THERE ARE few individuals in North Jersey who
have fostered a greater understanding of
Arab-Americans. Imam Mohammad Qatanani is one of
those individuals.
On Thursday, an immigration judge ruled that
the spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of
Passaic County can make the United States his
permanent home. It is a victory for more than
the imam.
U.S. officials had sought to deport Qatanani,
claiming he concealed an arrest and conviction
in the West Bank before entering the United
States. Qatanai denied the charges.
The Paterson-based imam's case drew national
attention because Qatanani is viewed as a
moderate voice of Islam in North Jersey,
particularly after Sept. 11, 2001. Prominent
public officials, including U.S. Attorney
Christopher Christie and Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr.,
have voiced support for Qatanani, as well as
spiritual leaders of other faiths.
The man they knew - the man who spoke of
moderation in the days after 9/11 and who
encouraged more interaction between his
congregation and U.S. officials - could not be a
terrorist sympathizer.
In his ruling, immigration Judge Alberto J.
Riefkohl said the government's case was
incomplete and that the testimony of key
witnesses, two federal agents, was not credible.
Riefkohl wrote, "Their testimony is tainted
by the lack of an accurate record and their
inconsistent and contradictory testimony."
Federal officials claimed that Qatanani, who
emigrated from Jordan in 1996 on a religious
visa, did not disclose his prior arrest and
conviction by Israeli security officials in 1993
while traveling in the West Bank. Israelis
contended that the imam had ties to Hamas.
Qatanani said that he did not know he was
ever convicted while detained in Israel. The
arrest only came to light when he applied for
permanent U.S. residency.
The imam and his wife have six children;
three of the children were born in the United
States. If he had been deported, the entire
family would have left the country. But
Thursday's ruling brings more than peace of mind
to Qatanani, his family and congregation. It
also serves as a reminder of how important
judicial review is in the immigration process.
Qatanani's case was closely monitored by
public officials, the media and the public at
large. Few immigration cases receive such
attention. And as public attention shifts from
the Republican and Democratic conventions toward
the general election in November, it is equally
important that immigration reform move to the
forefront of public discourse.
Congress has failed to reform the nation's
immigration policies. The next Congress must do
more than resolve what to do with an estimated
12 million undocumented immigrants living in the
United States. It must implement changes
throughout the entire federal immigration
system, including shortening the wait time for
processing requests for permanent legal
residency and ensuring all immigrants have fair
judicial review.
In a written statement following Thursday's
ruling, Pascrell said: Today's verdict is more
than just a victory for one man or one
community; it is a victory for Passaic County
and all of America."
We agree.
