(RNS) — About two weeks to 10 days earlier than the Eid al-Adha vacation, days earlier than the annual Hajj pilgrimage is about to start, the messages begin pouring in:
“Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu — I’m leaving for Hajj tomorrow iA (insha’Allah), and I humbly search your forgiveness for any fallacious I’ll have carried out, knowingly or unknowingly, in phrases or actions … ”
“ASAK (asalamu alaikum) … As I put together to embark on this blessed journey of Hajj … I needed to take a second to ask on your forgiveness if I’ve ever damage or wronged you in any means.”
Messages like these — despatched personally to family and friends or en masse by way of social media or messaging apps — are a part of preparation for any Muslim leaving for Hajj.
However together with shoring up house and work duties, finding out up on Hajj prayers and rituals and packing comes a brand new and extra unsure form of prep: Safeguarding oneself to facilitate a problem-free re-entry into the US on the way in which house from the pilgrimage, a journey required of all able-bodied and financially in a position Muslims.
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has Hajj-bound People nervous and sometimes outright scared about all the things from their visa standing to their social media histories to WhatsApp group conversations. Up to now few months, these with inexperienced playing cards or legitimate visas have been denied entry or detained by ICE, primarily based on typically obscure or long-forgotten violations.
Muslim pilgrims pray on the Jabal Al Rahma holy mountain, or the mountain of forgiveness, at Arafat for the annual Hajj pilgrimage exterior the holy metropolis of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 20, 2018. (AP Photograph/Dar Yasin)
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is cautioning vacationers to arrange upfront. “Have you learnt how you’d react? How you’d reply? What would you say?” asks CAIR Neighborhood Advocacy Director Nicole Fauster-Bradford in a particular CAIR video addressing journey and visa issues for spiritual vacationers.
Questioning vacationers is a standard a part of Customs and Border Patrol brokers’ job, even for these vacationers returning to the U.S, Fauster-Bradford mentioned. However “questions (that) transcend the duty of creating that you simply’re coming into the US as a citizen or legitimate visa holder” will not be routine, she mentioned. “Their interplay with vacationers is meant to essentially be about that problem.”
Fauster-Bradford mentioned CAIR has acquired quite a few studies of secondary screening involving “invasive and extremely inappropriate” questions on what mosque or different establishments an individual attends, about their mosque’s imam and even questions on emails or social media posts.
The Trump administration not too long ago quickly suspended the scheduling of latest visa interviews for foreigners hoping to check within the U.S. “in preparation for an growth of required social media screening and vetting,” in accordance with a directive signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The memo additionally directs consulates to not add any “further scholar or trade customer visa appointment capability.”
The transfer has fearful many Hajj vacationers. “Who is aware of what may occur whereas we’re overseas?” requested one Hajj pilgrim, who wished to stay nameless.
These had been issues my husband and I by no means fearful about once we carried out our pilgrimage 20 years in the past, though it was lower than 4 years after 9/11.
I used to be a U.S.-born citizen, however my husband (now a citizen) was a inexperienced card holder, so we had trigger to fret. I had additionally spent the years since 9/11 protecting the fallout of the assaults and its results on American Muslims for a Cairo-based media outlet. Even with all that, the scrutiny and concern about how we could also be questioned once we got here again house was nothing in comparison with right this moment.
This 12 months, crossing the border has dominated discussions in varied Hajj teams and civil rights organizations and amongst pals, mainly targeted on social media and WhatsApp teams. Ought to they delete their social media fully? Ought to burner telephones be bought and used particularly for the journey to make sure privateness of 1’s private telephone?
“None of it is because we really feel we’re doing one thing suspicious or fallacious,” mentioned the Hajj pilgrim I spoke to, who at present has a inexperienced card. “However there’s simply an excessive amount of uncertainty, particularly in case you are residing right here on a legitimate visa or inexperienced card. Even should you’re a citizen, it’s nonetheless worrisome.”
The girl, who left for Hajj this week along with her husband, fastidiously eliminated herself from all mosque, prayer and religiously oriented WhatsApp teams earlier than touring. She selected to not delete herself on her social media apps, particularly as a result of she by no means shares something past light-hearted private posts.
Even with all the priority, she stays nervous, excited and hopeful about her upcoming pilgrimage. “This couldn’t have occurred with out God inviting us to carry out our Hajj this 12 months,” she advised me. “Insha’Allah, it’ll all go nicely, and we are going to return safely with a clear religious slate.”
(Dilshad D. Ali is a contract journalist. The views expressed on this commentary don’t essentially replicate these of RNS.)
