UK goverment “too busy” to stop Bita Ghaedi being deported to her death next week
Bita Ghaedi is an Iranian UK-based asylum seeker. On May 5th she will be dragged back against her will into a brutal regime and family situation that will very likely lead to her murder
By Shreen Ayob on Saturday, May 1st, 2010 - 693 words.
Bita Ghaedi is an Iranian UK-based asylum seeker. On May 5th she will be dragged back against her will into a brutal regime and family situation that will very likely lead to her murder.
She is at very high risk from an honour killing because she fled an unhappy marriage with a lover. Bita’s links with the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI) also put her at even more risk if she is deported. Supporters of the PMOI are punishable by death according to the current Iranian regime.
To underestimate danger of being deported to Iran under these circumstances, and the risk of being targeted by an honour-crime, would be a fatal mistake. However this mistake has been made many times before in the UK, including cases where police did not believe women who came to them with strong reason to believe their family would murder them for so-called honour. When the women’s dead bodies were eventually found, the police were ashamed.
Bita Ghaedi endured beatings and mental torture at the hands of her family. There is no reason to deny her asylum claim, but the British government has refused her case.
What the British government are doing to Bita is illegal according to UN guidelines.
It is illegal under UN agreements on the Status of Refugees to violate the principle of non-refoulement, or returning an asylum-seeker to a country where they have grounds to fear persecution. England is a signatory to the legally-binding agreements on Status of Refugees, and Bita’s case is very clear cut.
On April 16th 2010, despite thousands of people involved in a campaign to stop this deportation, government and mainstream media has so far ignored them. UK Foreign secretary David Miliband has been targeted as he can personally intervene. Again he has so far ignored this story.
The ‘purdah’ period before the general election makes it even harder for voices to be heard, which is a tragedy when someone’s life is in danger.
And whilst this may seem like an easily dismissible isolated case, Maria Rohay from Mission Free Iran campaign says that she has been working with other similar cases. If the media is ignoring Bita, then what hope is there for the others who have not even received the same attention from the independent press?
Maria writes: “We have been working on the cases of these 4 Iranian UK-based asylum seekers, and 1 in Japan, Jamal Saberi. The one thing that they all have in common is that the mainstream media REFUSES to cover their stories. Further, even though Amnesty Intl and Human Rights Watch have in several of the cases become involved on the ground, they have not issued any statements on their behalf nor have they even mentioned them in their sites. This dereliction of duty by mainstream human rights orgs actually damages these asylum-seekers because people don’t believe the cases until Amnesty or Human Rights Watch gives them their ‘blessing.’”
In short, there is plenty of blame to go around for the present appalling circumstances, from the inhumane deportation policies of the UK, to the studious silence of the mainstream media, to the inexplicable inability of Amnesty, HRW, and UNHCR to decry, let alone try to stop, these llegal acts of deportation by the UK and Japan.
If we thought the days of “we are the media” for Iran ended with the street protests, we were wrong. It is up to citizens worldwide to take responsibility; our social institutions and mainstream organizations are failing miserably, and have been for quite some time.
One must remember of course, that this is not an isolated case. Human Rights aren’t anything like a right for many people across the globe. This is happening in perpetuity. But many of us possess not just the right, but also the luxury, to choose between action for change or plugging into the mainstream media and convincing ourselves, ‘It’s got nothing to do with me’.
The mainstream media are ignoring this story because of the general elections. Bita is one of many.
Bita is due for deportation on May 5th. Despite pressure from thousands of voices, the government has not revoked the decision to send Bita and others to their deaths.
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For more information, see this page
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Shreen Ayob
27London, UK
Motorbike riding, chicken keeping, dirt jumping, ex-engineer, urban exploring, amatuer photographer, volunteer for women’s rights charities, UK-born Kurdish Londoner.
http://shreenayob.wordpress.com/http://twitter.com/shreen_ayob
shreen.ayob@gmail.com
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UK goverment "too busy" to stop Bita Ghaedi being deported to her death next week
Bita Ghaedi is an Iranian UK-based asylum seeker. On May 5th she will be dragged back against her will into a brutal regime and family situation that will very likely lead to her murder
The hyperlink at the start is not the most up-to-date set of info.
Please go here instead:http://shreen-distracted.com/#/save-bita/45406377...
^Editorial team fixed it now. Ignore my previous message.
The hyperlink at the start is not the most up-to-date set of info.
Please go here instead:http://shreen-distracted.com/#/save-bita/45406377...
^Editorial team fixed it now. Ignore my previous message.
I don't have Flash so all I get there is a blank screen. Could you please let us know an email address to write to or something?
(In general it's not a good idea to do activist-type websites in Flash, as it prevents a large number of people (e.g. the blind, those using iPads, those using Free Software) from helping…)
I don't have Flash so all I get there is a blank screen. Could you please let us know an email address to write to or something?
(In general it's not a good idea to do activist-type websites in Flash, as it prevents a large number of people (e.g. the blind, those using iPads, those using Free Software) from helping…)
Timely / ironic / a sick joke, you decide:
http://www.unhcr.org.uk/news-and-views/news-list/...
Why isn't the UK government listening?
Timely / ironic / a sick joke, you decide:
http://www.unhcr.org.uk/news-and-views/news-list/...
Why isn't the UK government listening?
we can't cure everybody's problem. how many other people will die grisly, unnecessary deaths in the world? Bita will just have to take her chances
we can't cure everybody's problem. how many other people will die grisly, unnecessary deaths in the world? Bita will just have to take her chances
we can't cure everybody's problem. how many other people will die grisly, unnecessary deaths in the world? Bita will just have to take her chances
What a complete lack of compassion. Under that logic, whats the point in ever getting involved in any human rights cases?
I get the impression from the many responses I've had similar to this one from Rachel, that it is almost an accepted meme that us Middle Eastern-sorts get killed all the time needlessly. As if it is something easy to shrug off and forget due to sheer high numbers (imagined or real) involved.
I appreciate that people die all the time, yet we still try to help where possible. There must be hope somewhere in the equation. If we applied Rachel's attitude universally the planet would be covered in blood.
Yet this case is remarkable because it is SO CLEAR CUT and even still, people continue to ignore.
Regardless, there is no logic in saying – people die needlessly all the time, therefore another death doesn't matter. They ALL matter. The logic of it being 'just one person' and therefore more easily dismissible is incorrect too, as there are many others like Bita who simply do not get as much attention.
I get the impression from the many responses I've had similar to this one from Rachel, that it is almost an accepted meme that us Middle Eastern-sorts get killed all the time needlessly. As if it is something easy to shrug off and forget due to sheer high numbers (imagined or real) involved.
I appreciate that people die all the time, yet we still try to help where possible. There must be hope somewhere in the equation. If we applied Rachel's attitude universally the planet would be covered in blood.
Yet this case is remarkable because it is SO CLEAR CUT and even still, people continue to ignore.
Regardless, there is no logic in saying – people die needlessly all the time, therefore another death doesn't matter. They ALL matter. The logic of it being 'just one person' and therefore more easily dismissible is incorrect too, as there are many others like Bita who simply do not get as much attention.
Not our problem, I'm told Iran is a lovely country.
Not our problem, I'm told Iran is a lovely country.
Not our problem, I'm told Iran is a lovely country.
nice article,thanks for post
It IS your problem as a human being, that a fellow human is having their absolute basic human rights denied.
If your intention was to be funny you've failed so miserably that it comes across as if you are really so unintelligent to understand that this woman is in REAL danger.
Also, who is 'our' problem then? You only care about British people? I understand the rationale behind people only wanting to invest time and energy for their nearest and dearest (fair enough) but to draw a line on a more macro level is pointless and arrogant.
It IS your problem as a human being, that a fellow human is having their absolute basic human rights denied.
If your intention was to be funny you've failed so miserably that it comes across as if you are really so unintelligent to understand that this woman is in REAL danger.
Also, who is 'our' problem then? You only care about British people? I understand the rationale behind people only wanting to invest time and energy for their nearest and dearest (fair enough) but to draw a line on a more macro level is pointless and arrogant.
don't send her until it has been thoroughly checked out that she will be ok
someone from Iran is hardly going to be an economic migrant who has heard that the labour govt are giving free money away which is the word on the grapevine in eastern Europe it seems so I would think that she is more likely than not to be a real genuine asylum seeker.Pity that with Labours open door policy on immigration that it has made it harder for the real genuine people fleeing persecution to be believed. They strung a young girl up in Iran the other day, from the top of a huge crane.But the most heartless was the one in the sudan ( I think) where they are going to stone a woman to death, they stoned the man she had a dalliance with allready but she is pregnant so they are going to wait till the baby is born then stone her to death, she could do with some asylum I think
Western governments, journalists, and NGOs have become apologists for Muslim fanatacism; so their responses are hardly surprising. Unfortunately, far too many citizens of western nations are either too stupid, too selfish, too lazy, or too frightened of local Muslim retaliation, to support legitimate refugees seeking asylum.
If you really believe that then I almost feel sorry for you. Its true that we can’t stop everyone in the world from being horrifically murdered but we can stop this one.
I THINK %96 OF ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE BOGUS! I AM AFRAID THEY JUST WANT TO GET THE PASSPORT THEN GO LIVE IN IRAN THAT IS MANY OF MY FRIENDS HAS DONE. THIS GOVERNMENT HAS LOST ITS IMMIGRATION CONTROL. I THINK THEY ARE ALL MAKING STORY TO GET STATUS. PLEASE SEND HER BACK WITH COMPASSION.
I don't doubt that people abuse the system but Bita's case was clearly a genuine one deserving of refuge in the UK.
EU court of human rights has cancelled the deportation. UK government has made a mess of it's immigration system: sending people back to their deaths and letting bogus asylum seekers stay.
More details about the deportation cancellation:http://bit.ly/bQCkpw
I don't doubt that people abuse the system but Bita's case was clearly a genuine one deserving of refuge in the UK.
EU court of human rights has cancelled the deportation. UK government has made a mess of it's immigration system: sending people back to their deaths and letting bogus asylum seekers stay.
More details about the deportation cancellation:http://bit.ly/bQCkpw
Thanks for your reply I have read it carefully. I have heard many stories like that I am upset cause this government never sorted out Immigration Issues. I have many Iranian friends who is now Living In Iran!! How can that happen if You are genuinely seeking protection from death?? I am sorry I have not been raciest as I am ex immigrant myself but SHAME ON THIS LABOUR GOVERNMENT.
Thanks for your reply I have read it carefully. I have heard many stories like that I am upset cause this government never sorted out Immigration Issues. I have many Iranian friends who is now Living In Iran!! How can that happen if You are genuinely seeking protection from death?? I am sorry I have not been raciest as I am ex immigrant myself but SHAME ON THIS LABOUR GOVERNMENT.
I don't doubt that people abuse the system but Bita's case was clearly a genuine one deserving of refuge in the UK.
EU court of human rights has cancelled the deportation. UK government has made a mess of it's immigration system: sending people back to their deaths and letting bogus asylum seekers stay.
More details about the deportation cancellation:http://bit.ly/bQCkpw
how can you send someone back to their death with compassion, Bitas story is verifiable and true, you need to start looking at facts and not believing everything you read in newspapers
What a ghastly selfish comment
What a ghastly selfish comment