Sanctuary for Jila, Emad & Aref
This is an alert from the Sanctuary for Jila, Emad & Aref campaign
Jila Kalkhoran her sons Emad and Aref Pirouzeh are nationals of Iran and residents of Middlesbrough; they are currently detained in Yarl’s Wood IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Friday 21st November on BMI Flight BD931 from London Heathrow @ 17:15 to Tehran Imam Khomeini International, Iran.
Jila, Emad & Pizrouzeh were ’snatched’ from their Middlesbrough home Wednesday morning.
Jila and her family became targets of violence and intimidation in Iran following her husband’s involvement in political activity proscribed by the Iranian government. Jila’s husband Ali Pirouzeh was a journalist for a publication, which was critical of the Iranian regime’s record on women’s rights, poverty and religious rights.
Jila & the children came to the UK in October 2007 for a visit, fully intending to return to Iran. News from her partner in early 2008 said that the situation was getting worse and he advised her not to return to Iran. Jila made an asylum claim in March 2008. Jila’s husband was forced to flee Iran in June 2008 following a number of violent incidents against him and others. He fully intended to try and get to the UK to join is wife and children but only got as far as Holland, where he made an asylum claim which is still under consideration.
After claiming Asylum in the UK, Jila and her children came to live in Middlesbrough, where they have settled down to become much loved members of the community and a local evangelical Jubilee Church Teesside. Jila’s Christian faith is her second well-founded fear of persecution. Jila and the boys have become Christians in the UK and regularly attend, and are actively involved in, the life of Jubilee Church Teesside.
In 2007 Amnesty International announced that it was concerned by the “rising tide of harassment of journalists and women’s rights activists in Iran by security officials.” Such harassment included travel restrictions both inside and outside Iran, and arbitrary and indefinite detention in Iran’s prisons. Journalists critical of the government have been accused by the Iranian authorities of “disturbing public opinion”, “propaganda against the system” and “publication of lies.” Reporters Without Borders comments that “many journalists were also held in secret, without even basic rights” and media outlets sometimes face physical attack by government organisations and Koranic schools.
On 8.10.08 The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, Rt Hon David Miliband, MP, condemned a draft bill currently making its way through the Iranian Parliament, which would codify the death penalty for apostasy. David Miliband commented that he “deplored the way in which the Iranian Parliament is· now discussing a draft penal code that would set out a mandatory death sentence for the crime, quote unquote, of apostasy.” He went on to say that “If adopted, [the legislation] would violate the right to freedom of religion, which is also an important basis of any civilised society.”
The draft bill being debated in Iran was initially approved at a first stage vote by the Iranian parliament on Tuesday 9 September, with 196 votes for, seven against, and two abstentions. The bill, named the Islamic Penal Code, is currently due to be sent back to the Legislative Commission for amendments before being brought before the Iranian parliament for a final vote. http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=press&id=789
All legal avenues have been exhausted. They are a charming family whose politeness and warmth has touched everyone whom they met. Emad and Aref have taken part in a range of community youth activities, to which they contributed talent, enthusiasm and maturity beyond their years. It would be tragic and an injustice if this family were to be forcibly removed to The Islamic Republic of Iran, a country from which they fled in fear of their lives.
Jila, Emad and Aref were detained for removal earlier this year due to a mistake in the asylum process, which was only; rectified at the last moment and they were released. Now the family have been detained a second time for removal again on 21st November 2008, despite the fact that fresh evidence received from Iran concerning her husband’s case is currently being translated.
Local Middlesbrough residents are campaigning to keep the family in the UK.
What you can do to Help:
1) Please send urgent faxes to Nigel Turner, Chief Executive Officer BMI Airways, asking that BMI should not facilitate Home Office enforcement policies, using the attached ‘model letter’ (JilaEmadArefBMI.doc) you can copy/amend/write your own version, if you do so, please remember to include the following details: Jila, Emad & Aref due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Friday 21st November on BMI Flight BD931 from London Heathrow @ 17:15 to Tehran Imam Khomeini International, Iran.
Fax: Fax:: 01332 854989 from outside the UK: + 44 1332 854989
Leave a complaint/concern
BMI Customer Relations: At BMI we are committed to our customers and value your feedback. You can leave a complaint/concern @
http://www.flybmi.com/bmi/en-gb/planning-and-information/customer-service/customer-relations.aspx
2) Ring BMI Head Office and ask to speak to the CEO, Nigel Turner (Tel: 01332 854000). You probably won’t be able to speak to him personally, but you should be able to leave a message, at least to say that you have sent a fax.
3) Please send urgent faxes/emails immediately to Rt. Hon.Jacqui Smith, Secretary for State, asking that Jila, Emad & Aref, be granted protection in the UK. Please use the attached ‘model letter’ (JilaEmadAref SJ.doc) which you can copy/amend/write your own version, if you do so, please remember to include their HO ref: K1279501.
Fax: 020 8760 3132(00 44 20 8760 3132 if you are faxing from outside UK)
Email: Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Please let the campaign know of faxes/emails sent:
‘Sanctuary for Jila, Emad & Aref’
24 Oxford Road
Middlesbrough
TS5 5DZ
Tel. 079 1442 2994 / or 079 3238 4248
Comments
| 21 November 2008, 9:34 am |
They should go
This small island is full.
Why don’t they seek sanctuary in a Muslim country.
Why do Muslims always choose to come to non-Muslim countries when they want to be asylum seekers.
Britain is a small, crowded island, let them go to a Muslim country like Indonesia or Egypt.
I do not want them here, most Brits don’t want them here. And if Guardianistas are so desperate for them to stay, then they can house them, feed them, care for them and educate them.
Will these campaigners be picking up the bill?
Will the Guardian and AI be running campaigns to pay for them?
Will Lefties be letting them stay in their houses for free?
No, of course not. It’s the tax payer that will have to pay for them.
>Jila, Emad & Pizrouzeh were ’snatched’ from their Middlesbrough home Wednesday morning.
They were not snatched, they were removed. What kind of idiotic language is this. This is the language of Marxist campaigners. Next we’ll be hearing about the dictatorship of the proletariat.
| 21 November 2008, 9:47 am |
It clearly says that Jila is a Christian. Anyway, it makes me laugh, all sorts of scumbags are allowed to stay in this country, claiming asylum, when someone who has a well-founded fear of persecution and whose family have been involved in political action against a reparessive government, is kicked out. Last week I was reading about a Pakistani, an illegal immigrant, who killed an Oxford graduate in an uninsured,unroadworthy hit and run car accident. After two years in prison, he came out and because he had a British wife who had a baby (like, how do you impregnante someone when you are in prison?) and his wife was a Christian, the Immigration Tribunal reversed the decision to deport him to Pakistan because his wife would be persecuted for her religion. Seems totally unfair that this woman and her children should not receive the same consideration.
| 21 November 2008, 9:49 am |
are the children not covered by the children’s act? I had a student last month snatched from her home on thursday and on plane by sunday. She and her sister had been physicaly and mentally destroyed by their country they fleed. Her sister got asylum she didn’t. Disgusting.
| 21 November 2008, 9:51 am |
Phil
Are you going to pay for them?
Are you going to have them in your home?
If you love them so much, and you’re so disgusted, why don’t you take them in.
You can pay for them and all your friends who agree, can support them.
If all the campaigners started doing this, then people like me wouldn’t have to pay for them, and wouldn’t get so upset.
.
Get your cheque book out Phil, you’re going to be paying a lot of bills.
| 21 November 2008, 11:55 am |
tt, may I be the first to invite you to go and fuck yourself. Cheers.
| 21 November 2008, 11:57 am |
This just in:
We have just had confirmation form Jila’s solicitor that a Judge has served an injunction stopping the deportation that had be scheduled for 17:15 today. Teesside Immigration has confirmed receipt of this.
Thank you for all your support including faxes and e-mails to Government Ministers, MP’s, Immigration and The Chief Executive Officer of the airline BMI. I can’t stress enough how valuable this has been in getting Jila’s case raised in high places.
We are looking forward to having Jila, Emad and Aref back with us on Teesside.
| 21 November 2008, 12:02 pm |
Erm, TT, Guardian readers, Amnesty International-supporters, and all other stereotype “”do-gooders”" are all tax-payers as well. Many Brits want a compassionate asylum system in this country and are happy to campaign for it and to pay for it.
I would like to second the motion calling for you go fyck yourself.
| 21 November 2008, 12:51 pm |
The fact they’ve become Christians will play against their asylum request.
Immigration departments all over The West are just chock full of white liberals respective of all that is non-western and non-Christian, but who are utterly dismissive of anyone praising and/or adopting western values.
You can bring in child-brides from Pakistan because it’s all so colourful and exotic, but dissidents fleeing a régime ‘resisting’ gringo imperialism, and who converted to the oh-so patriarchal Christian faith on top of it, become pariahs in th eyes of lefty bureaucrats and are often deported.
I find it amazing ( and this goes for Canada as well) that we let in islamist clerical fascists as refugees fleeing ‘persecution’ ( ie who’ve been caught planning mass murder!), but rarely the genuine item.
The people who wish us harm get in, whereas those embracing values that dovetail with our own, and who demonstrate enthusiasm for our way of life are shown the door.
Will this wonderous humanitarian progress ever stop?
@TT Yes, the taxpayers will fork out for the moment, but did it ever occur to you that this lovely women and her two sons will soon become net contributors to gov’t coffers?
Persians can be very ambitious and bright…particularly when the millstone of radical Islam has been lifted from their necks.
| 21 November 2008, 2:25 pm |
This family would be arrested and tried if they return to Iran. If the death penalty isn’t mandated in law, they will just be kept in prison until the law does allow them to be hanged. The children will be detained in prison and hanged as soon as they come of age.
If we have an ounce of humanity, or decency, they must be allowed to stay.
What a pity we allowed hundreds of thousands of others, who have no such legitimacy or provenance, to get in and queer the pitch for this family. If we hadn’t done that, cases like this would arouse no controversy today.
| 21 November 2008, 2:44 pm |
tt, may you live long, in excruciating pain.
| 21 November 2008, 5:08 pm |
Well done Gordon Brown & especially well done David Milliband,
Gordon for appeasing very islamist regime he comes accross - must get around to reading your book On Courage.
David im sure you father/family who came to this country under similar circumstances to that of this Iranian family are looking from on high and are very proud of your involvement in a government that hands over refugees to butchers.
| 21 November 2008, 5:55 pm |
“David im sure you father/family who came to this country under similar circumstances to that of this Iranian family are looking from on high and are very proud of your involvement in a government that hands over refugees to butchers.”
Er. I wouldn’t describe “Notting Hill” as “on high”.
| 22 November 2008, 1:40 am |
tt: Are you Christian?? If you are, then shame on you.
David T: Please keep us posted!
| 22 November 2008, 1:44 am |
Second what seconder to tt.
Thanks, David T for this post. Please keep us informed about Jila, Emad and Aref’s case.
| 22 November 2008, 4:30 pm |
Sue R says “..Anyway, it makes me laugh, all sorts of scumbags are allowed to stay in this country, claiming asylum, when someone who has a well-founded fear of persecution and whose family have been involved in political action against a reparessive government, is kicked out…”
You are right, but I am not laughing. It ties in with the fact that this government’s sympathies are with Islamists. Instead of helping innocents who are against extremist regimes we get them supporting Islamists who openly despise democracy by letting them leech off us. Anjem Choudary springs to mind.
David T, I am writing this on 22nd November. Can we have an update please?
| 22 November 2008, 4:32 pm |
PS: TO PREVIOUS MESSAGE: Have just seen the message from SP.
Sighs of relief all round.
| 22 November 2008, 4:35 pm |
tt, can you confirm that you feel the same way about Anjem Choudary and all the other Islamist ingrates who, although some of them may have been born here, consider it a sort of jihad to sponge off us on social security?
If you do, then why aren’t you yelling your head off against them? If not, then I concur with what others have written above, that you go forth and multiply, preferably somewhere else.
| 23 November 2008, 7:45 pm |
what happened to them?
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