Muslim Scholar Denied U.S. Entry for Donations

Oxford University professor and Swiss citizen Tariq Ramadan has been turned down for a temporary business and tourism visa, and U.S. officials say the decision is tied to Mr. Ramadan’s donations to groups suspected of supporting terrorism, reports The Associated Press.

Mr. Ramadan wished to enter the United States to give lectures and attend conferences, but State Department officials say his visa application was rejected because of his gifts to Palestinian causes.

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the groups that invited Mr. Ramadan to speak, saying that the professor donated $765 to French and Swiss organizations that provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians. The ACLU argues that Mr. Ramadan’s entry was denied, not because of his donations, but because he has been openly critical of the war in Iraq and American policies regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

ACLU lawyer Jameel Jaffer said, “This case is really about speech. The government is using the immigration laws as a means of silencing and stigmatizing a prominent cleric.”