ACLU To Present Arguments Wednesday In Case Of South African Scholar Barred From U.S.

The
American Civil Liberties Union will be in federal court tomorrow to
present arguments in the case of a prominent South African scholar who
was denied a visa and is barred from attending speaking engagements in
the United States. According to the ACLU, the government denied
Professor Adam Habib a visa not because of his actions but because of
his vocal criticism of U.S. foreign policy, and his exclusion violates
the First Amendment rights of organizations that have invited him to
speak in the U.S.

Habib is a renowned scholar,
sought-after political analyst, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research,
Innovation and Advancement at the University of Johannesburg. He is
also a Muslim who has been a vocal critic of the war in Iraq and some
U.S. terrorism-related policies. The October 2006 revocation of
Professor Habib's visa prevented him from attending a series of
meetings with representatives from the National Institutes for Health,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Bank,
Columbia University and the Gates Foundation. Since then, Habib has
been prevented from speaking at a number of events sponsored by U.S.
organizations.

The ACLU and the ACLU of
Massachusetts brought the lawsuit on behalf of organizations that have
invited Professor Habib to speak in the U.S., including the American
Sociological Association, the American Association of University
Professors, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the
Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights.

WHAT:
Oral arguments in the case of Adam
Habib, a prominent South African scholar who was refused a visa to
enter the U.S. based on unsubstantiated national security claims.

WHO:
Melissa Goodman, staff attorney with
the ACLU National Security Project, will argue before Judge George A.
O'Toole, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of
Massachusetts.

WHEN:
Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 27
2 p.m. EDT

WHERE:
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Courtroom 9
1 Courthouse Way
Boston, Massachusetts 02210