Obama, Clinton Clear Two Banned Muslim Scholars For U.S. Entry

[babylonsister]

Two Banned Muslim Scholars Cleared For U.S. Entry

by The Associated Press
January 20, 2010


The State Department has cleared the way for the return to the United States of two prominent Muslim scholars once accused of having ties to terrorism, a spokesman said Wednesday.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has signed orders enabling the re-entry of professors Tariq Ramadan of Oxford University in England and Adam Habib of the University of Johannesburg in South Africa once they obtain required admittance documents, department spokesman Darby Holladay said.

Both the president and the secretary of state have made it clear that the U.S. government is pursuing a new relationship with Muslim communities based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

- State Department Spokesperson Darby Holladay

Clinton "has chosen to exercise her exemption authority for the benefit of Tariq Ramadan and Adam Habib," Holladay said. "We'll let that action speak for itself."

In a prepared statement, Holladay noted the change in U.S. posture since both professors, who are frequently invited to the United States to lecture, were denied admittance after making statements counter to U.S. foreign policy.

"Both the president and the secretary of state have made it clear that the U.S. government is pursuing a new relationship with Muslim communities based on mutual interest and mutual respect," Holladay said.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued in recent years to challenge the exclusion of the professors. It said the State Department's action means the scholars will now get visas within weeks of requesting them.

The orders are "long overdue and tremendously important," said Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU National Security Project.

more...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122772814&ft=1&f=1001

[Clio the Leo]

1. ahhhh muslins!!!!!

everyone run around and panic. :)

[sybylla]

2. Teabagger heads are exploding all over the country

I can't imagine what the anti-muslim crazies in my neighborhood will have to say about this.