On Thursday, a Syracuse University graduate student taking photographs outside the VA Medical Center on Irving Avenue was questioned by hospital security officers and forced to delete her pictures.

At about 3:20 p.m., Mariam Jukaku said she left her introductory photography class and walked to her parked at the West Lot, located behind the medical center.

‘When I came up to the VA hospital, I decided to take pictures of the flags and some of their signs,’ Jukaku, a Muslim and U.S. citizen of Indian descent, said.

After 10 minutes of taking photographs, a security officer approached Jukaku. Jukaku said the officer demanded her camera.

”She said delete these five right in front of me, and asked me what I was doing there,’ Jukaku said. ‘I told her that I was taking pictures in class and then she asked for my student ID. Then another officer approached, and he asked for my driver’s license.’

Jukaku said the other officer told her it was illegal to take pictures of federal property. Then he photocopied her license and SU ID, and asked Jukaku if she was a U.S. citizen.

‘I answered affirmative, and I don’t know if that was protocol, or what?’ Jukaku said. ‘I hope it wasn’t, and like to think it wasn’t because of my appearance. But either way I think it’s indicative of what’s going on a broader scale.’

A representative from the medical center could not be reached for comment.

Following the incident, Jukaku said she contacted Mark Obbie, associate professor of magazine journalism and SU’s Carnegie Legal Reporting Program.

Obbie said it’s not in the medical center’s right to take personal property from anyone.

‘They obviously don’t know the law, and they can’t take her personal property,’ Obbie said in an interview. ‘How can they say that Mariam and her camera are a threat to national security is beyond laughable.’

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Published on September 8, 2007 at 12:00 pm