From: glevy@PRATT.EDU
Date: Sun Oct 01 2006 - 13:23:15 EDT
Listmembers will recall the case of (OPE-Ler) John Milios, who was denied entry into the US in early June despite the fact that he had been issued a visa. Tariq Ramadan is another member of the group which the US government had decided not to allow into that country. See article below from today's _Washington Post_. John: can you give us an update on your case? In solidarity, Jerry Why I'm Banned in the USA By Tariq Ramadan Washington Post, October 1, 2006; B01 For more than two years now, the U.S. government has barred me from entering the United States to pursue an academic career. The reasons have changed over time, and have evolved from defamatory to absurd, but the effect has remained the same: I've been kept out. First, I was told that I could not enter the country because I had endorsed terrorism and violated the USA Patriot Act. It took a lawsuit for the government eventually to abandon this baseless accusation. Later, I reapplied for a visa, twice, only to hear nothing for more than a year. Finally, just 10 days ago, after a federal judge forced the State Department to reconsider my application, U.S. authorities offered a new rationale for turning me away: Between 1998 and 2002, I had contributed small sums of money to a French charity supporting humanitarian work in the Palestinian territories. I am increasingly convinced that the Bush administration has barred me for a much simpler reason: It doesn't care for my political views. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/29/AR2006092901334.html>
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