BY MARK CURTIS
FORT MADISON, Iowa - The eyes of prisoners here at
the Iowa State Penitentiary, and probably in every
prison in the country, have been focused on the case of
Mumia Abu-Jamal and his fight for his own life. Abu-
Jamal's fellow convicts are watching his case closely
for the same reasons that people all over the country
and even across the world are: they doubt the evidence
prosecutors claimed pointed to Abu-Jamal as the killer
of a Philadelphia cop; they are repelled at the
arrogance of Judge Sabo, tagged as the "prosecutor in
robes;" and they are attracted to Abu-Jamal - the
fighter who does not let even existence on death row
discourage him from championing the humanity of the
most oppressed.
Inmates here sent a short protest message addressed to Thomas Ridge, governor of Pennsylvania. They hoped that it would also be read at the demonstration in support of Abu-Jamal held recently in Philadelphia. The message reads:
"Sir,
"We protest the scheduled execution of Mumia Abu- Jamal. Many of us here are familiar with the type of injustice handed out in the court system that prevented Mumia from getting a fair trial. Some of us also have first-hand knowledge of the brutality of the police, like the bullet Mumia received, and of the difficulty in defending oneself against accusations of harming a police officer.
"Mumia's prison conditions, his no-contact visits and being placed in disciplinary for publishing a book about his experiences are offensive to prisoners everywhere and to free speech and humane conditions.
"For these reasons we demand an end to all plans to execute Mumia Abu-Jamal and further that he be granted a new trial."
About thirty men signed the statement, which was sent to the Concerned Friends and Family of Mumia Abu-Jamal. The letter was a chance to initiate discussions on the Abu-Jamal case. His book Live From Death Row is extremely popular here, with a long waiting list of readers. Most everyone agrees that his commentaries on prison, which are many, are right on the mark. He preaches solidarity among the convicts and recognizes that winning gains in court have a lot more to do with political pressures than good "jailhouse lawyering."
More than anywhere else this has proven true in the fight against the death penalty, which still hangs over Abu-Jamal's head. The recent stay of execution was granted because the government's drive to kill him has been exposed to such a degree that it is a political embarrassment to a state that claims the mantle of "human rights" enforcer of the world.
Like many others, I look up to this man who refuses to crack under the maximum pressure that state can bring to bear. I also note some similarities between his defense campaign and mine: support has materialized from forces broader than those who share his political outlook; it is international; and it has had to contend with a "counter campaign" proclaiming his guilt to potential supporters. This "counter campaign" has not only the police fraternity and state officials in its ranks, but even some liberal and "movement" forces providing left cover.