AAUP Joins Other Groups in Questioning Denial of Visa to Afghan Activist

The American Association of University Professors has joined the American Civil Liberties Union and the Pen American Center in issuing a statement questioning the U.S. State Department’s decision to deny a visa to Malalai Joya, an Afghan politician and human-rights activist. The groups do not have any evidence that Ms. Joya, a critic of American policy, was denied a visa based on her views, and the U.S. Department of State has signaled that it is ending the controversial practice of “ideological exclusion.” But even if the visa was denied for other reasons, the three groups want the State Department to grant Ms. Joya a denial waiver so she can undertake a planned three-week speaking tour of the United States.