In a front-page news article November 16, UM spokesperson Paula Musto told the Miami Herald that Rahat's remarks regarding the September 11 events in New York were "inappropriate and unbecoming for someone working in a research laboratory."

On the day of the attack on the World Trade Center Rahat had stated, "Some birthday gift from Osama bin Laden." In an interview with the Miami Herald, Rahat said that he made the remark "in a sarcastic way," not out of sympathy with bin Laden but to make the point that the attacks would "be associated with my birthday" on that day.

Asserting the right to fire Rahat for his political views, the university representative stated Rahat "was fired because he made those comments," and that his work record was "immaterial" to his firing.

In an interview with the Militant Rahat pointed out that "this was discrimination" both against his right to freedom of speech and because of his Middle Eastern background.

He continued, "If the same thing had occurred with someone of a different background, it would have resulted in a different outcome. I was having a conversation with another person and someone listening in on us reported my remarks to my supervisors."

"After the September 11 events," he said, "I was shocked like everyone else. With my knowledge of that part of the world and considering U.S. policy toward the region, I could see why such an attack might happen. This was nothing more than an objective analysis of the situation, yet my employers accused me of being happy for what had happened in New York and fired me for making 'inflammatory comments.'"

Rahat explained that he was suspended from his job September 20 and dismissed five days later. "In this five-day period the Human Resources Department of the University of Miami would not return any of my phone calls, and gave me absolutely no opportunity to explain myself so as to clear up this misunderstanding. They gave me no credence, and simply dismissed me as 'disruptive.'"

According to Rahat, Human Resources personnel of the University of Miami have stated that he is no longer eligible for employment anywhere at the university.

The UM firing has sparked renewed discussion here over the rights of employers to fire workers for their comments and the ideas they advocate. The Readers' Forum of the November 19 Herald presented 11 responses from around the United States to UM's firing of Rahat. Seven opposed the firing and four were in favor. A retired army Sgt. Major wrote that the dismissal "stinks like a witch- hunt. Time to break out the Civics 101 book at UM. Liberty and justice for all."

Reflecting the political polarization that has deepened during the U.S. war on Afghanistan, another reader wrote, "Rahat's resident status should be ended. He should be deported to his country of origin."

According to the Herald article, Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, president of the Miami American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), repeated earlier statements claiming that private employers have a right to fire workers if they don't like their political views. She added, "It's bad policy to silence people just because you don't like what they say."  
 
More attacks on workers' rights
This blatant attack on freedom of speech comes in the midst of two other assaults on the rights of working people here in Miami.

"Rahat is the second person known to have been fired from a job in Miami after expressing critical views of U.S. foreign policy in the wake of September 11," reported the November 16 Herald. "In October, Michael Italie, a Socialist mayoral candidate in Miami, was fired from his minimum-wage job as a sewing machine worker at Goodwill Industries of South Florida. The termination took place after the local head of Goodwill learned that, during debates and forums, Italie was critical of U.S. military action in Afghanistan and supported the Cuban revolution."

In an interview with the Militant, Mike Italie expressed his support for Rahat's fight to win back his job. "Like my case, the firing of Mohammad Rahat is at bottom a violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech," he said. "Because of his Middle Eastern background Rahat, like others, is a special target of the pro-war hysteria promoted by the Bush administration."

In a victory against this series of attacks on workers' rights, three Black Miami-Dade county firefighters have stood up to Fire Department attempts to drive them out of their jobs. On September 15 Terry Williams, James Moore, and William Clark were suspended for removing the American flag from their assigned fire truck. The three spoke out against the harassment they faced, and were allowed to return to work in early November after being cleared of any wrongdoing.  
 
 
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