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Fr. Emil Salayta, Peace Advocate, Detained by United States INS at Toronto, Canada Airport
24-Jul-03
Contact: Robert Younes, M.D.
(301) 983 3022, 301-951-9400
younes@hcef.org
The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation
News Release
Fr. Emil Salayta, Peace Advocate, Detained by United States INS at Toronto, Canada Airport
After a brief trip to Canada from the United States, Father Emil Salayta, a Roman Catholic priest of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, was detained at the Toronto Airport by the American INS on July 20, 2003. He was then interrogated for five hours by the Immigration Officials. During the detention, Fr. Salayta was questioned under oath, fingerprinted, photographed and searched. Fr. Salayta was on his way back from appearing on the Catholic TV network program in Toronto. He was to meet with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, HB Michel Sabbagh and Fr. Drew Christensen, the Counsel to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in Chicago.
Although Fr. Salayta carried a valid five-year multiple entry U.S. visa, he was denied re-entry to the United States and his visa was revoked at the border following this embarrassing encounter. Fr. Salayta has previously traveled to the U.S. 20 times to attend various official meetings.
The Jordanian born priest is an internationally recognized peace advocate and is the cofounder of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF). He is currently based in Rome, Italy. A passionate advocate for reconciliation between Arabs and Jews and for a just peace in the Holy Land, Fr. Salayta is a frequent speaker in the U.S. and abroad about the plight of Christians of the Holy Land.
Fr. Salayta is the former director of the Latin Patriarchate Schools in the Holy Land and Jordan. He served as the parish priest in Birzeit in the West Bank at Our Lady of Peace Roman Catholic Church. Fr. Salayta was born in Madaba, Jordan, home to an ancient Christian community dating back to the time of Jesus Christ. Trained as a priest at the seminary in Beit Jala, he rose quickly in the ranks of young priests who served the spiritual needs of the Christians in the Holy Land.
We believe that the US Administration officials were in error to detain a high-ranking official from the Catholic Church in the Holy Land. We ask that the INS/Home Land Security officials conduct an immediate inquiry into this unfortunate incident. We also ask that Father Salayta's visa is restored and he is allowed entry into the United States.
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*The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501(c)3 organization, committed to improving the lives of Christians in the Holy Land through building bonds of solidarity between Christians in the United States and in the Holy Land. We have two goals: inform Americans about the Christians in the Holy Land and provide humanitarian assistance for the needy in the land where Jesus Christ was born, preached, died and rose again. HCEF, 6935 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 214, Bethesda, MD 20815 (301) 951-9400, Toll Free (866) 871-4233 (HCEF), www.hcef.org Email: news@hcef.org
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