Public speaker and activist Sami Hamdi has been detained by American federal authorities while on a speaking tour in the United States with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Hamdi was reportedly taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in San Francisco. US officials claim Hamdi poses a threat to national security.
Speaking to VOC News, Hamdi’s wife, Soumaya Hamdi, expressed frustration and concern over the lack of information regarding her husband’s detention. “We are being kept in the dark. I don’t know if you can imagine traveling to the United States on a valid visa and being effectively abducted by the government without any explanation,” she said.
Soumaya described the situation as “incredibly distressing and worrying” and suggested that her husband’s activism may have triggered the detention. “He was invited there as a guest to speak. He has a valid visa, and it appears that his very vocal, very effective campaigning for Palestinian rights and human rights has put him on the radar of people who would like to silence him,” she added.
Reflecting on the experience, Soumaya drew parallels with historical struggles for freedom. “It’s chilling because I’m very familiar with the stories of South Africa and its history, and it’s agonizing to know that this could be happening now, especially in a country that supposedly champions freedom of speech.”
She described the arrest as abrupt and distressing: “Sami was picked up on Sunday morning, first thing. We don’t have the full details because we’re being drip-fed information from third- and fourth-party sources. He wasn’t even given a chance to inform us. I can only imagine, replaying it in my mind, how it must have happened. Everyone knows what ICE agents are like, how brutal and inhumane they can be, and he was there alone, getting ready to board his flight when he was taken.”
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
Photo: VOCfm/ Stockfiles
