John Campbell, a former Ambassador of the United States to Nigeria has reportedly said that the United States considers actions and speeches of individuals and their historical context before giving a verdict on them.
Reacting to the allegations associating Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, with international terrorist networks, the former ambassador said the U.S. would not deny the minister a visa without considering when he made his statements.
“As for Dr. Pantami’s sermons and other public statements, a consular officer would want to know when he made them–years ago or yesterday,” Campbell said.
He added that “There is also the question of whether he advocated violence and whether his apology is a repudiation of what he said.”
“Is he now part of an international terrorist network? Or, are some of his views merely parallel to those of, say, Osama Bin Laden? As you know, freedom of speech and of thought is integral to the American system.”
“So, actions (including inflammatory rhetoric) weigh more heavily than the mere expression of ideas or beliefs. Each visa decision is made on a case-by-case basis.”
Pantami had publicly recanted his statements supporting Al-Qaeda terrorist post 9/11. He said his speeches were based on a lack of adequate information on international politics.
