Academic groups suing to stop U.S. from denying visas to scholars based on

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Wed, Jan. 25, 2006
Academic groups suing to stop U.S. from denying visas to scholars based on their political views
By Warren P. StrobelKnight Ridder NewspapersWASHINGTON - Three academic groups, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the Bush administration Wednesday to stop it from barring foreign scholars from the United States based on their political views.

The lawsuit seeks to overturn the government's use of the so-called "ideological exclusion" provision of the USA Patriot Act, which the Bush administration cited in revoking a visa for Tariq Ramadan, a prominent Islamic scholar, in August 2004.

Ramadan has sought to reconcile the Islamic and Western worlds and was offered a teaching position at the University of Notre Dame. His case has become a symbol for concerns over restrictions on academic freedom.

"If the instance of Ramadan is any indication, we are concerned about scholars ... who may be prevented from coming to speak with us, to meet with us," said Barbara DeConcini, executive director of the Georgia-based American Academy of Religion, which invited him to speak at its annual conference in 2004.
(snip/...)

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/13711002.htm

[MountainLaurel]

1. It's about time

The U.S. is really making an ass of itself in the eyes of academia worldwide through these tactics, and universities abroad are becoming more unsupporting of sending its people here for fellowships and such.

[rodeodance]

2. i have to addmit that I did not know this clause was in the PA

The lawsuit seeks to overturn the government's use of the so-called "ideological exclusion" provision of the USA Patriot Act, which the Bush administration cited in revoking a visa for Tariq Ramadan, a prominent Islamic scholar, in August 2004.

[rodeodance]

3. He is a Swiss citizen who has denounced terrortism

...... Ramadan's many defenders say that, although he's been highly critical of the Bush administration's foreign policy, he has condemned terrorism.

Ramadan, a Swiss citizen, was invited by British Prime Minister Tony Blair last year to join a government task force on the sources of extremism in Britain.

Critics, including analyst Daniel Pipes, say Ramadan's been much more equivocal on the issue of terrorism. Pipes called Ramadan "Islamist royalty" in an article because his grandfather, Hassan Banna, founded the Muslim Brotherhood, the Middle East's oldest Islamist group.

Ramadan reapplied for a U.S. visa but was told last month that it could take almost two years to get an answer, the suit says.

[applegrove]

4. I'm guessing the neocons should have dropped gays as "bad economic

entities" and made xtian people hate litigators.

How may suits is this?

I'm sure there will be more.

[cantstandbush]

5. Mosst of America (and probably the Congress) is ignorant of these

provisions of the Patriot Act. Where TF is the media on this?

[HuffleClaw]

6. "ideological exclusion"

official censorship based on political views? and they have the gall to criticize other countries?