Prospect Park, New Jersey, Mayor Mohamed Khairullah, who is Muslim, said he was on his way to the White House for the annual Eid al-Fitr celebration on Monday when he was uninvited for being denied security clearance by the Secret Service, NorthJersey.com reported.
"It's disappointing, and it's shocking that this continues to happen under our Constitution which provides that everyone is innocent unless proven guilty," said Khairullah, who has served as the mayor of Prospect Park for more than 17 years. "I honestly don't know what my charge, if you want to put it that way, is at this point, to be treated in such a manner."
The Secret Service confirmed that he was not permitted to attend the White House event, but did not give any more details.
"While we regret any inconvenience this may have caused, the mayor was not allowed to enter the White House complex this evening," said Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service. "Unfortunately we are not able to comment further on the specific protective means and methods used to conduct our security operations at the White House."
Khairullah added that "to be denied entry in such a way ... and two days prior, I was with the governor of my state, in the governor's mansion. It just baffles me."
CAIR-N.J. Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said in a statement that the incident "lacks transparency and reeks of government overreach."
He added that "if these such incidents are happening to high-profile and well-respected American-Muslim figures like Mayor Khairullah, this then begs the question, What is happening to Muslims who do not have the access and visibility that the mayor has?"
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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