Sami Hamdi

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A Teaneck event featuring British commentator Sami Hamdi was canceled after he was apparently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The program, titled “The Syrian Story: Past, Present & Future,” was organized by Syrian Forum USA, Darul Islah, and IQAM Institute. Promotional materials listed Hamdi as one of three scheduled speakers, alongside Sh Waleed Elbatrawish and Mohamed Shallan. On Monday afternoon, Darul Islah shared an updated flyer announcing that the event had been canceled.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)-NJ said in a statement that Hamdi, a British citizen was detained by ICE at San Francisco International Airport. The organization claimed his detention “appears to be linked to his public criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza,” and called for his immediate release. The California chapter said he'd been on a speaking tour in the United States before his detention.

“CAIR-NJ is calling on ICE to immediately release Sami Hamdi and to end politically motivated detentions targeting dissenting voices,” the group said in a social media post.

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on social media that Hamdi’s visa was revoked and he was in ICE custody pending removal. "Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country," she said.

Hamdi's LinkedIn page says he's the managing director of the International Interest, a global risk and intelligence company.

Hamdi's wife, Soumaya, released a statement Monday:

“'Humanity can easily discern between right and wrong, Racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, genocide, and war crimes need no explanation or definitions for humanity to recognise them and stand firmly against them…'

"Sami lives by these words in everything that he does. If you’ve travelled with him, or worked with him in any capacity, you already know how genuine, selfless and good-hearted he is. His family misses him very much and just want him home."