By Ben Fractenberg
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
EAST VILLAGE — A polarizing Oxford professor is scheduled to speak at a Cooper Union panel discussion Thursday night after being allowed to enter the U.S. for the first time since 2004 when the Bush administration revoked his visa under the Patriot Act.
Tariq Ramadan, who teaches Islamic Studies, was accused of giving around $1,300 to a Swiss-based charity, which then funneled the money to Hamas, The New York Times reported. Ramadan denied he had any knowledge of the connection.
The ACLU came to Ramadan’s defense and after a federal appeals court ruled the government did not have enough evidence to revoke his visa Ramadan was allowed to reenter the country.
The panel discussion, titled “Secularism, Islam and Democracy: Muslims in Europe and the West,” will take place 7 p.m. Thursday night at Cooper Union’s Great Hall.
Tickets are available to for $10 to $15 dollars.
