America deports trouble maker

[sprintcyclist]

CONTROVERSIAL Australian figure and Muslim activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has been deported from the US where she was due to speak at a festival supporting free speech.

Ms Abdel-Magied confirmed the news on social media to her followers in a series of tweets that she was at the US border where immigration officials said she would be deported back to Amsterdam.

Ms Abdel-Magied said she was in Minneapolis where the incident occurred.

“Roughly three hours since touch down in Minneapolis, I’m on a plane back. Subhanallah. Well, guess that tightening of immigration laws business is working, despite my Australian passport. We’re taking off now. What a time...,” she said.

When the incident first unfolded at 8.18am AEST, she tweeted that she was being stopped at the border in the US. She wrote: “** if they will let me in. I’m currently at the border and they’ve said I’m being deported. This should be fun. What are my rights?”

She confirmed minutes later that her deportation was happening by tweeting: “They’ve taken my phone, cancelled my visa and are deporting me. Will follow up on messages once I understand what’s going on.”

ANDREW BOLT: It’s time to defend Australian values from Islam’s demands

Ms Abdiel-Magied seemed to make light of the situation by then tweeting: “Also lol. Funniest thing is that throughout this whole ordeal all I am thinking about is what a good story this will make. We all have ways of dealing with situations.”

She later tweeted that she was deported after an Officer Herberg looked at her case within a few minutes.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said the department was aware of the situation and stood ready to offer consular assistance to any Australian citizen who should they request it.

But under DFAT’s charter, it is unable to intervene in immigration matters in other countries.

“The decision on who can enter the United States is a matter solely for the US Government,” a spokeswoman said.

Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge told Sky News it was unusual for an Australian citizen to not be granted a visa to go into the US. He could not comment further on her personal situation.

Ms Abdel-Magied, a former Queensland Young Australian of the Year, was due to speak at the PEN America’s World Voices Festival in New York where she was listed to appear at two events. One was titled “The M Word: No Country for Young Muslim Women” on April 18. According to online ticketing information, this event was described as a chance for Muslims to speak about how to survive in cultures that hate them.

It states: “In many western countries, being Muslim, young, and female brings with it a particularly heavy burden. Amani Al-Khatahtbeh was forced to leave America in the wake of relentless vilification and harassment post-9/11, and just last year Yassmin Abdel-Magied was hounded out of Australia by ferocious media and online attacks. They talk about how to survive in cultures that hate them.”

The other event was “Take back the net: Fighting online hate” on April 21. Online ticket information for this event say Ms Abdel-Magied was meant to talk about her experience with cyberbullying.

It states: “In acts of heroic resistance against constant vilification and virtual attacks, writers Anita Sarkeesian, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, and Porochista Khakpour refused to be silenced by vitriolic internet haters. They share their experiences with online hate and discuss how best to counter it to make the internet a more inclusive place for all.”

PEN America Chief Executive Officer Suzanne Nossel released a statement detailing their shock and dismay as they called on US Customs and Border Patrol officials to let her into the US.

Ms Nossel’s statement confirmed Ms Abdel-Magied was being sent back to Amsterdam, and they understand that she was travelling on a type of visa that she had used in the past for similar trips without any issue.

“We are dismayed that an invited guest to our annual PEN World Voices Festival in New York, which starts on Monday, Yassmin Abdel-Magied, herself the founder of an organisation called Youth Without Borders, was turned away by US Immigration officials in Minneapolis, reportedly had her phone and passport seized, and was put back on a plane to Amsterdam.

“Abdel-Magied is an advocate of the rights of Muslim women and refugees and is a citizen of Australia, travelling on that country’s passport. The very purpose of the PEN World Voices Festival, founded after 9/11 to sustain the connectedness between the US and the wider world, is in jeopardy at a time when efforts at visa bans and tightened immigration restrictions threaten to choke off vital channels of dialogue that are protected under the First Amendment right to receive and impart information through in-person cultural exchange.

“We understand that Yassmin was traveling on a type of visa that she had used in the past for similar trips without issue. We call on Customs and Border Patrol to admit her to the US so that she can take her rightful place in the urgent international conversation to take place at the Festival next week.”


A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer denied her access. Picture: Getty
The news of her deportation comes after she fled Australia for the UK after claiming she was the nation’s most hated Muslim.

Ms Abdel-Magied fled to London last year after she compared Australia to an “abusive boyfriend”.

Now the former ABC TV presenter — who made headlines with a number of politically charged statements about Islam, Anzac Day and African gangs — has also recently moved into acting.

Now, she is about to make her acting debut in the new SBS series Homecoming Queens.

Created and co-written by Michelle Law, the series looks at the lives of two young women as they deal with life after major illness.


Ms Abdel-Magied took to Instagram to share her news, describing herself as “SO excited” this month before the series became available online today.

Ms Abdel-Magied was awarded the 2018 Young Voltaire Award for being a “role model” to young women, Muslims and migrants.

“I won an award for free speech y’all,” Ms Abdel-Magied said on Twitter at the time.

“This one is for all those young Muslims and POC (people of colour) in Aus and around the world who know their equality is conditional, but know they need to speak anyway. And for all of those who tried to silence me ... Eat your hearts out.”

Ms Abdel-Magied’s career has not been without several incidents where her words courted controversy.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied will also star in a show about Australia's hijab fashion scene. The show is to be aired on ABC iView on May 1. Picture: Twitter
She had a heated exchange on ABC’s Q&A with former Tasmanian senator Jackie Lambie where she declared: “Islam to me is the most feminist religion.”

Ms Abdel-Magied also shocked Australia with her Anzac Day gaffe, where she posted on Facebook: “Lest We Forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine ...).”

The former host of ABC 24’s program Australia Wide amended the post to simply say “Lest. We. Forget” and issued an apology.

“It was brought to my attention that my last post was disrespectful, and for that I unreservedly apologise,” she wrote.

good on them

[BigP]

The west will one day come to the conclusion that western lifestyles are anathama to islamic cultures

[Black Orchid]

That is hilarious!!

Minneapolis isn't exactly on the border though.

[BigP]

That is hilarious!!

Minneapolis isn't exactly on the border though.

Better late than never

[Black Orchid]

That is hilarious!!

Minneapolis isn't exactly on the border though.

Better late than never

Don't know if you have heard of her but she caused a stir here being an attention whore and when the general tide turned against her she fled to the UK hating on Australians.

She claims Islam is the most feminist religion. That should say it all with regard to her sanity/agenda.

[BigP]

Obviously a nut job. It suprises me that these people get so much traction

[BigP]

Man , this is the second woman in a week I have wanted to punch in the face lol

[Gordon]

Just a deluded Muslima.

Let her live in Sudan for a bit and see if she thrives like she's has in Australia.

[Black Orchid]

Let her live in Sudan for a bit and see if she thrives like she's has in Australia.

Exactly! Australia sucks but has made her rich yet all things Islam are perfect.

[Gordon]

They discovered she was there to work which is why she was punted.

As usual she blamed it on being brown and muzlim