Rights groups sue over denial of U.S. visa to Muslim

iht.com ^ | September 26, 2007 | Neil MacFarquhar

[Tailgunner Joe]

The U.S. government is increasingly using secret evidence allowed under new anti-terrorism laws to prevent certain critics from entering the United States, according to a group of civil rights and academic organizations.

The group, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, went to court Tuesday in Boston seeking to force the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to grant an entry visa to a Muslim academic who they said was barred from the United States because of his criticism of American foreign policy. ...

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, seeks to force the government to issue a visa for the academic, Adam Habib of South Africa, who has been a vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

Leftists traditionally bear the brunt of such exclusions, the various organizations suing said, and there has been a significant increase in such cases involving Muslims since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. ...

Under the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952, which was written in part to limit the entry of communists or their sympathizers, the United States has had a history of barring prominent intellectuals. Those denied entry visas over the years have included the writers Gabriel García Márquez and Graham Greene as well as political figures like Pierre Trudeau, long before he became prime minister of Canada.

"It sometimes does seem that what the government has done is taken the communist-era playbook and replaced every instance of the word communist with terrorist," said Jameel Jaffer, an ACLU lawyer who said those excluded rarely appeared to be national security threats. ...

Other organizations that joined the lawsuit and had sought Habib as a speaker include the American Sociological Association, the American Association of University Professors, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights.

[ridesthemiles]

Some people and groups won’t get it until a terrorist enters their living room and takes out their own family in front of their own eyes.

Jack Bauer has alot of work to do.......

[ml/nj]

Arrest all the protesters and charge them with TREASON.

ML/NJ

[I see my hands]

American citizens purpose to be American enemies. American patriots do nothing.

[kingu]

Dude, just go to El Paso, couple hundred bucks, have you across that border in no time.

[Gay State Conservative]

"It sometimes does seem that what the government has done is taken the communist-era playbook and replaced every instance of the word communist with terrorist," said Jameel Jaffer...

Well,"Jameel",maybe we should look into *your* background to see if *you* might be deport-able.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

" Those denied entry visas over the years have included the writers Gabriel García Márquez and Graham Greene as well as political figures like Pierre Trudeau, long before he became prime minister of Canada."

Too bad Canada didn't have the entry visa option. The fact that he was "banned in the U.S." helped get Trudeau elected.

[trimom]

I’m sorry. I’m having trouble grasping this. We should allow people from other countries who hate us to immigrate here? Is that actually what I am hearing here?

[stephenjohnbanker]

“I’m sorry. I’m having trouble grasping this. We should allow people from other countries who hate us to immigrate here? Is that actually what I am hearing here”

Yep!

[Brilliant]

“The U.S. government is increasingly using secret evidence allowed under new anti-terrorism laws to prevent certain critics from entering the United States, according to a group of civil rights and academic organizations.”

So what? Foreigners have no legal right to enter the US.

[EGPWS]

We should allow people from other countries who hate us to immigrate here? Is that actually what I am hearing here?

Yes.

The group, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, went to court Tuesday in Boston seeking to force the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to grant an entry visa to a Muslim academic who they said was barred from the United States because of his criticism of American foreign policy. ...

Just an organization promoting taking another step toward anarchy.

[Eagles Talon IV]

I’m on this. I’ve already tracked him back and have his ISP. Should have his real name in about an hour.

[CheyennePress]

The change that occurred in our immigration policies during the 1960s was a major mistake. A lot of the multi-culti nonsense that has been shoved upon us has originated from that shift in policy.

Homogenous populations breed tranquility and efficiency. When a people share common values, they work well together. That just makes sense.

The left has tried to indoctrinate us into believing the nonsense that “we are a nation of immigrants” translates into “we are a nation whose values are fluid and open to every imaginable viewpoint.”

One need only look at Nigeria to see a shining example of how absurd that belief is.

[goldstategop]

Islamofascists are just as hostile to freedom as the Communists were. Note to the ACLU and CAIR: there is NO constitutional right for a foreign alien to enter the United States. It is a privilege extended to those who will not harm our country, will not become a public charge while here and who pledge to obey our laws during their stay in the United States. This privilege can be revoked or denied if the above conditions cannot be met or if the foreign alien tries to enter the U.S in violation of the laws. Their lawsuit is without any merit and ought to be dismissed by the courts.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[EGPWS]

Their lawsuit is without any merit and ought to be dismissed by the courts.

Apparently the ACLU doesn't see it your way.

Your way is lawful and sensible.

[Dante3]

Yes, you hear it right. According to these traitors, we must let potential terrorists into the country.

[EGPWS]

“we are a nation of immigrants”

Every now and then the left is right as a stopped clock is twice a day.

“we are a nation whose values are fluid and open to every imaginable viewpoint.”

But then again they always make amends for arbitrarily being right once in a while.

[rbg81]

So now they’re suing for the civil rights of foreign Jihadists to come to this country and incite Jihad. Just peachy.

[SamuraiScot]

"We see it as violation of our First Amendment rights as Americans to engage in international ideas and with international figures face to face," " said Larry Siems, director of Freedom to Write at the PEN American Center, an international organization of writers.

Dude, if you want to meet a foreigner face to face who sputters hatred against your countrymen—probably getting bits of rancid food in his beard in the process—you could always, like, go there, couldn't you? But maybe you disagree, and you want to sue the government for not bringing him to your LIVING ROOM while you're at it.

There's no international application of America's First Amendment. (And there's certainly nothing like the 1-A in 99 percent of the world.) Sure everybody has a right to free speech—IF HE'S AN AMERICAN. If someone wants to visit or immigrate here, it's not unreasonable at all to impose a requirement that he not hate America. The First Amendment is to protect those of us who agree that America is a good place. Our disagreements take place in that context—that we're all men of good will who share a common loyalty.

Our self-declared enemies (such as Ama-nutjob from Iran) have no right to come here, and can go $%&*@# themselves. The legal-system parasites who want to bring such people here possibly do belong in jail under the McCarran Act—or maybe just because they're such dorks. The kindest solution might be to make them go live with their America-hating friends in safe, peaceful, human-rights paradises like Adam Habib's (snicker) South Africa.

[CRBDeuce]

“Under the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952, which was written in part to limit the entry of communists or their sympathizers, the United States has had a history of barring prominent intellectuals.”

Letme get this straight...all ‘communists are... prominent intellectuals’! Riiight! Just ask one! Communists and Islamowackos, made for each other!