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CAIR GOOD NEWS ALERT #639:

Embassy Returns Passport to U.S. Muslim Stuck in Kuwait

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/6/11) -- CAIR announced today that an American Muslim citizen stuck in Kuwait had his passport returned by U.S. embassy officials who had seized it in February.

[This case is just one more example of CAIR's daily efforts in support of your rights as an American. Please DONATE TODAY to help CAIR continue its important work.]

Aziz Nouhaili, a naturalized American citizen, received his passport following CAIR's intervention on his behalf with the U.S. Department of State. Last week, CAIR sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton seeking the return of Nouhaili's passport and calling its seizure a form of "extrajudicial denaturalization."

In an April meeting with an embassy official, Nouhaili was reportedly told he "should stop thinking of himself as an American" and indicated that it would be more accurate to "consider himself denaturalized."

SEE: US Returns Passport to Citizen Stuck in Kuwait (AP)
Backgrounder: US Citizen Stuck in Kuwait (AP)

"We welcome this news and hope that it serves as a reminder that American Muslims have the same right to due process as other citizens," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "I want to thank the staff at CAIR who worked on to help Mr. Nouhaili with this issue. The incident needs to be investigated thoroughly to find out if proper procedures were followed and whether this particular American citizen was targeted due to his faith or national origin."

CAIR has assisted a number of other American Muslim citizens who have been stranded overseas by government actions. All CAIR services are offered free of charge. Pleasesupport our work so we can continue to help people who are facing difficult situations.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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CONTACT: CAIR Staff Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 720-251-0425, E-Mail: gabbas@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, or 202-488-8787, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787,202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com