- Secret Service bans a Muslim New Jersey mayor from attending a belated Ramadan celebration at the White House
- CAIR-NJ described the act as "completely intolerable and demeaning"
- Khairullah says it was not the first time he was profiled
On Monday, the US Secret Service announced that it prevented Prospect Park, New Jersey's mayor, from attending a White House celebration with President Joe Biden to commemorate the end of Ramadan belatedly.
According to the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, shortly before Mayor Mohamed Khairullah was to arrive at the White House for the Eid-al-Fitr celebration, he received a call informing him that he had not been cleared for entry by the Secret Service and therefore could not attend the event where President Joe Biden delivered remarks to hundreds of guests.
Secret Service Barred Muslim New Jersey Mayor
Anthony Guglielmi, a United States Secret Service spokesman, verified that Khairullah was denied access to the White House complex but declined to elaborate on why. In January, Khairullah was elected to a fifth term as the borough's mayor. Per NBC New York, Director of CAIR-NJ Selaedin Maksut described the action as "completely intolerable and demeaning."
Khairullah, who has previously performed humanitarian work in Syria and Bangladesh, was detained by authorities and interrogated for three hours at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, according to Dina Sayedahmed, a spokesperson for CAIR-NJ.
According to the group, Khairullah assisted the New Jersey Democratic Party in compiling a list of local Muslim leaders to invite to the White House Eid celebration and attended an event at the New Jersey governor's residence over the weekend.
Mayor Mohamed Khairullah stated that he was preparing to join other Muslim leaders on Monday to celebrate the late end of the sacred month of Ramadan when he received a phone call from a White House aide telling him not to attend.
White House Deferred to Secret Service Regarding the Incident
When questioned on Tuesday regarding Khairullah's experience, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly deferred to the US Secret Service. As per ABC News, when asked whether Khairullah merited a more thorough explanation, Jean-Pierre reiterated that the Secret Service was responsible for the incident.
After Khairullah went public late Monday night, a US Secret Service spokesperson issued a statement to reporters expressing regret for the inconvenience but stating that the agency could not comment further.
"The mayor was denied access to the White House complex this evening. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Unfortunately, we cannot elaborate on the specific protective means and methods used to conduct White House security operations, "said the agency's communications director, Anthony Guglielmi.
The Secret Service verified the occurrence but did not provide any further explanation. According to him, it was not the first time Khairullah had been profiled. The mayor claimed he was halted by authorities at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2019 after returning from a trip to Turkey to visit his wife's family.
Khairullah stated that he was detained and questioned about his acquaintance with militants for three hours. Khairullah added that he was momentarily detained at the US-Canada border when reentering the United States with his family, The Washington Examiner reported.
Khairullah, born in Syria but relocated with his family to the United States in 1991, became a legal citizen of the United States in 2000. In 2005, he was elected mayor of Prospect Park, a position he has held ever since.
Khairulllah was invited to the White House for the Muslim celebration after assisting the New Jersey Democratic Party in compiling an invitation list for Muslim leaders in the state. CAIR reports that he most recently attended a separate event over the weekend at the governor's residence. President Joe Biden delivered a speech at the White House event.
