You can't make this stuff up
First they were denied entry into a civil rights tour at city hall because they were suspicious looking "A-rabs," and then they were robbed at gunpoint.
And we're trying to tell them how to run their country!?
http://www.abc24.com/news/tristate/...41-B080CC342027
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Iraqi Delegation Robbed At Gunpoint in Memphis
Posted: 8/4/2004 9:21:24 PM
Two of the Iraqi delegates were robbed at gunpoint last night on Main Street in Downtown Memphis. The thieves got away with some cash, travelers checks and a camera. No one was hurt.
The robbery comes one day after City Council Chairman Joe Brown slammed the door in the delegates' faces at city hall. The group was here to learn about democracy, freedom and civil rights in America.
Members of the city council have now apologized for the incident. The council released a statement this afternoon that read:
"We sincerely apologize for the embarrassment we have brought upon ourselves and your delegation. We would appreciate your forgiveness."
It's signed, "Best wishes from the city of good abode."
The only council member who did not apologize is Carol Chumney. Chumney happily met with the group in the first place and says she had no reason to apologize. |
http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=2127696
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August 3, 2004
MEMPHIS (AP) -- Iraqis visiting on a civil rights tour in Memphis were barred from city hall.
City council chairman Joe Brown said it was too dangerous to let them in.
The seven Iraqi civic and community leaders are in the midst of a three-week American tour, sponsored by the State Department to learn more about the process of government.
But they didn't exactly receive a warm welcome in Memphis.
First, the group wasn't picked up at the airport Sunday as scheduled and had to take taxis. And a planned visit to the National Civil Rights Museum Monday was postponed because a Hollywood film was in production there.
Then came the problem at city hall.
Brown said he was just concerned about the safety of the delegation and the people in City Hall.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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http://homepage.mac.com/rondavis/iblog/C791896557/E790847320/
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From The Associated Press:
The Iraqi civic and community leaders are in the midst of a three-week American tour, sponsored by the State Department to learn more about the process of government. The trip also includes stops in Washington, Los Angeles and Chicago.
The Iraqis were scheduled to meet with a city council member, but Joe Brown, the council chair, said he feared the group was dangerous.
"We don't know exactly what's going on. Who knows about the delegation, and has the FBI been informed?" Brown said. "We must secure and protect all the employees in that building."
Elisabeth Silverman, the group's host and head of the Memphis Council for International Visitors, said Brown told her he would "evacuate the building and bring in the bomb squads" if the group entered.
"They are in charge of setting up processes in their country. They have to educate themselves about how it works in this country," Silverman said.
Silverman did not immediately respond to a message Tuesday seeking comment, and it was not clear whether the group had run into trouble elsewhere on their tour.
But the delegates seemed in good spirits Monday, after they were able meet with Carol Chumney, the city council member, elsewhere. Shahla Waliy, a 31-year-old native of Baghdad, said she was intrigued by the city's civil rights history.
"I heard there was a kind of majority-minority conflict in Memphis, especially in history," she said. "We have these smaller provinces, and we have majority-minority conflicts in these places."
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Last edited by DaveSZ on Aug-06-2004 at 04:07
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