US apologizes over Ohio arrest of UAE man mistaken for Daesh
The US has apologized to the United Arab Emirates after a UAE businessman who was mistaken for a member of Daesh (ISIL) was aggressively arrested in the state of Ohio last week.
Ahmed al-Menhali, 41, was thrown to the ground and handcuffed by police in the Cleveland suburb of Avon on June 29 when the sister of a woman working as a hotel clerk called police to report that an Arab man at the hotel in “full head dress” had pledged allegiance to ISIL.
Al-Menhali was traveling to Cleveland to seek medical treatment after suffering a stroke in his country. He told Cleveland's WEWS-TV that he may have suffered another stroke during the subsequent arrest.
Avon police released al-Menhali after realizing their mistake. However, moments after he was released, he collapsed to the ground and was taken to the nearest hospital.
Officials are still contemplating charges against the clerk who made the false accusations.
The incident, which was recorded on police bodycam video, spurred the UAE government to take the unusual steps of summoning a US diplomat for a meeting and advising its citizens not to wear the traditional headscarf and full-length white robe while traveling overseas.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had summoned the US Deputy Chief of Mission Ethan Goldrich over the incident, and he apologized.
"He emphasized that the United States respects the right of different nations to wear their national dress, adding that this incident was an exception which was totally unacceptable," the statement reads.
Avon’s mayor and police chief also apologized to al-Menhali on Saturday, according to WEWS-TV.
Harassment against Muslims in the United States has increased in recent months after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump proposed in December to ban Muslims from entering the country.
Some Americans recently have been quick to wrongfully report possible Muslim terrorists, especially on airplanes.
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