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The Guardian - July 14, 2005
British Muslim leader denied U.S. entry
By ROBERT BARR
LONDON - One of Britain's most senior Muslim leaders said Thursday that he was denied entry to the United States without explanation, nearly a week after the deadly subway and bus attacks in London.
Dr. Zaki Badawi, head of the Muslim College, had been invited to speak at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, N.Y., where he planned to give a talk under the title ``The Law and Religion in Society.''
But Badawi told The Associated Press that he was detained for about six hours upon arrival Wednesday in New York and questioned. ``America is a lovely country. There is no reason why it should behave like that,'' Badawi said in a telephone interview.
On Sunday, Badawi joined other British religious leaders in condemning the July 7 bombings that killed at least 53 people in London. He appeared with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, Free Churches Moderator David Coffey and Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks.
Azim Nanji, director of the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London and a participant in the Chatauqua conference, said he was ``deeply saddened'' by the exclusion of a ``moderate voice.'' ``I felt it was very important that Americans should hear, particularly at this time, a voice from a leading British Muslim who is well respected by the British government, somebody they turn to for advice,'' Nanji said.
Badawi said authorities didn't give him a reason for denying him entry to the United States. ``The people I was speaking to were very junior people, and they are just executing things they were told,'' he said. ``They were very, very embarrassed, and I felt sorry for them.''
Badawi said he had visited the United States many times before, the last time in 2003. He also was given an honorary knighthood in Britain and in 2003 he was among the guests of Queen Elizabeth II at a state banquet for President Bush.
Dr. Eboo Papel, founder and executive director of the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core, had come to the conference to hear Badawi. He said one of the major challenges for the U.S. is to create a multi-faith society where people understand each other's religion. ``Inviting the Dr. Badawis of the world into that conversation is crucial,'' he said. ``It's clear that a large segment of the Muslim community wants to be in a positive relationship with Western societies.''
In September, Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, was ejected from the United States without explanation. Islam's flight from London was forced to make an emergency landing in Maine when U.S. authorities discovered he was aboard.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5141343,00.html
Islam Online - July 16, 2005
US apologizes to UK Imam for visa mishap
The United States administration has lifted a visa ban on an internationally renowned British Muslim scholar and apologized to him for the inconvenience, allowing him to visit the country anytime.
"I woke up Friday (July 15) to a phone call from the office of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and his aides apologized on his behalf for the US move and told me that the minister would raise the issue with top US officials," Zaki Badawi, head of the Islamic College in London, told IslamOnline.net by phone Saturday, July 16.
Badawi said few hours after the conversation, the US embassy in London called him to apologize in their turn and stressed that it was an unintentional mistake. "They also allowed me to visit the country anytime I decide," he added.
Badawi, also the chairman of the Council of Mosques and Imams, was refused entry at New York's JFK airport on July 13, when he arrived to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution on law and religion in society.
The Muslim leader said he returned to London after he was detained for six hours by the US immigration staff, who were "very embarrassed."
Prominent British Muslim preacher Yusuf Islam, previously pop star Cat Stevens, was denied entry to the US in September of last year.
Famous Swiss-Egyptian scholar Tariq Ramadan, one of the most respected philosophers of conflict and religion, was barred in August from entering the US to take a post at the renowned Notre Dame University, although he has now been told he can reapply for a visa.
Badawi said there is no excuse for the treatment he received at the hands of US authorities. "I have no links to a specific group and I am an independent man."
Badawi also ridiculed the "naïve" questioning by immigration officers. "They asked me such naïve questions like ‘what is your birthplace?’ and ‘why are you visiting the US?’ then they surprisingly told me that I was nervous in answering their questions, my answers don’t match the truth and that I was on a FBI watch list; afterwards I decided to go back to London."
Last week, Badawi joined hands with Christian and Jewish leaders in condemning the London terrorist attacks, which left at least 54 people killed, including four bombers.
Badawi, born in Egypt in 1922, first came to Britain more than half a century ago. He is a moderate Muslim voice and a promoter of dialogue among the different faiths. He writes and lectures on a wide variety of issues including the role of Islam in Britain and human rights.
The Muslim scholar, who was given an honorary knighthood, was in 2003 among the guests of Queen Elizabeth II at a state banquet for US President George W. Bush.
http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2005-07/16/article02.shtml
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