Barry, your discussion of the United States’ record in religious asylum cases brought to mind another case we have worked on. We filed an amici curiae brief with a U.S. district court in Pennsylvania along with our international affiliate in support of Sameh Sami S. Khouzam, a Coptic Christian from Egypt who would likely face torture and possible death if returned to his native country. It is well known that Coptic Christians face terrible persecution in Egypt, including kidnappings, forced conversions, torture, and death.
An immigration judge had concluded that “the evidence is overwhelming that [Khouzam] will more likely than not be subjected to torture by a responsible Egyptian government official,” and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that Khouzam could not be deported under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). In 2007, however, he was taken into custody to be sent back to Egypt after the United States received “diplomatic assurances” from the Government of Egypt that he would not be tortured. Fortunately, the district court judge agreed with our arguments and allowed Khouzam to remain in the United States due to the clear risk that he would be tortured despite Egypt’s assurances to the contrary.
Barry, I think we would agree that the best way to help people like Khouzam and others who face severe religious persecution is for the global community to use its influence to pressure nations like Iran and Egypt to respect basic human rights. In this vein, the Presidency of the European Union issued a declaration last week stating the EU’s concern over “the deterioration in the exercise of freedom of religion or belief, and especially the freedom of worship, in Iran, where the pressure on people belonging to religious minorities has worsened in recent months.”
In addition, the declaration stated, “[t]he European Union is deeply disturbed by the arrests since April of Iranian converts to Christianity and members of the Baha’i community. It calls for their immediate and unconditional release and the cessation of all forms of violence and discrimination against them.” The declaration also expressed concern “at the Iranian parliament’s decision to consider a draft law making apostasy one of the crimes punishable by death” and stated: “The European Union urges the Islamic Republic of Iran to reconsider its decision to examine the law in question, release all those who have been imprisoned because of their religious affiliation and allow its citizens to exercise their freedom of religion or belief in full.”
It is encouraging to see the European Union taking a stand for human rights and religious freedom.
posted January 25, 2009 at 4:19 pm
We are looking for help may not find such assistance in our time, we
were Muslims and we have turned to Christianity as a result of much we
are threatened with death of our family that we must leave this country
as soon as possible, we can not practice the religion of our duty to
Christ, we have We went to Human Rights Watch and tell us what people
there said to us we advise you not to tell anyone , that something
serious may lead to your life imprisonment or the death penalty as
stipulated in eternal law of the land, and we live in the Arab and
Islamic country, unfortunately, we can not live in a misguided anymore ,
Has requested assistance from all organizations and embassies such as
the United Nations and the Red Cross and said we can not help you in
such a matter because it is very dangerous in those countries and after
failing to receive assistance from those organizations we ask our
brothers and Christians both in The mercy of his heart to help us
material assistance, even if very small and the provision of any kind of
Visas out to any country, we can see what you live right, as a result of
the decision rendered much we have been deprived of by the heirs of the
Father, we decided to have been in our work because Much. we are HAMZA and ALI Live In Jordan and we have a very big problem . at
first we wouldn’t be ab;e to send the exact suffering of us accourding
to our little english Skils .
our Problem , that we want to change our relegion to the christanity
instead of Islam according to the right we see from Long time , and we
have been suffering from that since at least two years it’s not allowed
to anyone to change his religion especialy at the arabic and islamic
country . we have been threaten manytimes by our family lots of time our
brothers are seven two of them lIVE IN lebanon . we went to the human
rights to tell them our problem then someone who was christain
founrunately told us not to say anything about that he said the hman
rights could help with anything except this case and he said if the
goverment knew that you want to Leave islam they will put us in the Jail
maybe forever or maybe get Killed .
we went to most of all the churches here in Jordan to Help us , they
said they can’t help us accourding to the promise that they made to the
government and all of the churches adviced us to travel abroad . you
can’t imagine How much we Love the Jesus and can’t Live away from him
anymore ,
Christ, peace be upon you – we were twins, two Muslims and after
searching the religions we have accepted Christ and Christians in the
black can not go to church and practice religion freely – We are being
suffered from our people and our friends and relatives because we
accepted Christ – and we live in Islamic country faced major risks -
threatened with death – and that the law convict us to the death penalty
as stipulated in the Qor’an – We are afraid if the government knows , we
went to some churches in Jordan to take their support to be far from
danger and suffering and be able to practice religion freely -
one day our brother caught us
infront of a church after being inside Praying , accourding to that our
brothere was going to Kill us and they keep threaten and then they get
watching us in everystep when we are out home even at home they caught
our bible and ditroyed it completely infront of us ,
and now we feel too afraid to go to the churches here ,
we asking the united nations and the embassies and almost all of the
organaziation
but no sence and the united nation the reception of it told us
fortunately it was christain too . told us please don’t tell anyone ,
the united nation can’t help in this case even they would put you in
risk .
we tried three times to get the visa of the united states even we didn’t
have lots of money we were working too much affording all the abuses at
our work to get the money in order to pay for the usa visa , and we
tried three time , but we were afraid to tell anyone about our case .
and we told them that we want to go there as a tourists , we tried three
times . we are fed up .
our suffering is too much , we are only 22 years and i’m older than my
twin brother only 5 minutes .
we are praying so much ,
and we a help from you to help us to go abroad to any un-islamic or
arabic country such a work visa even we don’t need salary there . Just
to be able to get by , only the low salary Just to get by .
it’s very Long storry ,
posted September 13, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Many countries have a human rights record that is simply deplorable to say the least. I agree that “the best way to help people like Khouzam and others who face severe religious persecution is for the global community to use its influence to pressure nations like Iran and Egypt to respect basic human rights.” Unfortunatefar too often, this suggestion is ethereal versus reality. I was really pleased with the UN making at least three trips by various representatives to advocate for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. In addition, many international presidents and leaders made statements as well. Nonetheless, I didn’t see these efforts impacting her sentence – she still was given 1.5 years house arrest for doing what any decent human would do: giving food and shelter to American John Yettaw after he swam out to her lakeside residence to warn her of an attempt on her life in a dream he had. With all the international clout and interdependent global economic influence that countries have with Myanmar, more could be done.
posted August 11, 2010 at 5:47 am
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