Top 10 Civil Liberties News Stories - August 30, 2006 Edition

Swiss scholar Tariq Ramadan is a moderate Muslim with a strong track record of condemning violence and an impressive scholarly resumé. But for some reason, perhaps related to his outspoken opposition to the Iraq War, the U.S. government chose to revoke Ramadan's visa in July 2004. Despite repeated requests to explain its decision, the government has refused to do so. Last week, it finally caved in and allowed Ramadan's most recent court victory to stand. By the last week of September, Ramadan will finally know whether he can take that job at the University of Notre Dame that he was offered more than two years ago.

It looks as though Ramadan's story will have a happy ending, but countless other foreign scholars have faced comparable treatment. The argument could legitimately be made that the government decided to let Ramadan win this round so as not to create a Supreme Court precedent that would cost them the numerous similar cases currently working their way through the federal court system.