American Muslims have launched an online petition to bring an Air Force veteran back into the United States, appealing to the US government to take his name off the no-fly list. “My brother has no criminal record and there is no reason for him to be barred from flying home,” A.L. Anderson, the sister of Saadiq Long said in a statement cited by Tusla World website on November 18. Anderson launched the petition to pressure the US government to allow her brother back into her home. The petition has gathered more than 6,000 signatures so far.
The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has joined efforts to launch the petition to bring the Muslim veteran back to his home country, executive director Adam Soltani said. Saadiq, who served for a decade in the US army, has been barred from returning to the United States as US authorities has placed his name in the no-fly list. His dilemma began six months ago when he purchased a KLM ticket to Oklahoma, where he grew up to see his ailing mother. His visit was the first after the Muslim veteran spent a decade teaching English in three Arab countries; Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. But to his surprise, he was told by a KLM air representative that he was not allowed on board because his name is placed on the US no-fly list. The Muslim veteran was never convicted or indicted in any crime.