, or at the Third World Newsreel website.
Awards
- 2009 Best Documentary, Ballston Spa Film Festival