UAE | General

Al Sha'ali lands in a quandary

UAE national student Saif Al Sha'ali has vowed never to go back to the United Sates, but expressed trepidation about his future studies.

  • By Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 August 25, 2006
  • Gulf News

Dubai: UAE national student Saif Al Sha'ali has vowed never to go back to the United Sates, but expressed trepidation about his future studies.

Al Sha'ali, a doctoral candidate in information technology at Claremont University in Los Angeles and a long-time US resident, was returning from a three- month vacation in the UAE when he was held on suspicion with his wife and three children at Los Angeles International Airport on August 21.

Al Sha'ali was released after the intervention of the UAE Embassy, but his US residence visa was cancelled.

"I don't know what to do now and am very worried about my future studies," he said. Al Sha'ali and his family are expected to arrive in Dubai from London today.

"I feel numb and helpless, especially because I have only three semesters left before I will be awarded my PhD."

Al Sha'ali said he had already informed his professors at Claremont University, including the dean of his faculty, about the situation.

"The Americans I have met are all very nice people, and my colleagues and professors at the university are all civilised and kind. But I will never enter the United States ever again after what happened to me and my family.

"There is always a chance that it could happen again. I don't want my family to go through that a second time," said Al Sha'ali.

He said he is unsure where to go next, for the "best universities in this field" are based in the US.

Al Sha'ali is exploring the possibility of joining a European university, but is concerned about starting his doctoral work all over again. "My family and I did nothing to be treated in this inhumane way."

He told Gulf News that he and his family felt as though they were in a no-man's land.

Officials from the UAE Embassy in Washington D.C. told Gulf News over the phone that as soon as they were informed about the issue, they intervened.

"An assistant of the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the embassy," said an embassy official.

"He informed us that Saif can apply for a new visa at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

"He also apologised for what had taken place and said that the findings of the investigation would be made available to the UAE Embassy."

The Customs and Border Protection, Los Angeles Field Office, refused to provide Gulf News with details.

"Saif Al Sha'ali had arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on August 21 with his family. He voluntarily withdrew his application for entry into the United States and departed Los Angeles on August 22," said a brief statement sent by Mike Fleming, Public Affairs Officer at office.

US media is to be blamed, says father

Saif Al Sha'ali's father, Dr Khalifa Al Sha'ali, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Ajman University, said he did not blame the officials at the airport.

"I do not blame them because their mainstream media and top officials depict Muslims and Arabs as terrorists and uncivilised," he told Gulf News.

"They portray Arabs as the enemies of America, which clouds their judgment and makes them treat us as criminals or terrorists.

"It is clear that the airport officials are provoked by the media against Arabs and Muslims when the officials said they would have to keep an Arab family for two weeks in detention, until their documents were cleared."

With additional inputs from Abbas Al Lawati

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