Mike Pouraryan
The Plight of Tariq Ramadan
I have been recently following the plight of Tariq Ramadan. Dr. Ramadan is considered one of the leading thinkers on Islam in Europe and the world today. However, he has been denied a visa to visit the United States on the grounds of supporting Terrorism. As I have begun to learn more about this man, I have found that to be quite the contrary. What I think the world and especially the United States Government has to do is to encourage such scholars who can be an advocate for an evolution in Islamic Thinking to push through the Soft Revolution that is needed to counter the Madrassa Mentality that seems to be ever more prevalent today. What I find also ironic is that the CIA helped fund the Madrassas in Pakistan during the Afghan War in the 1980's.
The latest reports note that Dr. Ramadan has almost won his fight. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen. His quest has exposed the flaws in the US Patriot Act. Such men like Dr. Ramadan should be encouraged to stay engaged. I hope that the decision of the US State Department would be reversed soon so that he is able to visit the United States.
