WASHINGTON: The United States Secret Service said Monday it stopped a Muslim mayor from attending a White House celebration with US President Joe Biden to mark the end of Ramadan.
Muslim Mayor Barred from White House
Shortly before Mayor M Khairullah was set to reach the venue for the Eid celebration, the Mayor received a call from the White House stating that he had not been cleared for the party by the Secret Service and could not attend the Eid celebration, where US President Biden delivered a speech to hundreds of guests, New Jersey Council on American-Islamic Relations said.
US Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi also confirmed that the Mayor was not permitted into the White House but refused to provide more details. The Muslim Mayor was elected to a 5th term as the borough’s mayor in last January.
He said, “While we express regret any inconvenience this may have caused as the Mayor was not permitted to enter the White House this evening. Unfortunately, we can comment on the matter.”
Selaedin Maksut, CAIR-NJ executive director, termed the move as unacceptable and insulting. Maksut said that if such incidents are happening to well-respected American-Muslim figures like Khairullah, this then pleads the question: what is happening to ordinary Muslims? However, after the development, the White House also declined to comment.
