ACLU challenges Patriot Act provision barring Muslim scholar from US News
ACLU challenges Patriot Act provision barring Muslim scholar from US

[JURIST] The American Civil Liberties Union [official website] on Wednesday filed a lawsuit [PDF complaint; press release] against the US government for denying Swiss Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan [ACLU profile] entry into the United States under the ideological exclusion provision [ACLU backgrounder; CIS report] of the USA . was unable to accept a teaching invitation at the University of Notre Dame in 2004 after his visa was revoked under the Patriot Act [PDF text; JURIST news archive] provision and was also banned from entering the country to accept several invitations to speak at various functions. The argues that immigration officials are using the provision to manipulate and censor intellectual debate in the United States and is seeking a declaration that the provision is unconstitutional under the First and Fifth Amendments. The plaintiffs also seek a court order barring the government from using the provision to exclude Ramadan or other foreign nationals. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.