Muslims no longer welcome in the land of the free
By Masood Haider
 

NEW YORK: When in October of this year two friends of mine arrived in New York from Karachi and related their excruciating experience at the hands of US Immigration and customs authorities it became vividly clear that times have changed.

Muslim men coming from any country with any passport will be subjected to rigorous inspections whether or not they fall in the profile frame of Muslim men of 18 years to 45 years as set by the US Justice Department since September 11, 2002.

Arshad Mahmud, Pakistan's premier music composer, who has travelled extensively in the United States is 50 years old. He did not fall in the normal profiling category. Nevertheless, he was hauled in to another room by the immigration officer (INS) who said he fitted profile of men on US watch list which must be in thousands. After an hour or so when Mahmud tried to ask the INS officer how long he was to stick around and could he call his friend to inform him he was here, Mahmud was harshly told to shut up and keep sitting. After two hours of wait and innumerable computer checks he was granted six months visa.

Anwer Iqbal, a correspondent of this paper, was first told by an immigration officer to wear his press credentials passes on his person visible to all. When he complied and went into the customs area he was accosted by a customs officer who sternly asked him to stick his credentials in his pocket. When Iqbal tried to explain he was told rudely "Do it or else." Both gentlemen observed after they came out of the airport ,"It is becoming clear we are not welcome here any more."

A Pakistan-Canadian, Prof. Muzzafar Iqbal relates his 14- hour ordeal with the US immigration while going to Washington, D.C to attend a conference for two days.

His story underscores the fact that the US immigration and visa rules are too confusing and convoluted for even the INS officers to apply them judiciously. Everything is being done on ad hoc basis and the entry or deportation of people usually from Muslim countries, depends on the whims and judgment of an immigration officer.

Prof. Iqbal writes: "At 3:50: I go to the INS supervisor, an Afro-American and tell him, I have already missed my flight. I understand your need for security, but you have no right to disrupt people's lives. Can you tell me what is going on. Is there an order? Why are others being processed and I am held?"

"Sir, we are doing our best. Some cases are more complicated."

"I understand, but if I could make the 4:50 flight, I would appreciate it."

"I will see, just have a seat."

"I go back to my seat."

Ten minutes later, the supervisor passes by. I get up. "Oh, just a minute," he says, as if he has just recalled something. He goes to a room and returns.

"Someone will be with you shortly."

When I am called, I go to one of the side rooms with an officer.

"So, you are a Pakistani citizen," he says.

"No, I am a Canadian citizen, you have my passport in front of you."

"I mean you were born in Pakistan."

"Yes,"

"When were you in Pakistan last time?"

"2000."

"Where else have you been?"

"Since when?"

"During the last few months."

"Saudi Arabia, Spain, England, Kazakhstan."

"What were you doing in Saudi Arabia?"

"I went for pilgrimage."

"Kazakhstan?"

"A UNESCO conference."

"What do you do?"

"I am a writer."

"I will be back in a few minutes."

He leaves the room with my passport.

He returns after 5 minutes and asks the same questions, more or less.

I repeat my answers.

"Come with me," he says, "this is not my computer. We need to go to another office."

In the new office, he tells me that he will have to enrol me in the programme called Special Registration Procedures for Visitors and Temporary Residents.

The way he said it, sounds like a reward air miles programme that would allow fast entry to the US. He gives me a piece of paper, which is a photocopy of a brochure by the US Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service (Form M-526(09/11-02).

"I will have to ask you a few questions," he says, "but I give you this other information which I generally give out at the end." He gives me a few more sheets of paper."If I could make the 4:55 flight, that would be great."

"We will try."

"What is your postal address?" I tell him my address.

"Postal code?"

I tell him the postal code which he mistypes. I point out the mistake. He corrects it and then moves the computer screen away from my sight. I sit back and quickly glance at the brochure.

It says: "You will be fingerprinted, photographed, asked to show documents, and interviewed as to the length and purpose of your stay in the United States."

"Does this apply to me?" I ask, "this fingerprinting stuff."

"Yes," he says, still looking at his computer screen.

"I refuse to be treated as a criminal. I have lived in Canada for 22 years and your secretary of state has just assured us that we will not be discriminated on the basis of our country of birth." "I will have to call my supervisor," the INS officer said and left the room, only to return with the supervisor - the same person with whom I had talked earlier.

"Let me explain to you, Mr Iqbal," the supervisor says, picking up my passport from the desk, "what this programme is about."

Now I have a name.

I look at him. He is wearing a name tag: He is M. Samuel.

"I have already read the brochure," I say, "I refuse to be treated like a criminal. I have been invited by the Georgetown University to help them in planning a conference and I am not interested in subjecting myself to this treatment. Your secretary of state was in Ottawa recently and he made a public statement that no Canadian citizen will be discriminated on the basis of country of birth." "You know how politicians have to make such statements," Samuel says, "but we have to follow the rules."

"I understand that. But rules are only accessible to you. General public goes by what they are told through public statements."

"We have to protect our country."

"Indeed, you have the right to do so, but you cannot humiliate citizens of other countries. There is an 85 year old woman sitting on wheel chair outside this room. Do you think she is going to attack your country. she can hardly stand on her feet."

"We go by the rules, sir," he says.

"I refuse to be finger printed. Our government has also assured us that it will not tolerate such things."

"That is your choice. We will have to refuse entry or say that you withdrew your application."

"That is fine." I quickly pick up my passport because just then I gleaned from the brochure that 'If you decide that you do not want to or cannot follow the special registration procedures, you may be allowed to withdraw your application for admission into the United States, but you may still be fingerprinted, photographed, and interviewed by INS inspecting officer as part of the withdrawal process.'

Prof Iqbal sums up: "The brochure also explains that all registered persons are required to report to the INS if they are staying more than 30 days, the registered visitors can only leave the United States from certain designated points of departure and they must report their departure to INS, failing which, they can be arrested, fined or both. If they travel to different places in the US, they are required to bring documents to INS to show who and where (they) are visiting."

I realize suddenly that the registration system is much more than just initial finger printing; it is a complete code of apartheid based on race, religion and country of origin.

When a Pakistani correspondent wanted to know as to why such mistrust of Muslims is pervasive at the Immigration Department, one immigration official responded: "We trusted those 15 of the 19 Saudi hijackers who were in this country legally. Look what they did?"

Source: http://www.dawn.com/2002/12/25/int14.htm