”Challenging U.S. Human Rights Violations Since 9/11”
A. Basic Rights Of All Peoples Under U.S. Jurisdiction
- Right Not To Be Killed Or Disappeared
- Right Not To Be Tortured
- Right Peaceably To Assemble And Petition The Government
- Right To Equal Protection Regardless Of Race Or National Origin
- Right To Equal Protection For Women
- Right To Free Exercise Of Religion
- Right Of The Media To Report Facts, And Not Be Killed
- Right To Privacy From Surveillance
- Right Of Libraries Not To Report On Readers
- Right Of Universities To Accept Foreign Scholars And Students
- Right To Travel
10. Right Of Universities To Accept Foreign Scholars And Students
Since 9/11, when foreign students have been accepted to do graduate work in U.S. universities, they must go to the U.S. Consul in their country to apply for student visas. Consular officials have the new Government Technology Alert List (genetic engineering, biochemistry, microbiology, flight training, neurology, urban planning, etc.). And they have the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism (Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, N. Korea, Sudan, Syria.)
If a student is from one of the countries on the second list and is studying one of the “sensitive” subjects on the first list, the Consular officials send the application to Washington for review, which can take six months or more.
Physics Today said in 2003 said these rules could affect 600,000 foreign students. In 2002-2003, students from Middle Eastern countries, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia faced six to 12 month delays. Most of those delayed were from China, India, or a Muslim or Arab country.
These actions violate the academic freedom incorporated in the First Amendment, and the right to travel (see 11.)
New Student Exchange & Visitor Information System Targets International Students
(Valerie Torres, "New INS Rules to Affect Students," KPFT Radio News, November 22, 2002, http://www.kpft.org/news/112202story2.html accessed on July 21, 2004; Joseph J. Hindrawan, "International Student Recruitment Since 9-11, Part I: What Is the Fallout from the War on Terrorism?," World Education and News Reviews, March/April 2003, http://www.wes.org/ewenr/03March/Feature.htm accessed July 21, 2004; 8 U.S.C. §1701 [2002]; Robert M. O'Neil, "Academic Freedom and National Security in Times of Crisis," Academe, May/June 2003, http://www.aaup.org/publications/Academe/2003/03mj/03mjonei.htm accessed July 21, 2004.)
Foreign Scientists, Technology Students at Risk: Adrian Ow Yung Hwei, et al.
(Nathan J. Heller and Jessica R. Rubin-Wills, "In Trying Times, Harvard Takes Safe Road," The Harvard Crimson, June 5, 2003, http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=348387 accessed on July 21, 2004; Mark Clayton, "Academia Becomes Target for New Security Laws," The Christian Science Monitor, Sept. 24 2002, http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0924/p11s02-lehl.html accessed July 21, 2004; Jim Dawson, "Post-September 11th Visa Woes Still Plague International Students and Scientists," Physics Today, June 2003, http://www.aip.org/pt/vol-56/iss-6/p25.html accessed August 5, 2004.)
Mandatory Security Checks Hit Certain Foreign Students: 600,000 May Be Affected
(Jim Dawson, "Post-September 11th Visa Woes Still Plague International Students and Scientists," Physics Today, June 2003, http://www.aip.org/pt/vol-56/iss-6/p25.html accessed August 5, 2004; Majorie J. Smith, "International Student Recruitment Since 9-11," World Education News and Reviews, March/April 2003, http://www.wes.org/ewenr/03May/Feature.htm accessed July 20, 2004; Josh Goodman, "International Students Find a Changed Land of Opportunity," The Cavalier Daily, Sept. 11, 2002, http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=12884&pid=892 accessed July 21, 2004; Nathan J. Heller and Jessica R. Rubin-Wills, "In Trying Times, Harvard Takes Safe Road," The Harvard Crimson, June 5, 2003, http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=348387 accessed on July 21, 2004; Mark Clayton, "Academia Becomes Target for New Security Laws," The Christian Science Monitor, Sept. 24 2002, http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0924/p11s02-lehl.html accessed July 21, 2004; "AAU Summarizes 2003 Visa Survey Results For AAU Universities, Makes Recommendations For Improving Process," Association of American Universities and the Association of International Educators , November 14, 2003, http://www.aau.edu/resources/aauvisasurveypressrelease.pdf accessed July 21, 2004.)
INS Detained Kuwaiti Immigrant Mathematics Professor: Hasan Hasan
(Ben Ehrenreich, "Passport to Hell," Orange County Weekly, October 11-17, 2002, http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/03/06/cover-ehrenreich.php accessed July 21, 2004; Ben Ehrenreich, email message to MCLI, August 9, 2004.)
Palestinian Prof. on TV; Put on Leave; Indicted: Sami Al-Arian
(Eric Boehlert, "The Prime-Time Smearing of Sami Al-Arian," Salon.com, January 19, 2002, http://archive.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/01/19/bubba accessed July 21, 2004; "Free Sami Al-Arian," FreeSamiAlArian.com, No Date, http://www.freesamialarian.com/home.htm accessed July 21, 2004; Amy Goodman interview of Linda Moreno, "The Case of Sami Al-Arian," Democracy Now!, July 9, 2004, http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/07/09/144245&mode=thread&tid=25 accessed August 5, 2004.)
ICE Detained and Degraded Student Registrant: Asim Salam
(Meg Dedolph, "Biggert Discusses Immigration," The Naperville Sun, August 27, 2003, http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sunpub/naper/pay-Article-ID:PFS1310308, accessed July 21, 2004.)
MCLI has been a non-profit corporation since 1965 and depends on the financial contributions and volunteer time of people who support its mission and work. Please join us!
Get on our new mailing list. Sign up to receive news from MCLI.