South African Muslims Denied Entry in US

The Arab News ^ | January 12, 2004 | Agence France Presse

[quidnunc]

Johannesburg – Two South African Muslims heading for an Islamic convention in Atlanta, Georgia were refused entry to the United States despite having visas and were then detained and deported in conditions they described as humiliating, the Johannesburg-based Sunday Times reported.

It said that after a 17-hour flight from Johannesburg to attend a convention hosted by the Atlanta Islamic Institute, businessman Moosa Suleman and scholar Moulana Ahmed Suleman Khatani were detained by immigration officials, fingerprinted and photographed.

“Their passports, credit cards, invitations to the conference and other documentation were photocopied,” the newspaper said yesterday.

Suleman, who is 66 and has a full white beard, told the Sunday Times he was sent back home after enduring “five hours of hell, uncertainty and embarrassment.”

Khatani, 33, was detained and spent more than 34 hours in a police cell with four criminals before being deported, the newspaper said.

-snip-

[quidnunc]

Poor fellows!

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[Paleo Conservative]

I'm surprised it wasn't an 80-year-old grandmother who was detained.

[Little Ray]

This is just a little of what LEGAL immigrants have to go through, and President Bush is proposin' to let illegals jump the line!

[FormerACLUmember]

The world's smallest violin plays softly! Boo freekin hoo.

[Thane_Banquo]

Good. When in doubt, deport.

[Guillermo]

Yeah I'm sure we're getting the whole story from "Arab News."

[quidnunc]

Paleo Conservative wrote: I'm surprised it wasn't an 80-year-old grandmother who was detained.

Right, I mean obviously no TROP™ true believer could ever have skulduggery in mind, hey wot, wot?

[JOHANNES801]

Well they are muslims.

[hellinahandcart]

I'm surprised it wasn't an 80-year-old grandmother

With a full white beard.

What's the significance of Suleman's beard, can anyone tell me that? Sheesh.

[alexandria]

It said that after a 17-hour flight from Johannesburg to attend a convention hosted by the Atlanta Islamic Institute

Hum. When I first read this sentence I thought, "that is an awfully long flight just to attend a convention" and wondered with all the flack that was raised about this convention why in the heck they didn't have it in another country anyways.

Right on the heels of that thought came a flash. If these guys will travel 17 hours to attend an Islamic convention here I wonder how many from here would leave to attend one elsewhere...

[Nanodik]

This is just a little of what LEGAL immigrants have to go through, and President Bush is proposin' to let illegals jump the line!

Good point! Next time these guys will have enough sense to fly into Mexico City.

[quidnunc]

hellinahandcart wrote: With a full white beard. What's the significance of Suleman's beard, can anyone tell me that? Sheesh.

In TROP™ a beard is supposedly a symbol of piety.

Some Muslim commentators tried to make a big deal out of our medic's touching Saddam's beard during the medical exam.

[Tijeras_Slim]

In TROP™ a beard is supposedly a symbol of piety.

I guess there are really no atheists in spider holes. :)

[EggsAckley]

At the risk of seeming ignorant, what is "TROP™"?

[quidnunc]

EggsAckley wrote: At the risk of seeming ignorant, what is "TROP™"?

The Religion of Peace™.

[OldPossum]

What's the significance of Suleman's beard, can anyone tell me that? Sheesh.

The writer is obviously emulating the writers at "The Washington Post," where it seems that they are paid by the word.

[EggsAckley]

Ah....thank you. I've been seeing that lately but didn't know what it was. Silly me!

[rovenstinez]

This happens all of the time at Laredo, Texas. Mexicans can for any reason the interviewer decides, can refuse entrance into the country. Nothing new.

[Paleo Conservative]

With a full white beard.

No silly. It just seems that the federalized airport security and the INS usually seem more interested in humiliating 80 year old grandmothers with strip searches than stopping people known to be highly likely to perform terrorist acts. I'm surprised they actually stopped a Muslim male.