Tariq Ramadan, Muslim Scholar Formerly Banned From U.S., Returns To Country

NEW YORK — A Muslim scholar who was banned from entering the United States for years has made his first public U.S. appearance since the ban was lifted, saying he looks forward to when he can enter the country without answering questions from authorities on what he plans to speak about.

Tariq Ramadan spoke Thursday alongside other scholars in a panel discussion at The Cooper Union university in Manhattan. They discussed issues facing Muslim-majority countries and Muslims in Europe and the United States.

Ramadan, a 47-year-old professor at Oxford University in England, had planned to move to Indiana to take a tenured teaching job at the University of Notre Dame when his U.S. visa was revoked in 2004.

Authorities said he had donated $1,336 to a charity that gave money to a Palestinian militant group. The American Civil Liberties Union claimed in court that he was being excluded because of his views.

Ramadan, a Swiss citizen, has said he opposes terrorism and Islamic extremism and promotes peaceful solutions. He has criticized the U.S. invasion of Iraq and U.S policies in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

He and another banned scholar, Adam Habib, from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, were allowed back into the U.S. after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in January signed orders permitting their returns.

The Department of State said when the orders were signed that it wanted to enable the professors to return to encourage a global debate.

Ramadan said Thursday he'll be speaking with scholars in Chicago and Detroit before finishing his trip on Monday in Washington, where he will meet with members of Congress.

Comments

[ShellWindfellow]

02:23 AM on 04/12/2010

They let him back, just in time to see a giant robot squid destroy Uptown Whittier http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOHdxVlDUMs

[Oleg1]

09:09 PM on 04/11/2010

Most dangerous taqqiya spouting fundamentalist ideologue in the world today. The veneer of post-modernist narrative is rather thin. But the purpose is simple-- subversion of European values to benefit rather primitive fundamentalist Islamic ideology.

[liberallydemocrat]

02:24 AM on 04/20/2010

Ha! Taqqiya spouting? My sides hurt because of your ignorance. Who are you? Pamela Geller's child?

[realitytrumpsbull]

01:40 PM on 04/10/2010

Religion is a lie, and if not a complete lie, then a sick joke, and a great way to try and manipulate the public. Religious scholar? So, you've studied the Invisible Man. Great. Here's a cookie. Now, there's the employment office.

Religious charities should be compelled to publicly reveal all aspects of their financing, and if they start coming up with receipts for ammunition and the like, have their doors closed. There's no cause so noble that it can not be subverted, nor charity so pure that its' funds will not be redirected to the direct benefit of the operators.

This is the 21st century, it's grown-up time, now, some of this religion stuff just doesn't pass the public 'smell test', and with good reason. Not every person thus involved is a charlatan, or some sort of international political subversionist, or blatant financial opportunist, or homicidal maniac, but, they're out there.

[113]

12:59 PM on 04/09/2010

We're slowing moving back from the stone-age politics practiced by conservatives when they were in power. Key word, slowly.

[ChangeurMind]

08:34 AM on 04/09/2010

Scholar banned from the US. Qatari diplomat not so much.

[MikeDu]

04:14 AM on 04/09/2010

During the Bush years 'freedom' only referred to fried potatoes.

[kareemachan]

11:57 AM on 04/09/2010

You have the truth of it.