LONDON, 3 October 2004 — Lawyers for singer Yusuf Islam said on Friday that they have asked American officials to remove his name from a “no fly” list.
The musician, now a peace activist, was expelled from the United States last week after authorities diverted his London-to- Washington flight to Maine to remove him, saying he was suspected of ties to terrorism.
The Carter-Ruck law firm said it had asked the US government to explain why it considered Islam a security risk. “I remain bewildered by the decision of the US authorities to refuse me entry to the United States,” the firm quoted Yusuf Islam as saying.
“My solicitors have now made representations to the relevant US authorities and I have asked Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to continue to use his good offices in order to bring this matter to a swift conclusion,” it quoted him as saying.
Straw has complained to American officials about their treatment of Yusuf Islam.
