Rabat – The United States Secret Service blocked Mayor Mohamed Khairullah of New Jersey from attending a Eid Al Fitr celebration in the White House to mark the end of Ramadan, the politician has claimed.
Khairullah has been the Democratic mayor of Prospect Park, New Jersey – a borough of 6.300 people– for 17 years.
Although the White House invited him to the Eid celebration late last month, the mayor said he received a phone call while he was on his way to Washington DC and was informed that he was not cleared by the Secret Service.
“I don’t know the reason,” NBC News quoted Khairullah as saying. “I’m baffled.”
The man said he believes that his name is on an FBI list by mistake and that although it caused him travel problems in the past, he thought the matter had been resolved.
Khairullah was involved in relief efforts in the Middle East and said he had been to Syria several times since the civil war broke out in the country. He said he thought the issue was resolved after he had been questioned by border patrol agents in 2019, noting that he traveled internationally with no issues last year.
The Secret Service themselves confirmed on Monday that Khairullah was not allowed to enter the White House, but would not elaborate on why.
“While we regret any inconvenience this may have caused, the mayor was not permitted to enter the White House complex for this evening’s event,” Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi said. “Unfortunately, we cannot provide additional commentary on the specifics surrounding the protective means and methods used at the White House.”
Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims are obligated to observe a daily fast.
President Joe Biden attended the event at the White House to thank Muslims for their contributions to the U.S.
