All of the right documents were submitted: a valid passport, a financial guarantee, even a supplementary application with a crisp, recent picture of me. On any other day it would be a matter of hours before my passport was returned to me with an entry visa to the United States, but not today; it's a post Sept. 11, 2001 reality for all of us: Arab and/or Muslim international students of American colleges and universities.
Just a semester away from graduation, I returned to Saudi Arabia. I was born and raised there, and I came to the United States to fulfill an aspiration of mine: to graduate from college. Since my visa was expired, it was necessary for me to apply for a renewal so I could come back and finish up the rest of school. On May 25 I departed from Sky Harbor Airport back to Saudi Arabia, and I'm still here.
I am not alone. Tens of thousands of students are stranded for the same reasons. As part of a security measure taken by the U.S. government, many international students are not being granted visas to come back to the United States, and all of them fit the same profile: Muslim, male, and between the ages of 15 and 45. None of them are terrorists, but some say they might be.
Throughout the space of time between my arrival in the United States and Sept. 11, 2001, I noticed a lot of change.
When asked what I liked about the United States the most, my answer was consistently the same: human rights and the rule of law. I feel that nothing is more worthy of admiration then democratic ideals.
Feeling the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, I decided to get actively involved in student organizations that were the closest to my democratic ideals. The first was Amnesty International, a human rights club. The second was Model United Nations, a simulation process of the works of the U.N. In addition, I became acquainted with the principles and functions of the American Civil Liberties Union, Young Democratic Socialists, Muslim Student Association and the Young Democrats. For all it's worth, I wanted to help to enrich the political debate with my viewpoints.
Living in a thriving democracy and my involvement in organizations solidified my belief in a strong legal system that guarantees the rights and liberties of all individuals. I felt misinterpretation and/or misapplication of the constitution would jeopardize the spirit of law that I always admired. Stripping away such rights in the name of security is a direct threat to what Americans protect and treasure most, democratic ideals.
I feel international students are a valuable contribution to American campuses. They add a much needed global diversity. With limited opportunities to work upon arrival, international students supply the country with a huge cash flow from overseas. A large number of international students end up as an important addition to the human capital of the country, a critical element in a competitive business environment. As James Baker confirmed in panel discussion three years ago on C-Span, international students are extremely important once they get placed in their native countries in improving relations with the Untied States and improving America's image abroad, a much needed benefit in the Islamic world.
The events of Sept. 11, 2001 will scar us for the rest of our lives. There is nothing that justifies a massacre on such a scale, for any cause or belief. I am not a terrorist, and I was denied access back in to the country as if I were one. I am now unable to come back and finish my education.
It is the job of the U.S. government to supply the people with a sense of hope, strength and justice. I cannot see how the rejection of visa applications would accomplish that task. If the war on terrorism is to protect our democracy, we should at least do our part to preserve it. On the first anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, we should be reminded that democracy is an on-going process. Preserving our freedom and securing a place for our civil liberties should become a permanent item in our democratic process. We cannot give up democracy in the name of protecting it.
