As we have just told you here, more than forty technology companies, associations in defense of freedoms, more than thirty professors who are experts in law and legislation, and some victims of the attack that occurred at the beginning of last December in San Bernardino ( California, USA), have presented in court their "amicus brief" in support of Apple or have sent a letter to Judge Sheri Pym expressing their position. This is the case of Salihin Kondoker whose wife Anies is one of the victims. It is an interesting document written in the first person by one of the parties directly involved in the events as a victim and that is why we wanted to translate below.
«I am in favor of Apple and the decision they have made… Apple should stand firm »
«Dear Honorable Judge Sheri Pym:
My name is Salihin Kondoker and my wife Anies was a victim of the San Bernardino terrorist attackon December 2, 2015. My wife and I have been married for 17 years and have 3 children, the youngest of whom is in preschool.
On December 2, 2015, my wife attended the San Bernardino Department of Environmental Health Day party and had gone to the bathroom during the 10 minute break period and left her purse on the chair. He was shot three times in the hallway when he was returning from the bathroom. Fortunately, despite a very difficult road to recovery, he survived the attack. It weighs on me and my family that many of his co-workers did not.
Approximately six weeks later, we were able to retrieve her FBI tote bag that was destroyed by bullets on that day. Not a day goes by that I don't think about what might have happened if she had actually sat in that chair.
My wife is an environmental health specialist for the county. I am a consultant for the PG&E information technology project. We have called San Bernardino home for 4 years and moved there from a city not too far away so my wife would have an easier commute to work.
We are proud to call America our home and even more proud to have had 3 children here. We are also Muslims and have always taught our children that religion is about love and community. I don't think terrorism and religion have any connection. It is an act of hatred.
During the weeks and months after the attack, I have been to the FBI briefings that were held for the victims and their families. I have joined others in asking many questions about how this happened and why we don't have more answers. I also I have been frustrated that there is no more information. But I don't think a company is the reason for this.
When I found out that Apple opposes the order I was frustrated, it would be another obstacle. But as I have read more about your case, I have come to understand that your fight is for something much bigger than a telephone. They are concerned that this software will be used by the government against millions of innocent people. I share your fear.
I am in favor of Apple and the decision they have made. I don't think Tim Cook, or any Apple employee believes in supporting terrorism more than I do. I believe that the violent attacks that I have read in the media against one of the largest companies in the United States are terrible.
In my opinion, it is unlikely that there is any valuable information on this phone. This was a work phone. My wife also had a County issued iPhone and she does not use it for any personal communication [activity].
San Bernardino is one of the largest counties in the country. They can track the GPS phone in case they need to determine where people are. Second, both the account and the carrier iCloud account were monitored by the county so they could track communications. This was common knowledge among my wife and other employees. Why then would someone store vital contacts related to an attack on a phone knowing the county had access to it? They destroyed their personal phones after the attack. And I think they did it for a reason.
As a consequence of this terrible attack, I strongly believe that we need stronger gun laws. It was the guns that killed innocent people, not technology. As well I believe that the FBI had and still has access to a great deal of information that has been ignored and I am very disappointed in the way they have handled this investigation.
Finally, and [this is] the reason for my letter to the court, I think privacy is important and Apple should stand firm in its decision. Neither I, nor my wife, want to raise our children in a world where privacy is the trade-off for safety. I think this case will have a great impact around the world. There will be agencies coming from all over the world who want to get access to the software that the FBI is asking Apple. It is abused everywhere to spy on innocent people.
America should be proud of Apple. Proud that it is an American company and we must protect it from those who try to tear it down.
I support you in this case, and I hope the court will too.
Sincerely,
Salihin Kondoker, San Bernardino, CA »
SOURCE | Link to the original document | Full coverage of the news in Applelizados
