Eric Sherin served his country as an infantryman on the front lines of the first Gulf War and later became a National Guard helicopter pilot. He even has a signed photograph with the first President Bush. But after converting to Islam, he found himself on a government watch list, banned from the cockpit, and facing the end of his career.
Guilty Until Proven Innocent
With no explanation, no charges, and no opportunity to defend himself, Sherin was told by his employer that he was on a watch list and would lose his job. His wife Rabina, an American citizen born in Pakistan who sells mainstream Islamic books, was also flagged. Both have been repeatedly detained at airports and borders.
“My entire career depends on me getting off this list. I probably won’t be able to get a job anywhere else in the world having this mark that I’m on this undetermined list.”
A Broken System
The couple tried every avenue to clear their names, but the system was designed to be impenetrable:
- Letters to the Department of Homeland Security went unanswered
- The TSA’s complaint system was described as a “black hole” with no response
- The Justice Department would not even confirm or deny if they were on a watch list
- Only after filing a lawsuit and going public did they receive a case tracking number
“It is not the kind of effective process that the Constitution demands when the government is going to take away your life, liberty, or property.”
Eric Sherin fought for America, served with distinction, and posed no threat to anyone. His only “crime” was becoming Muslim. This is the reality of institutional Islamophobia: a system that punishes people for their faith while denying them any meaningful way to defend themselves.
