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A Life or Death Decision


World  (tags: asylum humanrights )

Eleanor
- 659 days ago - independent.co.uk
Mehdi Kazemi is a gay teenager from Iran. He sought sanctuary in Britain after his boyfriend was hanged for homosexuality. So why is Britain so determined to send him back to Tehran - to almost certain execution?
Comments

Jennie B. (3)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 2:20 pm
This is just wrong. Protect this boy from certain execution. We must care about people again - all people. People who are different from us - for ex. a gay boy that is different from you because he is gay and gay is not something you can relate to, but your children could be gay and there is nothing worse than a mother's fear than her child will be killed because of useless senseless hate for something her child can not help. Noted
 

Eleanor B. (891)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 2:31 pm
The UK government is cruelly wicked unfortunately. This is just one case of its monstrous cruelty. I hope to goodness the Dutch do not return this young man, this child, to the UK.
 

Eleanor B. (891)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 2:37 pm
And in Iran it's all because the USA and the UK imposed the Shah on the people of Persia with his repression and his torture chambers. And if there hadn't been the siege of the US Embassy, President Carter would have been re-elected and the world would have been a better place. But as my mother used to say 'If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there would be no work for the tinkers." But it is still so sad.
 

Yvonne White (139)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 2:43 pm
:(
 

AniTa H. (146)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 2:58 pm
Is there anything we can do Eleanor? How tragic...they killed his boyfriend..my god.And the Brits want thim killed too?? Whatever happened to the UK's justice system..maybe it got polluted when Blair and Bush got in bed together?
 

Alf I. (246)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 3:50 pm
People are not allowed to be gay in Iran. Any gay person must have a sex change!! There was a documentary on it last week. If he goes back he will either be imprisoned for homosexuality or forced to have a sex change. Poor kid!
 

Thomas Panto (387)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 4:02 pm

It is the same with crusaders everywhere.
The presidents and PRIESTS want to back up their LIES with MURDER.
 

David Gould (146)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 4:13 pm
Maybe Iran is more honest than us. they say that they murder Gays...where as the cowardly British Government while saying they champion human rights are proving with every expulsion that they are more cruel, more devious and less fit to rule us.
Why this government ripped a dying woman from her deathbed to deport her back to Ghana where she can not get the paliative care for her cancer she has here. With all the stories in our press about the polititians with their snouts in the trough it is small wonder they have ne time to waste over real issues. Both the US and the UK are being poorly governed.
 

FreeSpirit Running (450)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 5:42 pm
Thanks Jen for forwarding, thank u Eleanor for the article, this is noted. That anyone could send another soul to his death just because of his sexual preference is beyond me! Can you imagine being killed just because of what you prefer. Everyone is entitled on this planet to live the way that they want to, know matter what anyone thinks or says, and no one has the right to kill another human being just because of his likes. No one has the right to judge. "Judge not, lest ye be judged". It's called LOVE people! Jennie is right, if we all just spread the love a little more, forget what a person does in his personal life. He certainly does not deserve to die for it!
May the Great Spirit have mercy on this young mans soul...
FreeSpiritRunning...
 

Marian E. (175)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 7:33 pm
Imprisonment or forced sex change should certainly be enough to grant him asylum, but this young man faces possible death by hanging!!!

"According to Iranian human rights campaigners, more than 4,000 gay men and lesbians have been executed since the Ayatollahs seized power in 1979. The last reported case of the death penalty imposed against a gay man was that of Makwan Moloudzadeh, 21, who was executed in December after being convicted for sodomy, or lavat, a capital offence under Iranian law."

This young man must be allowed to stay in Holland!!!
 

Alba Nuova (62)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 8:40 pm

If you conduct a Google search, you can find pictures of young men on Iranian gallows, before their executions for homosexuality. You have to see it, because this is the horror that they face and we have to denounce !

I recently posted a story about a young teenager murdered at his California school, shot by a 'classmate' who couldn't bear the boy's overt homosexuality. But our gay-hating is not the law of the land; it isn't institutionalized homophobic hate crimes, as it is in Iran.

I hope that the Iranian people will soon be delivered from their Islamic Totalitarian government.

Just two days ago, noted Iranian feminist and journalist Parvin Ardalan, who has worked for prominent publications, among which a magazine and a website which have been banned/closed down, and who has been arrested for organizing & participating in demonstrations and convicted of acting against national security (&sentenced to 6 months' actual imprisonment, with an additional 30 months suspended for 5 years), was called off the AirFrance flight she had boarded in Teheran - winner of this year's Olof Palme Prize, she was on her way to the award ceremony...but the authorities had her paged and she was forced to get off the plane; they confiscated her passport and so, she was unable to make the trip.
It's an Amnesty International article on this that I've posted here:
http://www.care2.com/news/member/597720583/663297
 

JOCELYNE A. (227)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 8:54 pm
MANY OF THESE COUNTRIES WILL KILL FOR ABOUT ANYTHING, THEY ENJOY KILLING, I AM SURE IF U WERE THERE & COUGHED, THEY WOULD HANG YOU !!
 

JOCELYNE A. (227)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 8:55 pm
THEY ARE RETARDED COUNTRIES, THATS IT, THATS ALL !!
 

Ernesto Daniel (93)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 9:16 pm
The UK must not send Mehdi back to Iran. They must do all they can to help him and protect him.
 

Past Member (0)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 11:32 pm
With all respect to this and compassion , i think it would be great to have some members from Iran here, to get informed also from their points.
You know, i was getting so many mails and warning and when checked them , found out that was a fake and propaganda.
I do not say this is the one, and I support to save this boy and protect him.
Iran has its laws, human or not, good or not, but at least are clear.
We also have our own injustice, cruelties, and a lot

of hypocrisy.. protected by law (paper), molested by praxis..
 

Past Member (0)
Thursday March 6, 2008, 11:35 pm
Jocelyne ..retarded countries..? Have you ever been there, knew people, know their history..and true reality?

Think from which resources you have learned of those "retarded" countries!
Am so sad!
 

FreeSpirit Running (450)
Friday March 7, 2008, 4:08 am
I will say it again, I don't care what country your from, "Mitakuye Oyasin" {we are one} on this planed Earth, and "No one should be killed for their sexual preference", Everyone has Rights! In any country, it should be that way! We are people, human beings with feelings. I want to spread the LOVE in any country..it doesn't matter..we should all be compassinate, that is how we were designed..Or one day, it could end of really badly, like nuclear bombing...who knows?...Let's all try to get along on Earth, we only have one Mother Earth!..She is crying out to the Great Spirits for us all to stop fighting amongst each other, and we must do it now before it's too late. Then there will no one left, no future for our beautiful innocent children..Oh, Great Spirit, have mercy on us...for some of us, know not what we do..and the harm that is being caused.
Many blessings of light to all in the Universe.
Spreading the love...
FreeSpiritRunning...
 

FreeSpirit Running (450)
Friday March 7, 2008, 4:09 am
"planet"....oops..
 

Jessie Cross (303)
Friday March 7, 2008, 4:13 am
I know that anything Eleanor posts is true - she is a tireless Human Rights woeker in Britain. Jocelyn - do go and read your history books and find out about this ancient civilisation - and think about all the people Bush & co have killed in Iraq and then come and tell us who is retarded. I do not support any religious governments or laws but do try to separate a moment in time from a long, long history and culture.
 

Past Member (0)
Friday March 7, 2008, 5:42 am
I also trust Eleanor and I know about this problem from other sources too!I support this here, I signed and no doubt this is good cause.Am just saying, that bad things are happening all over the world in different shapes, sometimes are so hidden under legality and democracy that can not even point it. ButI think is very arogant naming whole country-people retarded. And yes, agree with Jessie. By the way, where is she, no viewable profile of here!?
 

Eleanor B. (891)
Friday March 7, 2008, 10:47 am
Hi, my friends, and thanks for all your support for this young man. Jocelyne, I do know what you mean - it is horrific - young people, any people hanged! It's too much. But even though the UK does not have the death penalty - the govt is quite happy seemingly to send people to their deaths by execution - even though it is against the Convention on Human Rights that they have signed. It is against international law, I believe. The hypocrisy is stunning. And what country nowadays is not 'retarded' and I know Jocelyne meant 'barbaric' by that! Iran is barbaric - its laws are against the Convention of Human Rights. No one should be hanged because of their sexual preference anywhere in the world. They hang children like the UK did in the 19th century. The USA has the death penalty - it is really the only so-called 'western' country to retain it. It sets no example Yet it sets no example unfortunately in any way by its invasions, destabilisations, its bombings, its interference ever since the end of WW2. How could they lecture Iran when people are on death row? When they gas people or electrocute them or kill them by lethal injection? When children are imprisoned at the age of 14 for life? It is not a civilised country. But it would have been more of one if Reagan had not defeated Carter. That was a tragedy. Bush is just another tragedy on top. Blair, yes, was our tragedy. Our tragedy for the people of the world. And Cebelica, I know Jessie won't mind my telling you that she is taking a semi-break from Care2 - just popping in to sign petitions - she is not too well. She is a lovely friend of mine - I have visited her twice in Italy and she is coming to me in Scotland this June. She is a great activist when she is fit. Thanks everyone. It's Friday, I am tired, and I hope I am not blethering too much!!!!! Love to you all!
 

Past Member (0)
Friday March 7, 2008, 10:57 am
Thank you Eleanor, wish you great weekend..I need it too. Regarding Jessie, give her my regards, my best wishes - e molto felice per Jessi e per te!
 

Robert K. (1)
Friday March 7, 2008, 11:04 am
While I am not gay and therefore cannot really identify with it, I am a human being with a heart as is this young man. If my judgement from reading the article is correct, he left Iran when he was either 15 or 16 years old. How many 15 or 16 year olds really know their life direction? How many of us "experimented" as teens? Who in their right mind would would send a young man to Iran as crazy as it is, when such a person could lead a productive and constructive life that could contribute to society? I hope the Dutch court grants him asylum in the Netherlands - I think he'll be better off there. I hope and pray he will find the justice and peace he deserves.

Iran, like the states, is ruled by extremeist self-serving fundamentalists. It is high time for a change. DEFEAT McCAIN IN NOVEMBER - PREVENT A THIRD BUSH TERM.
 

Eleanor B. (891)
Friday March 7, 2008, 11:23 am
Molte grazie, Cebelica!!!
 

Eleanor B. (891)
Friday March 7, 2008, 11:30 am
Robert, yes, but even if he had decided that homosexuality was for him, we can't criticise, or shouldn't. I am not Christian but was brought up on the bible and remember 'he who is without sin, cast the first stone!' So even if anyone thinks that he has sinned, no one has the right to condemn another. No one is perfect. Islam is a religion of compassion and tolerance and this is not Islamic behaviour. No one should be condemned to death for anything! It is cold-blooded murder. And no decent government would send a young man to certain death. But our government is not decent. The worry is this Dublin Convention whereby a person must be returned to the first place s/he sought asylum. That's the worry here. If he is returned to the UK there could maybe be no hope for him. UK residents could use Write To Them to tell their MPs what they think. Outside the UK, possibly just write a letter to the PM here in UK at Downing Street. It just takes a few days and we do have that amount of time. Have tried to find an e-mail addy but can't. Will keep trying. If anybody can find one outwith WTT, please post and/or send me a message. E-mail is eleanor_boyd@yahoo.co.uk though am on Care2 every day also.
 

Delliana of the Sea (249)
Friday March 7, 2008, 5:10 pm
This is so sad!! Don't let them do this to him!!
 

Aletta Kraan (31)
Friday March 7, 2008, 6:46 pm
Hope and pray that the Netherlands will let him stay.
 

Ron Goodman (422)
Friday March 7, 2008, 7:42 pm
Some countries are still living in the Dark Ages because of their reclusion from the world in an attempt to stay in control with suppression. What a shame that many people still don't understand the gay issue and go to the extreme of a death sentence. Crazy!! noted
 

Adik L Dijkstra (0)
Friday March 7, 2008, 10:42 pm
I'm Dutch and I'm sure that they will help this young man, Dutch people had suffered alot in the WW2 and they are still helping the people who survived this ordeal. God bless The Netherlands
 

Eleanor B. (891)
Saturday March 8, 2008, 5:04 am
I know that the Dutch people are very civilised and have a high regard for human rights. I hope the Dutch Government will let this young man stay - they could get round the Dublin Convention by saying that if returned to the UK, the young man will surely be returned to Iran where he would be executed. Thank you for giving us hope, Adik.
 

Emm Dee B. (29)
Sunday March 9, 2008, 1:56 pm
Again, so noted but not without heartache, tears and pain for those who must live in a world that does not understand the very nature of compassion-- Again, there is but one earthly planet, one people (human beings), and we must all LOVE one another "as is." Praying always for Peace, Love and Hope!
 

Chad H. (16)
Sunday March 9, 2008, 5:59 pm
Here's a link to a petition I found. It's for another site, but the cause is good so I hope people won't mind. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/UKMADHI/
 
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