The Mayor of London’s human rights adviser Yasmin Qureshi has expressed concern about the treatment of respected Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan by the US authorities, after Mr Ramadan resigned his professorship at an American university following the withdrawal of his visa. Swiss-born Professor Ramadan is one of the most respected philosophers of religion and conflict resolution. He was named by “Time” magazine as one of the world’s top 100 influential thinkers this year.

Mr Ramadan spoke at City Hall this year in favour of a woman’s right to choose to wear the Muslim headscarf (hijab). In July his American visa was revoked under the Patriot Act, adopted after the terrorist attacks on September 11, thus preventing him from taking up his post at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. He has so far been refused a new visa.

The failure of the US authorities to issue him with a visa has led him to announce his resignation of two professorships at the university – professor of Islamic studies in the classics department and professor of religion, conflict, and peace-building – and he has accused the American authorities of attacking academic freedom.

Yasmin Qureshi said: “The withdrawal of Tariq Ramadan’s visa is a de facto attack on academic freedom in the U.S.A and it appears to send a signal to Muslims all over the world that their respected academics and scholars are not welcome in the US. The US authorities have so far failed to provide an explanation for the withdrawal of Tariq Ramadan’s visa. If this can happen to a mainstream figure such as Professor Ramadan then Muslims everywhere will feel that it could happen to them. The Muslim population in London will have every right to feel uncertain about whether they are now welcome visitors to the USA. As we have already seen, London resident Yusuf Islam was ejected from the USA earlier this year, again with no reason given. There is a very real danger that exclusions and bans of such mainstream figures will play into the hands of extremists.”

The mayor of London announced the appointment of Yasmin Qureshi as his human rights adviser earlier this week, asking her to address the problem of Islamophobia as one her responsibilities.

GLA press release, 17 December 2004