Comments on: Denied Entry

By: working

working — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 02:27:24 +0000

It’s so sad. Wasn’t there a similar case with a Wharton student a couple of years ago?

By: Falak

Falak — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 12:15:56 +0000

Glad to hear that the Canadian government came to Omar’s aid despite its own spotty record on similar issues. This is completely bloody appalling, and with this exception, no one seems to be talking about it. So the question is: why NOT go to the media? As dacoit points out, this is clearly of relevance even beyond the hallowed towers of Harvard.

By: dacoit

dacoit — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 23:57:15 +0000

The latest word is that now Canada has agreed to issue Omar an Identification Certificate valid for international travel. The US consulate has confirmed that this document will be acceptable for his passage. It remains to be seen if he is actually allowed access to The Homeland.

There was a large outpouring of support from Harvard profs and grad students, and I understand that the chair of the anthropology department, in consultation with the International Office and various lawyers employed by the university have been hard at work on the case.

It is worth mentioning that Omar, with the dedicated support of one of the world’s most powerful academic institutions will likely get in, but such resources are not available to the thousands of Iraqis currently stranded in various locations with passports now deemed unacceptable.

By: hoopoe

hoopoe — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 02:40:35 +0000

Has Harvard done anything about this? Anyone know?

By: laloka

laloka — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 17:26:27 +0000

Bad news_to think they “democratised” your nation for your own well being but won¬¥t let you move around the world freely. Yet another great job by the U.S.A.

By: saud

saud — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 00:56:46 +0000

This is disgusting…actually, its beyond disgusting…I think we should all be grateful he is not in Guantanamo already. How did that quote go, the one on the Holocaust Museum in DC?:

“They came first for the communists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics because and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me and by that time there was no one left to speak up.”

I guess, I can add to that, “Then they came for the Anthropologists, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Historian of Religion.”