UK Muslim leader barred from US

British Muslim leader Sheikh Dr Zaki Badawi has said he has been refused entry to the US without explanation. The head of the Muslim College said he flew from London to New York to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York but was turned back.

Dr Badawi said he was detained for six hours on Wednesday and that immigration staff were "very embarrassed".

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it had information indicating Dr Badawi was "inadmissible".

Spokeswoman Janet Rapaport said that when problems arose at JFK airport, Dr Badawi voluntarily withdrew his application to enter the country and returned home.

"We cannot disclose the information which led to the application being inadmissible because of privacy rules," she added.

Dr Badawi, who is also a leader of the Council of Mosques and Imams, had been due to give a talk entitled The Law and Religion in Society.

Mike Sullivan, of the Chautauqua Institution, said all he knew was that Dr Badawi was back in London.

Dr Badawi appeared with fellow British faith leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, on Sunday to deliver a joint statement condemning last week's "evil terrorist" attacks on London.

He most recently visited the US in 2003 - in the same year he was a guest of the Queen at a state banquet for US President George Bush.

Badawi was scheduled to give a talk at the Chautauqua Institution of New York but upon landing is JFK he was refused admission for undtated reasons by US Immigration Officials and by Customs Officials. He was declared inadmissable.

The talk,"The Law and Religion in Society" was scheduled to have been delivered during at 10:45 on Thursday the 14th of July as part of Abrahamic Week. His billing said the talk would be by," Zaki Badawi, Egyptian- born Islamic scholar; principal, Muslim College in London; formerly director, Islamic Cultural Centre and chief imam, London Central Mosque."

The Chautauqua Institute bills itself as: "An Ecumenical Experience"

Quote: Chautauqua's Department of Religion provides a wide variety of services of worship and programs that express the Institution's Christian heritage and its Interfaith Commitment. It provides lectures and educational programs that probe contemporary religious and theological ideas, in the confidence that people seeking truth and understanding will benefit from such exploration. Unquote

The Department of Religion strives to create a climate in which people who cherish various points of view and beliefs can exchange ideas, discuss their differences, and ponder the significance of their diverse experiences and insights." [ http://religion.ciweb.org/]

The question is how can such an approach possibly end in anything but a disempowerment for Western Humanistic Society. According to the Koran, The Muslims are instructed not to befriend Jews or Christians according to the Surah 5:54 which states, " O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and Christians for your friends."

Turned away was Bardawi, for good reason? Or is the Bush administration changing its soft approach to Liberal apologists for terrorist "freedom fighters" and their now poorly concealed anti-humanism and violence?

He probably should be arrested by MI5, but the protocol spiffies in Britain are likely liberal apologists, and if the article is to be belived , last year he was a guest at a state dinner with the Queen and President Bush. Thats big noogies and I am glad , ohh so glad he is now having tough noogies!!!!! It means that the Bush administration now doesn't give a F&#K about liberal apologists, or somebody in the Home Security no longer does ! Happy, Happy Day !

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