Author: Arif Qadir, Abu Dhabi,
UAE
Publication: Dawn, Pakistan
Date: November 18, 2002
URL: http://www.dawn.com/2002/11/18/letted.htm#4
Passports with a valid visa, a return
ticket and proper company invitations are of no value according to the
new US immigration policy towards eight countries: Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria,
Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Pakistan.
On arrival and departure, visitors
from these countries are, in any case, fingerprinted and photographed at
all the US airports. Being a regular visitor to the US for occupational
reasons since 1999, I could never imagine what was in store for me on my
recent arrival at JFK airport in New York.
First of all, visitors from these
countries were separated from passengers hailing from other countries and
seated in a closed room. Then, they were asked to fill in a form which
requires detailed information about the visitor and his parents.
Having a passport was not enough.
We were asked to produce additional identification documents such as a
driving license or a credit card. Finally, we were fingerprinted and photographed.
The process of finger printing and
photo-imaging was repeated on departure.
Never in my life have I been subjected
to such humiliation for no fault of mine. Is holding a Pakistani passport
such a liability? Or, is it the fault of the United States government which
has decided to judge all the Muslims guilty till proved otherwise? No self-respecting
society should tolerate such behaviour and must articulate its strong protest
to such acts of discrimination.
We know that President Pervez Musharraf
is very busy dealing with domestic issues, but the issue of harassment
at US airports should not be ignored or belittled because it has extremely
negative and far- reaching implications for all Pakistanis.
