She calls herself Australia’s “most hated Muslim” and it looks the US isn’t too fond of her either.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied was banned from entering the United States on Thursday morning, and has been put on a plane out of the country, she claimed in a series of tweets.
The 27-year-old activist was originally set to appear in America for a speaking tour, but shortly after touching down was told she was being deported and wouldn’t be allowed access to the US.
“They’ve taken my phone, cancelled my visa and are deporting me. Will follow up on messages once I understand what’s going on,” she told her 50,000 Twitter followers. “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 said it didn’t take long for US custom officials to come to their decision.
https://twitter.com/yassmin_a/status/984213088307212288
“Interesting facts: within a few min of looking at my case the border security person – Officer Herberg looking at my case she announces: ‘we’re sending you back!’,” she said. “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…”
Abdel-Magied also said that US officials have kept her passport until she is safely outside America.
“Oh, and they still have my passport,” she vented. “Apparently I can’t be trusted with it until I’m in a foreign country because, as Officer Blees said, ‘planes get turned away back way too often and then.
“Oh yuh and did I mention they took my phone for the whole time? Fortunately I’m a paranoid person – notifications don’t show previews of messages, and a 12 digit passcode. Always be vigilant, yo. [SIC]”
Abdel-Magied didn’t say why she had been denied entry, but confirmed she’s safely in the air and on her way home. She currently resides in London.
The former engineer, who rose to fame on the ABC, caused waves in Australia last year with her various comments about her Muslim faith. She’s referred to Australia as her “abusive husband” and caused outrage with comments she made about Manus Island last ANZAC Day.
At the time she posted a message to Facebook that read: “Lest We Forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine …)”. Her words were interpreted by many has a dig at Australia’s veterans and disrespectful to the sacrifices our diggers made in Gallipoli.
As a result, her ABC show Australia Wide was cancelled and Abdel-Magied vowed to move to the United Kingdom to escape the hate she received for her comments. She is set to launch a new show about Hijab fashion on ABC’s iView, and has also been announced as the winner of the Liberty Victoria Young Voltaire Award, which she will accept at a lavish event in July.