Zaki Badawi barred from US

Beast —

This is getting ridiculous. First Yusuf Islam, then Tariq Ramadan, and now Dr Zaki Badawi!!

I've read of Dr Badawi described as 'if there was a Grand Mufti of Great Britain, Zaki Badawi would be it' (but that was in the Guardian). Regardless, Zaki Badawi is a highly respected scholar. Dr Badawi used to be Chief Imam at Regents Park mosque.

The US is seriously taking the mick.

UK Muslim leader barred from US

British Muslim leader Sheikh Dr Zaki Badawi has said he has been refused entry to the US without explanation.

The head of the Muslim College said he flew from London to New York to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York but was turned back.

Dr Badawi said he was detained for six hours on Wednesday and that immigration staff were "very embarrassed".

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it had information indicating Dr Badawi was "inadmissible".

Spokeswoman Janet Rapaport said that when problems arose at JFK airport, Dr Badawi voluntarily withdrew his application to enter the country and returned home.

"We cannot disclose the information which led to the application being inadmissible because of privacy rules," she added.

Religion lecture

Dr Badawi, who is also a leader of the Council of Mosques and Imams, had been due to give a talk entitled The Law and Religion in Society.

Mike Sullivan, of the Chautauqua Institution, said all he knew was that Dr Badawi was back in London.

"We have no explanation as to why this happened," he said.

Dr Badawi appeared with fellow British faith leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, on Sunday to deliver a joint statement condemning last week's "evil terrorist" attacks on London.

He most recently visited the US in 2003 - in the same year he was a guest of the Queen at a state banquet for US President George Bush.

BBC

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You — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 - 20:38

Islamic BrotherI wonder whos next??

I am sure they also banned someone else on the next flight.

So its who WAS next. :twisted:

Beast — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 - 18:34

Muslim scholar barred from US receives apology

Press Association
Monday July 18, 2005

A British Muslim leader who was denied entry to the US has been given an unreserved apology and assurances of a visa by the US Embassy in London.

Zaki Badawi, head of the Muslim College and the Council of Mosques and Imams, said he had been invited to return to the US straight away. But officials could not explain why he was turned away from the country last week.

"No one seemed to understand," he said. "But I fully accepted the apology. This was an error on behalf of junior customs officials, nothing else."

Dr Badawi had been invited to give a talk at the Chautauqua Institution in New York about the law and Islam. He intends to return to the institute in October and has told the president, Thomas Becker, he is eager to continue his work in the US.

"I have been invited again and will definitely go as soon as my schedule allows," he added. "The US embassy encouraged me to return, they promised me a visa and guaranteed there would be no problems."

Dr Badawi, who was given an honorary knighthood by the Queen, was detained at JFK Airport for six hours last Wednesday with no explanation.

He was eventually told he was deemed "inadmissible" and returned home. He has acknowledged that the decision was likely a knee-jerk reaction to the London bombings and that customs officials were being overly cautious.

Dr Badawi said he did not blame them and was aware that it was a junior mistake and not a reflection of US policy. But he warned that moderate Muslim leaders needed to be embraced and heard.

"If they continue to be excluded they will be beaten and defeated by the extremists," he said.

Guardian