Today’s Independent carries a troubling front page story that has left me shaking with rage! You can read the full article online, but here’s an extract:
A gay teenager who sought sanctuary in Britain when his boyfriend was executed by the Iranian authorities now faces the same fate after losing his legal battle for asylum.
Mehdi Kazemi, 19, came to London to study English in 2004 but later discovered that his boyfriend had been arrested by the Iranian police, charged with sodomy and hanged.
In a telephone conversation with his father in Tehran, Mr Kazemi was told that before the execution in April 2006, his boyfriend had been questioned about sexual relations he had with other men and under interrogation had named Mr Kazemi as his partner.
Fearing for his own life if he returned to Iran, Mr Kazemi claimed asylum in Britain. But late in 2007 his case was refused. Terror-stricken at the prospect of deportation the young Iranian made a desperate attempt to evade deportation and fled Britain for Holland where he is now being detained amid a growing outcry from campaigners.
He appeared before a Dutch court yesterday to plead with the authorities not to return him to Britain where he is almost certain to be sent back to Iran.
There’s more on the story here.
I am angry because there is more public debate about the rights of terrorists and criminals facing deportation than there seems to be for genuine, innocent and vulnerable people. Is this because the philosophical issues are less interesting?
I am angry because there are no Home Office guidelines educating asylum adjudicators about the persecution of LGBT people around the world, particularly from Islamic countries.
I am angry because I’ve heard people told to be “discreet” about their sexual orientation, but never about their politics or religion.
I am angry because the campaign to highlight the serious persecution of gay people in Iran – key to persuading the asylum authorities of the gravity of the situation – has been constantly undermined by sections of the idiot-Left, who have accused those shining a light on Iran’s torture and execution of gay people as “Islamophobes” and “Neocon sabre rattlers”.
And I am angry, well, because it is so blindingly obvious than a terrible injustice is being done.
Please write to your MP, your MEP, your local party leadership, your national party leaders, your union, or whoever you think might be able to put pressure on the Home Office to review this appalling state of affairs.
