Photo By John HoffI was forwarded a copy of an email sent around by Farheen Hakeem, responding to issues surrounding the JACC press conference and the Al Flowers/Don Samuels incident...
Here are Hakeem's words, unedited:
Hello all, I am glad this video has been put up. Clearly you can see from minute 5:20 to 6:20 I am asking Council Member Samuels to please calm down, please step back,and to please not get so close because I am getting over bronchitis, and it is only for his own benefit.
You can also see John "PJ" Hubbard on my right, and Sandra Samuels on my left, Council Member Samuels in front of me, and my back against the wall.It is sad that John Hoff and Megan Goodmunson (she is the one screaming "Shut Up Al") chose to be so sexist as to call me "hysterical" and "out of control." Obviously, I am not.
This video also clearly portrays that I am not raising myvoice, and that because of my illness, you can barley hear me at all. But I am sure that an ASL interpreter with the ability to read lips can clearly verify what I am saying.
Finally, I think some hater asked why I was there. I am working with several community members to help buy foreclosed properties in North Minneapolis, have them rehabbed, and then have homeless families live in them as a community own (sic) housing cooperative. JACC signed on as one of the supporters, and the Jordan neighborhood has one of the highest number of foreclosed properties in Minneapolis.
I signed the pre-application and just turned it in to CPED the day before. I just wanted to know if they were still supporting this housing cooperative project, that is all. I had no idea what the JACC board politics are -- I am Southsider.
When I saw Council Member Samuels elbowing Al Flowers, I was trying to calm him down because I believe that violence is NOT the answer. As a former math teacher at a juvenile detention center, I know there could have a more peaceful way Council Member Samuels could have approached the situation. After all, is he not part of the PEACE Foundation?
I'm not running for office anymore, and I have no reason to care what Meg Goodmunson, John Hoff, or whoever else chooses to muddy my name. Right now Iam focusing on my friends and my family, who love me for me and know who Ireally am, not judge me based on stupid stereotypes.
Besides, aren't we all on the same side? Don't we all want to see realistic solution to the foreclosure problem, especially in North Minneapolis? Why do we have to do all this mud slinging and name calling? Can't we focus on working for a positive solution instead of spending hours writing our opinions of Al Flowers, Council Member Don Samuels, and me. (sic)
This is all the time I am spending on this, so if you are interested in getting involved in seeing somehousing co-ops on the Northside, please contact me.Thanks, Farheen - who is really NOT running for anything and is simply focusing energy to make a better Minneapolis.
(End of letter)
Johnny Northside says: Farheen, look at the photo, above, like it was a mirror. Ask yourself how calm you actually were, not how calm you want everybody to BELIEVE you were. And if Samuels elbowed Flowers, why did Flowers only complain heatedly about Samuels GETTING IN FRONT?
This talk of "elbowing" and "toe stepping" is an ex post facto rationalization from a loud, angry thug who simply SHOVED a city councilman who had his back passively, expressively turned.
And, I might add, BRAVELY turned, since Flowers has been involved with a televised statement about the pressing need to "kill" somebody like Don Samuels.
And almost everything was caught on tape, including Flowers' shouting, interrupting, heckling and--to many in the room--downright SCARY tirade. This time the lawsuit will not go well for Flowers...if you can call a $3 "coffee money" judgement a case of a lawsuit "going well."
9 comments:
I can not believe the lies that she is spewing from her mouth! I was there, I saw & heard everything. She was not calm, Al was not calm, & Don never touched Al at all! It is people like Al & Farheen that are making it so difficult for everyone in this community to get along! They just need to keep their lying mouths shut. I am SO GLAD all of these videos are out there, so people can see what really happened.
Farheem?? I am curious that you are trying to purchase forclosed properties in my neighborhood and flip them for homeless folks?? How was this program ever "endorsed" by JACC when it was never brought to the board or community at large for approval? Also, why not establish this program in your own neighborhood? Are you afraid of living next to homeless? Why do you feel so passionately that homeless need to live in north minneapolis? Do you have any idea of what happens when you concentrate poverty in one area? We are facing drugs, gangs, forclosures, guns and so much more? So how does YOUR investment and money making scheme REALLY HELP my community????
The Flowers = $3 Judgment
Fartheem = $3 parfum
Al Flowers screaming "Black Power" while being pushed out by a police in a public meeting then hiring an old WHITE lady lawyer to sue the City =
PRICELESS HYPOCRACY!
OMG! look at her eyes - wow!
S C A R Y
Yes, "hysterical" certainly is sexist, assuming you are from the 17th century:
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hysteric&db=luna
I noticed she seems to have no problem with Al trying to hijack the press conference with his continuous shouting. I guess that's OK.
And the bronchitis thing? Now THAT'S hysterical!
I'm inclined to believe someone's stated good intentions (what can I say? I read The Diary of Anne Frank in High School) so I'm glad to hear her say that she came to the press conference with no agenda other than to see how she could work with the new board on improving Jordan.
But the rest of the email is an utter joke. I especially enjoyed the part where she claims that John and Meagan "chose to be so sexist as to call me 'hysterical' and 'out of control.'"
The possibility that she WAS hysterical and/or out of control doesn't even exist in her mind, but let's continue to give her the benefit of the doubt here. It's not enough for John and Meagan to be wrong, they have to be wrong because of some "ism." That way, anyone who disagrees with her has to contend not just with her but with accusations of racism, sexism, Islamophobia, etc.
But then again, what do I know? I'm probably just a hysterical, out-of-control, misogynistic, homophobic, racist, "hater."
Nice try Farheen. I think you more you stay involved with this lawsuit less credibility any of your statements make. I just hope if she comes looking for an endorsement from anyother northside neighborhood association, she is shown the door.
Good job standing up for those in need.
Grow up.
First, anybody who willingly submits to wearing a headscarf and everything that goes with THAT has no grounds to call anybody else "sexist" especially when "hysterical" really is a good description of the way she was acting.
She'd be a lot better off blaming the bronchitis for making her off-kilter and feverish rather than trying to say she was cool and collected, trying to "calm down" Samuels. Farheen was the one who needed to "calm down."
Secondly, Farheen is hardly an uninvolved bystander. Some Muslim woman is reportedly running against Don Samuels, and Farheen is rumored to be helping her campaign.
So it seems like Farheen was just trying to grab an opportunity to create an incident with Samuels, trying to make the record she was telling Samuels to "calm down." But look at the photo. Look how calm SHE looks. She looks like a raving lunatic.
AND THIRD, I sure hope Farheen's stupid idea to put the homeless in the Jordan neighborhood doesn't get approved, not because of this controversy or because of Farheen (she's not all bad) but just because it's a really bad idea.
Thanks once again, Johnny North Side, for getting the word out. We wouldn't have read anywhere else about Farheen trying to start a "homeless cooperative" (halfway house?????) in Jordan if it wasn't for your blog. I don't agree with all your opinions but I sure appreciate your constant stream of useful information!!!
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