 330 East Roosevelt Road, Suite G5, Lombard, IL 60148 - Ph.: 630.629.7490 ? Fax: 630.629.7492 PRESS RELEASE CHICAGO MUSLIMS DISMAYED OVER BARRING OF MUSLIM INTELLECTUAL FROM THE US The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, a federation of Islamic institutions serving over 400,000 Chicago-area Muslim Americans, expresses deep concern at the last-minute revocation of Dr. Tarik Ramadan's travel visa by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just days before he was scheduled to begin teaching at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Ramadan was scheduled to teach Islamic philosophy and ethics classes starting Tuesday through the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. After previously granting a visa after a lengthy clearance procedure, the DHS suddenly revoked the visa for no apparent reason, citing the USA Patriot Act.
In a statement released to the Chicago Tribune, the University of Notre Dame said, "Professor Ramadan is a distinguished scholar and a voice for moderation in the Muslim world. We know of no reason his entry should be prevented."
Expressing serious concern on behalf of the Muslim community, Council Chairman, Kareem Irfan, stated: "By barring a highly accomplished scholar and globally regarded Muslim intellectual like Dr. Ramadan, this inexplicable action unfairly tarnishes this respected academic's reputation and teaching career and also demeans the commendable, far-sighted decision of Notre Dame to appoint him to an important teaching position. More over, the resultant silencing of Dr. Ramadan's visionary and moderate Muslim perspectives will seriously detract from essential enlightenment urgently needed in our nation about Islam and its application in modern times."
The Council urges the DHS to reconsider this decision and quickly permit Dr. Ramadan to enter the United States and begin his teaching role at Notre Dame. This action goes against the spirit of tolerance, academic independence and the free exchange of ideas upon which this nation is based. At a time when we need more voices of tolerance and moderation, the barring of Dr. Ramadan can only be seen as counterproductive to our national goals. ********************************************************* |