Muslim student to undergo extra security checks because his name was Muhammad

​

​

Muslim student pays extra fees for U.S. visa checks​

​

4/24/2006 6:00:00 PM GMT
​

​

U.S. embassy officials forced a Muslim student to undergo extra security checks because his name was Muhammad, BBC reported.

Muhammad Umar Haleem Khan, who studies at the Manchester Metropolitan University in Britain, wanted to get a U.S. visa to work for the Camp America project in Philadelphia.
The 22-year-old student says he had to an extra $80 (£45) to have his fingerprints checked against a U.S. terror suspect database.
Mr Khan, who is still waiting to hear if he will get his visa, said an embassy employee “asked me all the usual questions like what was my purpose for visiting and what was the nature of my job and then she said there was a problem with my name,
“My paperwork was fine, but she said there were a lot of bad people in the world with that name, meaning terrorists, "Then she told me I would have to have some additional security checks, which meant all my fingers were fingerprinted and she told me these would be compared to a database in Washington. I had to pay an extra 80 dollars.
"I was totally speechless. I didn't know what to say to her.
"Now I am worried I may not get a visa and travel to the States because of my name.
"I feel completely discriminated against. I'm sure that if some white candidate came along there would have been no problem."
An embassy spokesman said he couldn’t say how visa applications are assessed.
"We do have expedited procedures for exchange visitors and students that should allow us to process the visa before the travel date," he said.
"In general, there are any number of reasons why one visa application may be different than another or take longer to process,
"The important point I must make is that if someone needs a visa, they should apply well in advance of the travel date."
Khan says that he had never visited Afghanistan or any other trouble hotspots and could think of no reason why his name would cause a problem.
“This is a worrying incident and seems to fit a recent pattern whereby the U.S. appears to be treating all Muslims as potential terrorists just because of their religion,” said a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, Inayat Bunglawala.
"Although Muslim parents name their children from a wide variety of names - just like other parents - many of them, especially those from the Indian subcontinent, will often give their male children the name of Muhammad as a kind of respectful prefix in honor of the Prophet, even though the actual name by which these children are known will be something else,
“U.S. Embassy officials ought really to have had the training to cope with basic elements of Muslim culture which would help prevent these kinds of unfortunate situations."​

Source
​

Peace and love
​

Yours Sincerely,
​

Cat Stevens
​

Cat Stevens' latest threads
​

My sig
​

Note: Silly, repeated, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style losers' fate , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim!
​

 

Retarded.

 

US Muslims Urge Security Policy Review
​

​

Caption: Qazwini hopes talks between US officials and American Muslim leaders would go beyond "photo opportunities."
​

DEARBORN, April 25, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - A leading American Muslim scholar urged the Bush administration to review its security policies which are unfairly targeting Muslim Americans, as a British Muslim student had to pay extra for security checks when applying for a US visa because his name was Mohammed.
​

"I really hope that the American government and the current administration -- that occasionally took a hard line in dealing with the dignity of the Muslim community -- would review its policies and would have a more friendly approach to the Muslim community," Imam Hassan al-Qazwini told Reuters in an interview.
​

The Shiite scholar of the Islamic Center of America, located in Dearborn, said the policies that result in unfair treatment include domestic wiretapping, civil rights, immigration and the Patriot Act.
​

The bill, which was rushed through Congress after the 9/11 attacks, is harshly criticized by rights groups and minorities in the US as threatening civil liberties.
​

A May 2004 report released by the US Senate Office Of Research concluded that the Arab Americans and the Muslim community have taken the brunt of the Patriot Act and other federal powers applied in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
​

Though is no scientific count of Muslims in the US, the six to seven million is the most commonly cited figure.
​

The Detroit area, which includes Dearborn, is home to one of America's largest Muslim communities.
​

​

Photo Opportunities
​

​

Qazwini, an Iraqi-born US citizen who holds regular talks with officials, praised recent government efforts to launch a "permanent dialogue" with Muslim leaders.
​

"We Muslims are looking for substantial meetings where we can achieve results, not photo opportunities where we meet with the officials, they take pictures, they hug us, sometimes we are served dinner or breakfast, and then nothing happens."
​

The FBI held on Thursday, April 13, its first nationally televised townhall meeting with Muslim and Arab Americans in an effort to overcome misconceptions and enlist their help in fighting terrorism.
​

The meeting, broadcast on Bridges TV, an independent, commercial US television network for a primarily Muslim American audience, also sought to recruit Muslim Americans as FBI agents and as FBI employees."
​

​

Suspicious Eye
​

​

Qazwini admitted that "extremists" existed in the Muslim community, dismissing them as a small fraction of US Muslims.
​

He said these US-based extremists espouse radical views but do not advocate violence and do not represent the mainstream.
​

"Why do we always have to be in the position of someone who is viewed with a suspicious eye?" Qazwini said.
​

"We are sick and tired of the fact that we always need to prove our loyalty to this country simply because others have committed attacks against this country."
​

A Washington Post/ABC News poll released in March showed that a majority of Americans have a negative view of Islam.
​

A US News and World Report article recently said that US officials had secretly monitored radiation levels at Muslim sites including mosques and private homes.
​

Concerned that Muslims are unfairly demonized in American popular consciousness, the Dalia Lama met on Saturday, April 15, with prominent US Muslim leaders to wash away misconceptions about a much demonized Islam.
​

​

Singled Out
​

​

Qazwini, who leads one of the largest US mosques, said domestic wiretapping, civil rights transgressions, immigration crackdowns and unexplained bans on some Muslim scholars visiting the US made Muslim Americans feel targets of post-Sept. 11 racism.
​

A US federal judge criticized Thursday, April 13, the Bush administration for being inconsistent in handling the visa application of Tariq Ramadan, one of Europe's best known Muslim intellectuals.
​

The case, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the country's leading civil rights organization, accuses US officials of wrongfully blocking Ramadan's entry using the US Patriot Act's ideological exclusion provision.
​

Thousands of Muslim and Arabic men were rounded up and questioned in the weeks and months following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
​

Some of the detainees have sued the US government after their release for inhumane and degrading treatment and a total blackout of communications in detention centers on the US soil.
​

The administration agreed in February to pay $300,000 to settle an illegal detention lawsuit brought by an Egyptian man who was rounded up after the attacks.
​

​

***********Mohammad
​

​

In a related development, a Muslim student in the Manchester Metropolitan University had to pay an extra $80 (£45) for security checks when applying for a visa to visit the United States because of his name, reported the BBC News Online.
​

Mohammed Umar Haleem Khan, 22, was told by US Embassy officials in London that "a lot of bad people" shared his name.
​

"I was totally speechless. I didn't know what to say," said the student who was planning to work for the Camp America project in Philadelphia.
​

"Now I am worried I may not get a visa and travel to the States because of my name."
​

The umbrella Muslim Council of Britain criticized the US embassy measure.
​

"This is a worrying incident and seems to fit a recent pattern whereby the USA appears to be treating all Muslims as potential terrorists just because of their religion," said spokesman Inayat Bunglawala.
​

"US Embassy officials ought really to have had the training to cope with basic elements of Muslim culture which would help prevent these kinds of unfortunate situations."
​

Source
​

Peace and love
​

Yours Sincerely,
​

Cat Stevens
​

Note: Silly, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style losers' fate , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim!
​

 

hailtothekingbaby​

Exactly!​

Peace and love
​

Yours Sincerely,
​

Cat Stevens
​

Note: Silly, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style losers' fate , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim!
​

 

Since Sept. 11, all foreign students entering the US with Arabic sounding names and/or originating from suspect nations have undergone much higher scrutiny.

 

Nothing interesting, Most Muslims carry this name, in Egypt itself more than 100,000 carry this name I believe, this is only one country. US is stupid that's it. Stupid decisions is expected from the stupid.​

Peace and love
​

Yours Sincerely,
​

Cat Stevens
​

Note: Silly, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style losers' fate , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim!
​

​

 

Dirk_Pitt

It goes without saying, I don't have to say, TO ME nothing is interesting!

I didn't say your post was off topic, Did I?

which problem? what are you talking about?

I wanted to show how smart is theb US and to show the Justice there​

Peace and love
​

Yours Sincerely,
​

Cat Stevens
​

Note: Silly, repeated, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style losers' fate , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim!​

​

 

It would be stupid to not do it. Most of the hijackers from Sept. 11 came in as 'students'. Looking back, their student visas were not adequately completed. Seemingly Muslim students from Muslim countries should be and are now held to a higher level of scrutiny. If the hijackers on Sept. 11 were blonde-haired, blue-eyed males of Scandinavian descent, then that's who should be held to a more rigid standard, but that's not who the culprits were. They were 100% young males, 100% Muslim, and 100% from Muslim countries. The dots shouldn't need to be connected here. However, I'm not saying that all, if any, of the current crop of Muslims wanting to enter the US as students are terrorists, but if they fail to understand why they are held to higher scrutiny, then they shouldn't be attending college in the US. Anyways, if they don't want to put up with the hassle of entering the US, then they can always go somewhere else. They have no right under US law to enter. It is up to US discretion if the US allows them to enter.

 

Dirk_Pitt​

as you said: It seemed so...​

maybe it was required in my POV.​

if 8 of them carried the beatiful name Muhammad was interesting, the rest of PEACEFUL AND TRUE MUSILMS who carry the same name (MILLIONS) of them who didn't kill anybody do you think this is interesting! it doesn't make any sense to me. Yusf Islam should keep an eye on his son Muhammad, His name is Muhammd!O GOD! maybe he should change it before it is too late.​

​

​

​

Peace and love
Yours Sincerely,​

Cat Stevens​

Note: Silly, repeated, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style losers' fate , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim!​

​

​

​

 

Iconoclast​

Ok, I can accept this and don't mind it, but the issue is:​

i.e.:​

Muslim student to undergo extra security checks because his name was Muhammad Do Not mess things up​

US is an evil Stupid​

​

Peace and love
Yours Sincerely,​

Cat Stevens​

Note: Silly, repeated, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style losers' fate , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim!​

​

 

mispost

 

well if your name is mohammed you are more likely to be a muslim, most of the terrorism thats going on is caused by muslims at least 60,000 killed and injured since sept 11 , that doesnt include all the jihadi wars that that are going on .

so it makes more sense to check out people with the name mohammed , and yes if I had the misfortune to be cat stevens son or anyone else with the bad luck to be called mohammed I would change my name .

not because of being checked by security but just as if I was named adolf hitler by misguided nazi parents I would change my name, so to if I was named after a arab charles manson by islamofascist parents I would change it.

 

Not surprised at all, as I said in the former post,​

Such an opinion is expected from jonny2mad Birds of feather flock together,BTW: you weren't wrong when you chose this name, so keep it ,dude ​

​

Peace and love
Yours Sincerely,​

Cat Stevens​

Note: Silly, repeated, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style losers' fate , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim!​

Today 04:17 AM

 

cat lets say you had 60,000 + killed and wounded worldwide from neo nazis , and for some reason these neo-nazis were targeting the usa .

if you had someone called adolf hitler wanting to come into the country , and already lots of other people called adolf hitler were on your most wanted list, wouldnt it be sensible to give that person more security checks.

I have friends who have arabic names some who are ex-muslims and very possibly they may get checked out because of their names .

but I think the people at fault for this isnt the people who are checking them out, but the people with simular names who keep blowing things and themselves up .

 

Dear jonny​

​

I swear by Allah, I won't give him more security checks. He didn't choose his name did he?​

I think people who are checking them out need to see the doctor, haven't they ever heard about this: an Apple a day, keeps the doctor away. How sad. their parents had to tell them about it.​

​

​

(= *Peace and love* =)
​

Yours Sincerely,​

Cat Stevens​

Note: Silly, repeated, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style losers' fate , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim!​

 

no the person called adolf hitler didnt choose is name most likely his parents did .

but I would think if your looking out for neo-nazis someone named after adolf hitler or after some ss commander is a person worth looking twice at , especially if you already have a number of people involved with neo nazi activitys also called adolf hitler .

all it is a possible clue , lets say there is someone called jon murdering lots of people , I wouldnt mind the police checking me out if it will catch the bad jon

 

jonny​

I have already millions of peaceful muslims all are called Muhammad! There are millions with such a name. Muslims like this name, and US is stupid.maybe they should change (US) to something else, Iraq, Afghanistan ,Vietnam ,Japan no no , Iran, [American] indian no no and they are continuing mmm you know a lot of bad people who committed huge massacres and problems in other worlds came from the US , it is about the name I guess. This is nonsens, ​

​

​

I think this is a different story, Those terrorists died or not the sameone, the police are looking for someone is called jon in your story and he is still free and unknownso they will check all jon, hahaha I know what you mean. ​

(= *Peace and love* =)
​

​

​

Yours Sincerely,​

Cat Stevens​

Note: Silly, repeated, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style losers' fate , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim!​

 

Dirk_Pitt​

Us is an evil stupid this is my first and final opinion.​

(= *Peace and love* =)
​

Yours Sincerely,​

Cat Stevens​

Note: Silly, repeated, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style losers' fate , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim!​

 

​

"Muhammad" Most Popular Among Danish Muslims​

By Nidal Abu Arif, IOL Correspondent​

COPENHAGEN, May 10, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – Danish Muslims are increasingly giving their new-born babies Islamic names to help preserve their identity, with that of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) being the most favored choice. "My wife and I have agreed to give our boys and girls Islamic names in the hope they would reflect positively on their personalities," Omran Tharwat told IslamOnline.net on Wednesday, May 10. He named his last baby girl after Prophet hammad's wife 'Aisha. "We believe she would grow to be proud of that name and work hard to follow the shining example of 'Aisha," said the father. Recent figures by the Danish National Statistics Office show that Muhammad, Ahmed, Fatima and 'Aisha are few but to mention of the favored choice among the Muslim minority. Statistics indicate that some 8928 Danish Muslims carry the name Muhammad. In 2004 alone, more than 167 new-born babies were registered with the Prophet's name. Fatima, the Prophet's daughter, and 'Aisha top the choice for Muslim girls. Muslims make up around three percent of Denmark’s 5.3 population, making Islam the second largest religion after the Lutheran Protestant Church. The increasing popularity of Muslim names is seen as part of efforts by Danish Muslims to preserve their identity. "Danish Muslims want to help their children preserve their Islamic identity," Sheikh Mustafa al-Shanded, a social and religious counselor, told IOL. He, however, urged Danish Muslims to pay more attention to teaching their children about their faith.​

Source:​

http://islamonline.net/English/News/2006-05/10/article03.shtml​

​

​

*Peace and love* ​

Yours Sincerely,​

Cat Stevens
​

Note: Silly , repeated, Irrelevant, and the like, responses, posts, comments will be ignored (it depends on my mood and time if I won't ignore them), taking off the topic is losers' style, if I'm not replying to your relevant post maybe because of this , ask yourself: will you write such response if the writer wasn't a Muslim! ​

​

​

​

​

​