Nida Abubaker is the daughter of Shukri Abubaker, one of the five men unjustly imprisoned in the United States as part of the Holy Land Foundation Five case. Shukri Abubaker, a Palestinian humanitarian, was sentenced to 65 years in a federal penitentiary in Beaumont, TX after leading the largest Muslim charity in the U.S., which provided aid to Palestinians and many others in need, especially children.
Nida shares her father’s story, the FBI raid on her house, the devastating impact of his imprisonment on their family, and how this case set a dangerous precedent for criminalizing Palestinian activism and humanitarian work in America. We also discuss the broader implications for freedom, justice, and the ongoing Palestinian struggle.
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Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction
3:40 – Nida's family story
5:50 – What was The Holy Land Foundation?
12:30 – FBI Raid on Nida's house
21:30 – The case and trial verdict
25:25 – Shukri's status in prison right now
31:30 – How Shukri keeps hope continuously
38:55 -- Poetry reading
43:00 -- Audience Q&A
Guest Intro:
Nida Abubaker is a force: an artist, poet, and fearless activist whose voice rises from the heart of struggle. Her lifelong fight for justice ignited 21 years ago, when she was just 10, after witnessing the violent raid on her home by the FBI, taking her father away.
By 15, Nida was on stages across the country, exposing the criminalization of humanitarian aid and the silencing of her people both in Palestine and the diaspora.
Since then, she has spoken at top universities and conferences, amplifying the voices of the incarcerated, including her father who is serving a 65 year sentence in a maximum security federal prison for his charity work.
Through words and art, Nida turns personal tragedy into collective power, carrying forward a legacy of resistance. Her work embodies the struggle for liberation and the unshakable call to not only free her father, but to free them all.
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