Imam From South Africa Denied Entry at Dulles

A South African imam who flew to Dulles International Airport yesterday to lead Ramadan prayers at a Northern Virginia mosque was denied entry into the Unites States, prompting questions from local Muslims.

The imam, Ismail Mullah, arrived at 5:55 a.m. yesterday on a flight from South Africa, said Arsalan Iftikhar, national legal director for the District-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. He said Mullah was delayed for several hours by customs officers and then sent back to South Africa.

The Islamic Community Center of Northern Virginia in Woodbridge had invited Mullah, who has come to the United States for Ramadan for the past three years, said Nasir Chhipa, the center's director. Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, started at sundown yesterday.

Chhipa and CAIR officials called on federal authorities to explain whether Mullah was targeted because he is Muslim. They said they were especially concerned about a possible pattern, because four other foreign imams were denied entry at an airport in Florida this week.

"The whole community is asking questions," Chhipa said. "We don't know why they took this action."

Bill Anthony, senior spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, confirmed that Mullah was not allowed to enter the United States but would not explain why. He said Mullah "withdrew his application for admission after being talked to by our people."

"This doesn't preclude him from seeking admission in the future," Anthony said, adding that more than 1,000 people are prevented from entering the United States every day for reasons ranging from inadequate travel documents to being on a U.S. government watch list.