US: Controversial visa bans on academics lifted

Adam Habib and Tariq Ramadan should soon be able to enter the United States once again, ending years in which the Bush administration kept out the two prominent scholars, infuriating many academic groups, writes Scott Jaschik for Inside Higher Ed. Several academic groups have been in a protracted legal battle with the government over the visa denials to Habib, a Deputy Vice-chancellor at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, and Ramadan, a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford University.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday lifted the orders denying visas to the two scholars. While they must now re-apply for visas, the past rationales for rejecting them cannot be used, and they are expected to receive speedy approval. Both Habib and Ramadan are highly respected scholars who, prior to the Bush administration, had travelled without incident in the US. Many scholars viewed their exclusion as punishment for their having spoken out against US foreign policy.
Full report on the Inside Higher Ed site