By Rachel Ehrenfeld and Alyssa A. Lappen
Washington Times | Oct. 11, 2006

Tariq Ramadan’s latest attempt to legally obtain a visa to the United States was denied on Sept. 24. This was not the first time that Mr. Ramadan — an Egyptian-born, Swiss citizen and the grandson of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hasan al-Banna — was barred from the United States On July 28, 2004, the Department of Homeland Security revoked Mr. Ramadan’s visa under the Immigration and Nationality Act. In that instance, while no specifics were given, Mr. Ramadan’s activities — lectures and writings in support of the Islamist agenda — were presumed the obvious cause.

According to State Department spokeswoman Janelle Hironimus, Mr. Ramadan’s latest application for a visa was denied “based solely on his actions, which constituted providing material support to a terrorist organization.” However, Mr. Ramadan, an Oxford University fellow, claims that his contributions of $940 between 1998-2002 to the French-based Hamas front “Committee for Palestinian Charity and Aid” were legal, because the United States listed it as “Specially Designated Global Terrorists” only in 2003. Nevertheless, the Palestinian charity (and its 17 aliases) at the same Lille, Lyon and Paris addresses, had already been publicly identified and designated by Israel as a Hamas front organization in May 1997.

Indeed, Mr. Ramadan reiterated his commitment to Hamas saying: “If the price to pay for this commitment is to never to tread upon American soil, I am ready to pay that without the slightest hesitation.” Continue reading “Why Tariq Ramadan lost” →

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