Farheen Hakeem's Statement About JACC Press Conference, Al Flowers Incident

Photo By John Hoff



I 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."