Welcome to the Empire Files podcast. This is your host, Abby Martin. This is the audio of our show.

You can watch the episodes on our YouTube channel or at the Empirefiles.tv.

The U.S. Empire holds countless political prisoners in its vast prison network. From black power to national liberation movements, people deemed threats to the system languish for decades

behind bars. Among those are five Palestinian men, known as the Holy Land Five, victims of

George Bush's massive repression operation against Muslims living in the U.S. These men, Shukri

Abu Baker, Gassan Alashi, who feed Abdul Qadar, Abdul Qadar, Abdul Raham Ode, and

Muhammad El Mazin, and their organization, the Holy Land Foundation, were simply a charity for

Palestinian refugees. Charged with aiding terrorism, their sentences range from 15 to 65 years.

To understand more about this little known case and the alarming precedent it sets for all international

solidarity activists in the U.S.

I sat down with Miko Pellad, author of Injustice, the story of the Holy Land Foundation 5.

I just got through your book Injustice.

Wow, what an incredible book.

Everyone needs to buy it.

They need to read it.

They need to learn about this insane case.

The Holy Land Foundation became the largest Muslim charity in the U.S.

Millions of dollars in distribution of aid.

Talk about how it started and also what programs it fostered.

So this is an interesting question.

In the trial, the Holy Land Foundation trial, they wanted to, they had to show that

Hoyland was connected to Hamas.

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