Letter: The irony of helping Iranian

Consider the following: Iran has consistently been described by the United States as the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism. Until a few days ago there has no ban on travelers to the U.S. from Iran.

One of these travelers is a 29-year-old Iranian woman, a valid visa holder, living and working in the U.S. for more than seven years, a graduate of Clemson University with advanced degrees from Northern Illinois University. As a result of the recent ban on entry from citizens of Iran, this woman was denied entry while attempting to return to the U.S. following a three-week vacation to visit family in Iran.

Within hours of the president’s executive order, Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain publicly criticized the president for taking this action, and Graham started working to get this woman back in South Carolina. I’m sure she appreciates his efforts.

We can only speculate that the Iranian government also appreciates his efforts as it continues to sponsor terrorism. Some might reasonably wonder at the irony of this scenario.

This story was originally published February 3, 2017 at 9:40 AM with the headline "Letter: The irony of helping Iranian."