3RD I NY PRESENTS
in collaboration with Blue Triangle Network-NYC
and Queens Museum of Art

VOICES RISING

The 3rd National Day of Solidarity with
Muslim, Arab and South Asian Immigrants

Saturday, February 21, 2004

In New York City, we will celebrate the National Day of Solidarity on February 21st. Around the country on the National Day of Solidarity, many people will come together to voice our outrage at the detentions and deportations, the forced registrations and racial profiling, the surveillance and the overall climate of demonization of Muslims, Arabs and South Asians.

On this day we will declare our collective determination to stop this repression; this time they are coming for the Muslims, Arabs and South Asians first but as we have seen in recent times these attacks have already struck much broader sections of people: from the fingerprinting of all immigrants entering the US (except those from European countries), to the surveillance and intimidation of anti-war activists.

We express solidarity with International Mother Language Day, created by UNESCO in 2000. This day was chosen to honor the language martyrs who were killed in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) on Febryary 21, 1952 while protesting the Pakistan government's decision to impose Urdu as the national language for all of Pakistan.

Shuttle bus to the Queens Museum will be available from Jackson Heights. Bus will leave at 1:20 sharp, in front of Eagle Theater, on 37th Street, between 73rd Street and Broadway.

Films, Queens Museum of Art, 2-5pm, FREE
Music, Galapagos Art Space, 8pm, $10*

2:00pm-5:00pm, Queens Museum of Art, FREE
Film screenings and panel discussion with filmmakers

Featuring:
JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE - Jon Osman
B.E.S. (BANGLA EAST SIDE) - Sarita Khurana & Fariba Alam (WORLD PREMIERE)
FAROUK ABEL-MUKHTI: Political Prisoner - Konrad Aderer
PHOENYC - by Hima B.

8:00pm, Galapagos Art and Performance Space, $10*

Performances By:
Outernational
DJ Siraiki (Mutiny, NYC)
DJ Abu Jorjj (damar-wa-fawda)

*$10 Cover-proceeds go to Blue Triangle Network

For more information call: 917-733-1121 or email: BTNNYC@yahoo.com

February 20th is an opportunity to open the eyes of many more people to the reality of this repression and mobilize many more into this movement to stop it. On this day, communities of Muslim, Arab and South Asian immigrants can see that there are many others who will stand with them and act fearlessly to stop this repression.

Standing together on the National Day of Solidarity sends an important message to the government that they will face a growing multi-national and inter-religious movement of citizens and non-citizens who are organizing an unstoppable fight to end this kind of repression.

For a list of events around the country please go to: http://www.bluetriangle.org/events.html

Read and endorse the Call for this day: http://www.bluetriangle.org/feb20/feb20_2004.html

On February 20th wear a blue triangle with the name of one of the newly "disappeared!"

About the Program

ABOUT THE FILMS

JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE
Dir: Jon Osman, 2003, 20 min.

This feature documentary is based on the brutal murder of two Puerto Rican young men, Antonio Rosario and Hilton Vega who were shot by two NYPD detectives in the Bronx in early 1995. One detective was Mayor Giuliani's former bodyguard. We will show excerpts from the film.

http://www.realityfilms.net

B.E.S. (BANGLA EAST SIDE)
Dirs: Sarita Khurana & Fariba Alam, 2004, 45 min.

WORLD PREMIERE
A documentary portrait of four Bangladeshi teenagers growing up in the Lower East Side of New York City as they negotiate the complications of their lives as young immigrant teens in post 9-11 America. One minute they're giddily performing the latest Bollywood dance; the next, they're having a serious discussion about the Bill of Rights, about the virtues of the educational system in America, or about growing up as Muslims in Bangladesh versus NYC. A collection of verite, collage, and home movies, B.E.S. tells a different story of culture and possibility through young people's own voices and experiences.

FAROUK ABEL-MUKHTI: Political Prisoner
Dir: Konrad Aderer, 5 min.

Farouk tells his own story from Passaic County Jail, and speaks out against the injustices inflicted on Muslim immigrants since 9/11.

http://www.lifeorliberty.org/farouk.html#faroukvideo

PHOENYC
Dir: Hima B., 2003, 5 min.

Interviews with six queer New Yorkers of South Asian and Arab descent immediately after 9/11. We will show an excerpt from the film.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Outernational describe their style as rebel music. They have created a unique sound, mixing rock, hip hop, reggae, funk and bhangra. They are becoming infamous for being the baddest band this side of the revolution.

DJ Siraiki (Mutiny, NYC) is one of the major forces behind the rise of new South Asian music in NYC.

Abu Jorjj (damar-wa-fawda) has been instrumental in exploding Arabic traditional and dance music at the hottest spots in NYC.

DIRECTIONS

Queens Museum of Art - Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Shuttle bus to the Queens Museum will be available from Jackson Heights. Bus will leave at 1:20 sharp, in front of Eagle Theater, on 37th Street, between 73rd Street and Broadway.

Directions: Take 7 train to Willets Point/Shea Stadium, follow yellow signs on a ten-minute walk through the park to the museum, which is located next to the Unisphere. Check website for transportation updates.

Galapagos Art and Performance Space

70 North 6th St. (between Kent and Wythe)
Williamsburg
L to Bedford (1st Stop in Brooklyn).

For more information call: 917-733-1121 or email: BTNNYC@yahoo.com