Anwar N. Haddam, an elected-member of Parliament of Algeria (December 1991) and one of the leaders of the Algerian Islamic Front for Salvation (FIS), was released on Thursday December 7, 2000.
After 4 years of incarceration with criminals due to Secret Evidence, Haddam was granted political asylum by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) on November 30, 2000. The US Immigration (INS), after obtaining a stay on the BIA decision, requested from the Attorney General (AG) Janet Reno to revoke his asylum. On December 7, 2000, about noon, the AG put 45-day stay on the BIA decision. But, Alhamdulillah, Anwar N. Haddam was released by the INS district director at 9PM of the same day thanks to Allah and to the political pressure from the Muslim community in Europe and the US, as well as from members of the US Congress.
In the conclusion of the Decision of the BIA, regarding the case of Anwar N. Haddam, the following is stated:
“As discussed above, we disagree with the Immigration Judge’s finding that the applicant is ineligible for the relief of asylum. We specifically reject her finding of adverse credibility. We also reject her finding that the applicant is ineligible for asylum as a danger to the security of the United States or as a persecutor of others. Moreover we find that the applicant is deserving of a favorable exercise of discretion… For all of these reasons the following orders shall be entered:
Order: The appeal is sustained.
Further Order: The applicant is granted asylum pursuant of section 208 of the Act.”
Anwar N. Haddam calls on the Muslim community as well as on the members of the US Congress to continue their political pressure on the AG to affirm the BIA decision granting him political asylum.
Anwar N. Haddam is the President of FIS Parliamentary Delegation Abroad since March of 1992 and the head of the FIS Delegation to the 94-95 Algerian multiparty negotiations in Rome, Italy. He is the co-signatory, on behalf of FIS, of the "Platform for a Political and Peaceful Solution to the Algerian Crisis," found in Rome by the Algerian main political parties on January 13, 1995. The Algerian military/security establishment rejected this Algerian “National Contract.”
One of his latest initiatives for peace in Algeria before he was arrested by the INS in December 6, 1996, Anwar N. Haddam headed in Stockholm a delegation of FIS invited by the Christian Socio-Democrat’s party of Sweden for: “Quest for peace in Algeria” Conference (February 1-8, 1996). He also headed an FIS delegation to Capetown, South Africa to meet with then President Nelson Mandela and President T. Mbekee, concerning the search for a peaceful solution to the Algerian Crisis (February 16, 1996).
Anwar N. Haddam was a Lecturer in Physics, at the Physics Department of the University of Science and Technology of Algiers from 1986 until the coup d'etat of January 11, 1992. He was elected to the Parliament in the first round of the Parliamentary election of Dec. 1991. Anwar N. Haddam was involved in the Algerian Islamic Movement, at the underground leadership level, for more than twenty-five years. The Algerian Islamic Movement stands for a Civilizational Renewal of Algeria as a contribution to the Muslim World revival for better international relations.
He was a founding member and an Executive Committee member of the' Islamic Association for a Civilizational Renewal' (Algeria, 1990), in charge of the Cultural Department and a disciple of the late Algerian thinker, Prof. Malek Bennabi.
After Graduating from Iowa State University in Nuclear Physics, Haddam went back to Algeria to serve as a Research-Assistant at the Laboratory of Physics and Technology of Reactors at the ‘Centre des Etudes Nuleaires’ (CEN) of Algiers (1985-1986). From 1986 until the coup d’ etat of January 1992, he was a Lecturer at the Physics Department of the University of Science and Technology of Algiers.
As a part of his mission as one of the FIS spokesperson, Anwar N. Haddam has been an Invited Speaker to several Muslim and non-Muslim organizations and Universities in Europe and the US, on the Algerian crisis, Political Islam, the up surging Muslim world and the new international order:
In France: invited in 1992 by several Muslim organizations in Paris, Lille, Strasbourg.
In Spain: Invited by the Muslim Association of Spain in Madrid (July 10, 1992)
Presented a Paper in a program "Islam faced to Modernity. A balance of the Muslim world in the 21st Century" sponsored by International Islamic University of AI-Andalus Cordoba, (March 29, 1995).
In Italy: Presented a paper at the "International Symposium on EC - Arab world Relations: Political Dimension" organized by the Royal Institute of International Affairs(England) in Rome, (June 18-20, 1993).
Given a talk at a" Conference on Algeria" organized by the Community of St. Egidio, Rome (November 21, 1994).
In England: Invited in 1992 and in 1993 by several Muslim organizations.
Presented a paper at a" One day Seminar on Algeria", organized by the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Middle East Program, Chat ham House, London (June 15, 1994.
In the US: Invited since 1992 by various Muslim organizations in different states.
Given a talk at the Council for Foreign Relations, New York, (February 14, 1995).
Given a talk in a program," The Future of Algeria", at Georgetown University, Washington, DC, (February 21, 1995).
Given a talk at John Hopkins University, Washington, DC, (March 9, 1995).
Given a talk at the Center for naval Analyses, Washington, DC, (June 7, 1995).
