"Denied Entry. U.S. security officials have prevented an influential Islamic scholar from attending a conference in New York."

"The move startled officials at New York University Law School who had invited Helbawy to be a featured speaker at a conference the organization is sponsoring Thursday night on the Muslim Brotherhood movement. “He’s a really respected guy,” said Paul Cruickshank, a fellow at the law school’s Center for Law and Security, which had organized the conference. “He’s very influential within the Muslim community in Britain and his name is recognized throughout the world.”

"Spokesmen for the Homeland Security Department and FBI declined any immediate comment on why Helbawy, a British citizen with a valid passport, was removed from the plane. A senior U.S. government official, who declined to be identified talking about sensitive matters, said he was puzzled by the incident because there appeared to be no intelligence reporting linking Helbawy to terrorism."

Arf