Iranian academics react to Trump’s visa ban, call for wise policy

Seventy-two faculty members of Sharif University of Technology, in a recent open letter to President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, have called for a different reaction by the Iranian government in the face of the unfair discrimination leveled against the Iranian citizens and the Iranian nationals living in the United States, according to IRNA. 

“To compensate for the destructive consequences of Trump’s visa ban policy, the government of the Islamic Republic can adopt a wise and innovative policy,” the letter read.

“By exercising prudence and following a wise policy, we are going to once again demonstrate that Iran, on the world scene, is in pursuit of policies based on moral principles,” wrote the Iranian academics in their letter.

“Too, through taking such an innovative measure, Iran is going to emphasize its pioneering role among Muslim nations in upholding true religious values,” the letter said.

Trump’s directive banning citizens from seven Muslim countries from entering the United States, allegedly for protecting the country against terrorists, has raised many eyebrows both in the US and across the world.

In the chaos following US President’s executive order, a five-year-old boy was detained for hours at Washington Dulles International Airport, according to the Huffington Post.

On Saturday, the boy, who is a US citizen from Maryland, was travelling from Iran to Washington, D.C. with a family member to meet his mother, who is Iranian, according to reports. 

Unfortunately, the five-year-old was held in custody by airport authorities for several hours before he was finally reunited with his family.