Shia Muslim scholars denied entry into US suspect religious bias

Some believe that a 2015 law restricting entry to those who have traveled to Iraq or Iran – where Shias make pilgrimages – is to blame

It took the US consulate seven minutes to reject Nabil Ahmed Shabbir’s visa application.

Shabbir, a British Shia scholar, had applied for his US visa to assist with the birth of his first child. His wife, an American Shia Muslim, wanted to have the birth in the US.