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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| articles about AMJ group getting deported |
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| mwishka |
| 06/21/02 at 10:11:00 |
oh, i guess i could just delete them all and start over... ::) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i've been collecting and receiving a number of articles, including individual "local" interviews, from the trip and articles about what AMJ is doing now about what happened to us. instead of burying them in my "own" thread about the trip (in bebzi), i'm going to put them all here. mwishka |
| 06/25/02 at 12:47:13 |
| mwishka |
| Re: articles about AMJ group getting deported |
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| mwishka |
| 06/21/02 at 10:15:11 |
| are the israelis stupid?? we all know they aren't, but what kind of statement is this??! In a statement, Ido Aharoni, a spokesman for the Israeli Consulate in Manhattan, said, "According to the head immigration official at Ben Gurion Airport, members of the group informed immigration officials that they planned to agitate and incite people.” now they've gotten themselves into trouble! no one who in any capacity planned to "agitate or incite" anything would say that was their intention, especially not a muslim group in an israeli airport under armed guard!!! THIS statement makes them appear absurd and ridiculous in kicking us out. (i didn't realize arshad was from long island, i thought he said manhattan. but i think maybe that's where someone ELSE said he was from...) mwishka *********************************** arshad's story, long island. June 20th. =================================== http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-livisa0620.story Israel Ousts U.S. Muslim Peace Group By Martin C. Evans Staff Writer June 20, 2002 A prominent member of Long Island's Muslim community was among about two dozen peace activists expelled from Israel Monday by security forces who said members of the group admitted to plans to "agitate and incite people.” Members of the group, organized by the Washington D.C.-based organization American Muslims for Jerusalem, said they had planned to meet with Jewish and Palestinian peace activists to explore ways of calming the violence that has engulfed the region. Arshad Majid, a board member of the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury, said the group had no plans to be disruptive, and was expelled because all but three members are Muslims. "The goal was to meet with Israeli and Palestinian peace activists and to help their efforts by having a dialogue, getting to know what they are doing and bringing their message back to the U.S.,” said Majid, a former Suffolk County prosecutor now with a Westbury law firm. Majid and others, who voiced their complaints to State Department officials and congressional staff members yesterday in Washington, said they were harassed and intimidated for about eight hours and denied water, before being put on an airplane and returned to the United States. Majid said security officials confiscated personal items from members of the group, including more than $50,000 worth of video equipment he planned to use to make a documentary of the trip. The 25-member group included James Jones, an associate professor of religion at Manhattanville College in Purchase, and leaders from Muslim communities around the United States. American Muslims for Jerusalem seeks to voice the concerns of American Muslims with respect to the future of Jerusalem. Khalid Turaani, director of American Muslims for Jerusalem, said the travelers described their travel plans to U.S. State Department officials before flying to Israel late Saturday night. "Being fully American and fully Muslims, we can play the bridge between the East and the West,” Turaani said. "Meeting with Palestinians, through us, they can see the other face of America, an America that is tolerant,” Turaani said. "Palestinians now only see America through the face of Apache helicopters and F-16s, breathing terror upon them. We also wanted to reach out to Jews in the holy land, to tell them that all Muslims don't hate you.” Group members said they had planned to coordinate their activities with a similar group of 15 Americans -- all Christian -- that had been allowed to enter Israel without incident Saturday. The group's ouster came a day before the first of two suicide bombings that together claimed the lives of 25 Israelis in Jerusalem, and two days before a group of 50 prominent Palestinians placed a newspaper ad calling for an end to suicide bombings. In a statement, Ido Aharoni, a spokesman for the Israeli Consulate in Manhattan, said, "According to the head immigration official at Ben Gurion Airport, members of the group informed immigration officials that they planned to agitate and incite people.” "On the basis of that, they were denied entry into the country,” according to the statement, which was read by a consular staff member. But members of the group said they had no plans to stir trouble. "The only conclusion I can draw was I was part of a Muslim group and they didn't want us there,” said the Rev. Olin Knudsen, a Lutheran pastor from Dallas. Knudsen, one of three non-Muslims who traveled with the group, said female security officials threatened to subject him to a body cavity search. "I'm white, I'm 56 years old. I've never experienced discrimination before,” Knudsen said. "Now I have a feel for what discrimination is like.” Copyright © 2002, Newsday, Inc. |
| 06/21/02 at 10:32:47 |
| mwishka |
| Re: articles about AMJ group getting deported |
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| mwishka |
| 06/21/02 at 10:19:40 |
AMJ general statement, D.C. June 18th ========================================================================================= American Muslims for Jerusalem DENIED ENTRY: AMJ delegation refused entry by Israel June 18, 2002 Participants in AMJ’s delegation to Palestine spent the day in Washington, DC today meeting with their representatives in Congress and an official of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and fielding questions from local and national media outlets. They were supposed to have spent the day praying in Hebron’s Ibrahimi mosque and visiting the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Instead, each of the 20-person delegation returned to Washington, DC yesterday with a red stamp reading “denied entry” in their American passports. The mostly-Muslim group arrived at Ben Gurion airport on Sunday afternoon to begin a 10-day study tour called “Peace through Understanding.” The group of 17 Muslims and 3 Christians planned to visit and pray in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque and Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In addition to visiting their holy sites, meetings were planned with both Palestinian and Israeli peace activists and humanitarian groups. Several hours after arriving at Ben Gurion, the group was told that it was being denied entry. No one in the group, other than the AMJ representative, was questioned or searched before the decision was made. The group was only told that its itinerary raised “security concerns.” The 20 delegates were detained at the airport under armed guard, denied water for more than eight hours and then sent back on the next plane to the US. Israeli security officials confiscated many of the delegates’ personal belongings, including nearly $50,000 in film equipment that one delegate was planning to use for a documentary on Jerusalem and the Middle East conflict. It is clear that Israel’s concern was not with the group’s itinerary. A non-Muslim delegation flew in on Saturday, with an identical itinerary and was allowed to enter. This delegation was denied entry because it was primarily a Muslim group. Israel’s record of denying Palestinians ? Muslims and Christians ? access to their holy sites is well-known and thoroughly documented. It seems that Israel is now intent on extending its religious freedom violations to Muslims and Christians across the Atlantic. This is a disturbing development that could have a chilling effect on American Muslim plans to visit their holy sites in Jerusalem. AMJ delegates raised these and other concerns with members of Congress and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom today. A meeting is scheduled with representatives of the Department of State tomorrow morning. AMJ is committed to organizing delegations of this type in the future and urges all American Muslims not to be deterred by this unfortunate development. The holy city of Jerusalem belongs to all of humanity. Israeli attempts to bar non-Jews from visiting the city should not be met with complacency or acquiescence. (c) 2001 American Muslims for Jerusalem 208 G Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 tel: (202) 548-4200 - fax: (202) 548-4201 email: amj@amjerusalem.org - web: www.amjerusalem.org |
| 06/21/02 at 10:34:51 |
| mwishka |
| Re: articles about AMJ group getting deported |
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| mwishka |
| 06/21/02 at 10:24:43 |
| omar's story, austin. June 18th ========================================================== http://www.coxnews.com/newsservice/stories/2002/0618-MUSLIMS-COX.html American Muslim travelers refused entry into Israel By Eileen Flynn /Cox News Service 6-18-02 AUSTIN, Texas - An Austin man and 19 others who flew to Israel to learn about the peace process were turned away by Israeli officials as a security risk. Omar Naseef said the group was the victim of religious discrimination. "We believe we were denied entry because we were a predominantly Muslim group," said Naseef, a software developer who is active with the Austin chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations. The group was turned away Sunday and arrived back in the United States on Monday morning. Israel has repeatedly deported foreign peace activists who entered areas of the West Bank that have been declared closed military zones and off-limits to the news media or nonresidents. Two weeks ago eight foreigners, among them a Jordanian journalist and two U.S. citizens, were expelled after troops caught them in the Balata refugee camp during a visit of solidarity with the Palestinians. Naseef said his delegation, made up of American citizens from across the country, left Newark, N.J., on Saturday. When the travelers arrived at Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, they were stopped by Interior Ministry staff members and denied entry on the grounds that their itinerary posed "serious security concerns," Naseef said. The group had arranged the trip through American Muslims for Jerusalem, a Washington-based organization that promotes Islamic concerns. The theme of the trip, Naseef said, was "peace through understanding." On the itinerary were visits to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Gaza and Ramallah and meetings with Muslim, Jewish and Christian peace advocates. A Lutheran minister and a few other Christians were in the group, but most are Muslim, Naseef said. That's why the travelers were refused, contends Margaret Zaknoen, program director for American Muslims for JerusalemThe officials allowed in a non-Muslim delegation with a similar itinerary, she said. "Wa're convinced that they didn't like the looks of us," she said. Before being deported, the group was held by armed guards for several hours as officials disassembled cameras and searched luggage, Naseef said. "It was a humiliating experience to go through," he said. "For a lot of people, it was their first time to see the holy sites. To be denied for many of them was heartbreaking." Zaknoen said she will complain to the U.S. State Department and members of Congress. She will also appeal to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom because the group was denied access to holy sites. Eileen Flynn writes for the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman. also at: http://www.austin360.com/auto_docs/epaper/editions/tuesday/metro_state_5.html |
| 06/21/02 at 10:51:50 |
| mwishka |
| Re: articles about AMJ group getting deported |
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| mwishka |
| 06/21/02 at 10:30:22 |
| June 16th, general statement ===================================================================== Israel turns away American Muslim group at airport JERUSALEM, June 16 — Israel turned away a group of American Muslims when they arrived at Tel Aviv airport on Sunday for what they called a visit to promote peace, a representative of the group said. Margaret Zaknoen of the Washington-based ''American Muslims for Jerusalem'' said the group of 17 American Muslims, accompanied by a Lutheran minister, his wife, and another woman of no affiliations were asked for the itinerary of their 10-day trip at Ben-Gurion Airport. They were informed almost three hours later that the Interior Ministry had denied them entry, she told Reuters by telephone from the airport. The ministry could not immediately be reached for comment, but U.S. embassy spokesman Paul Patin confirmed that Israel had banned the group. ''We are not going to be able to reverse the decision, but we will file a note tomorrow, requesting clarification,'' he told Reuters. Since a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation erupted in September 2000 after peace talks stalled, Israel has deported at least one journalist for ''incitement'' as well as foreign activists it has considered subversive. Zaknoen described American Muslims for Jerusalem as an advocacy group devoted to bridge-building between Palestinians and Israelis. She said the trip was part of its non-profit work to ''promote policies for peace.'' The whole group, which included Americans of Arab, Pakistani and Afghan descent, was told to return home on a flight on Sunday and were due to leave later in the day. Zaknoen said they had planned to visit communities in Israel and the Palestinian Authority-ruled areas, but had not planned any contacts with Palestinian officials. Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. |
| Re: articles about AMJ group getting deported |
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| mwishka |
| 06/25/02 at 12:45:58 |
| June 25th, letter correcting mistake in article =================================== this was written by brother jimmy jones, my seat mate on our trip over. he's a great person, very dignified, and pretty wise and calm in general, i'd say. (he's the one who encouraged me to go to that new haven conference......) mwishka ----------------------------------------- Subject: Quotes attributed to me Letter to Washington Times Editor Dear Editor; I just reviewed an article covering my aborted trip to Israel/Palestine (“Israel blocks visit by Muslim group” By Sean Salai- 6/18/02). (http://www.washtimes.com/world/20020618-73465943.htm) While I am thankful for your coverage of this harsh treatment of US citizens, I feel that I should correct a statement attributed to me. I am quoted as saying "The moment they realized our delegation was mostly Muslim, and included Palestinian descendants, we were surrounded by men with Uzis." This is a serious misrepresentation of the facts. First of all, our detention did not happen so dramatically (The only time I felt "surrounded" was when were escorted in order to board the plane to leave!). After sitting in a hallway through various interrogations of individual members, our movement was progressively restricted until we were finally taken to a guarded room. Second, I do not know when they realized we were predominantly Muslim - thus, I certainly would not characterize a particular movement by the Israelis on this basis. Finally, during no time during our 8-hour stay at Ben-Gurion airport did I see any "Uzis". Although other members of the delegation reported seeing smaller arms, I do not recall anyone, including myself, reporting the use of any firearm in a menacing way as implied by the quote attributed to me. One of the reasons I am taking the time to correct the record on this issue is that conflicts are often worsened by such misinformation. The detention, sarcasm, yelling, threats of incarceration, confiscation of property and lying by Israeli officials was harsh enough without such embellishments. Such actions should concern all American taxpayers as we give massive financial and moral support to this government. In my view, the state of Israel missed a great opportunity to build bridges between itself and a group of peace-seeking Americans who were educated professionals. Yours, James E. Jones James E. Jones Associate Professor World Religions/ African Studies Manhattanville College Purchase NY =================================== |
| Re: articles about AMJ group getting deported |
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| mwishka |
| 07/02/02 at 22:43:36 |
| we received this um...yesterday from AMJ. so the meeting referred to is today, the 2nd. mwishka ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Assalamu Alaikum everyone, FYI -- it looks like we started a trend! There is another delegation of Americans at Ben Gurion airport right now waiting to be deported. I think there are 20 of them as well. It was an interfaith peace-builders program sponsored jointly by Fellowship on Reconciliation and the Muslim Public Affairs Council. They're planning to do what we did in terms of bringing some members of the delegation back to DC for a press conference and a round of meetings. For those of you with media contacts, once we have an exact time and place for the press conference, it would be great if you could contact them and let them know. They may want to send someone from their Washington bureaus to cover it since it builds on a story they have already covered. Also, we followed up with the State Department and found out that the US Consul General in Tel Aviv, Ed McKeon, is meeting with Israeli Ministry of Interior officials tomorrow to discuss our case. We'll let you know as soon as have the scoop on that meeting. hope you're all doing well. salamat, Margaret |
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