Posted on 11/11/2001 8:20:02 AM PST by Kenyon
http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=10443
300 abandon studies in US
By a Staff Writer
JEDDAH, 11 November — About 300 Saudi students have cut short their university studies in the United States and returned home, an official at the Saudi Embassy in Washington said in remarks published yesterday.
Some 5,500 Saudi students — 3,500 of them on government scholarships — had been studying at US universities before the Sept. 11 terror attacks, deputy head of the Saudi embassy’s information center, Mahmoud Qattan, told Al-Watan daily.
Most faced visa and immigration problems, Qattan said, playing down the effect of harassment and maltreatment of Saudis since the Sept. 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington.
Hundreds of Saudis have returned from the United States and complained of widespread abuse, harassment and maltreatment mainly by government agencies.
An undisclosed number of Saudi nationals have been taken for questioning over the attacks in New York and Washington, and several of them remain in police custody.
Recent reports indicate that scores of Saudi students in the US have moved to the American University of Beirut and other Lebanese institutions after Sept. 11.
Several of the 19 presumed hijackers in the unprecedented jetliner bombings, which killed almost 5,000 people, allegedly carried Egyptian or Saudi passports.
Student visas are one of the ways a foreigner can remain in the country longer than with a tourist visa, without having to go through any background checks. There was a story posted a couple of weeks ago about some Arab students who were kicked out of one college for cheating or doing no work, but later admitted to various other colleges that presumably needed their tuition money. It seems they didn't bother to attend any classes, but were merely concerned to renew their student visas.
Since this is likely a government sponsored or sanctioned news source - it is interesting that the focus is on the "widespread" abuse of Saudi students by the US government. And the back-handed mention that "several" of the hijackers were "alleged" to be "carrying" Saudi passports - as if they just happened upon a Saudi passport one day and decided to start "carrying" it around. I "carry" a US passport - that makes me an American, not someone who "carries" a US passport.
Imagine how Americans would be treated in Saudi Arabia (even when we were fighting their war in Kuwait we were treated like infidel serfs) if 15 Americans financed by an American, along with a few Brits or Canadians, ran a plane or two into the mosque at Medina.
Unless it's ALL of them - it's not enough for me!
WHo's Government scholarships? I hope it's not OUR Govt!
It's absolutely TIME to CLEAN HOUSE , get rid of them - I truely believe they can't be trusted and judging from what I read about the behaivor on OUR college campuses PRO terrorist - they need to go back to their caves, gold palaces wherever!
Exactly. I'm glad to see them go but I wonder how many were genuine students. Are they leaving because they don't want to be here when the other shoe drops or what?
A visa to visit Saudi takes several months and many are turned down.
. . . .
10. Mahram [Male Relative]. All ladies are required to travel for Hajj with a Mahram. Proof of the relationship of the Mahram must be submitted. The accompanying Mahram will not be allowed to leave the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on his own unless she is accompanied by him.
As an exception to paragraph (10) above, a lady over the age of forty five (45) can travel without a Mahram with an organized group. She must, however, submit a no objection letter from her husband, son or brother, authorizing her to travel for Hajj with the named group. Such letter should be notarized by a notary public.
As far as these students go, all of these people are liars, I cannot imagine any government agency being snippy to them. Three hundred is a drop in the bucket, all of them should pack it up and go home. They all walk in here like they own the place, buy homes, enjoy our freedoms, and are the biggest racists that ever hit the planet.
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