We will be speaking with representatives from the Arab American Community Coalition (A.A.C.C.) about two local families facing deportation to countries where they face possible persecution, torture and death.
Case#1: The Malkandi Family
A Family’s Predicament: Sixteen years ago, Sam Malkandi misled United Nations authorities to obtain refugee status to save his 1-year old daughter after living in grave danger in Iran for several years, and before in Iraq. And when U.S. government officials asked him if he’d like to come to the United States, he accepted their offer and didn’t tell them about his untruths. Now his wife and children are paying the price! Not only does the U.S. want to deport Sam, his wife Mali, and their two children Nicole and Arvin, they want to separate the family. Sam is an Iraqi Kurd. Mali is from Iran. And the two children have no citizenship anywhere in the world. They have no right to be together if they are deported, and no country has said that it will take them all.
Religious Persecution: Sam, Mali, Nicole and Arvin converted to Christianity from Islam and regularly attend church. But as converts from Islam, the Malkandis can be considered guilty of apost asy, an offense that can be punished by death. Even if no one is sent to Iran, the family will most likely be persecuted as apostates in any Muslim majority country
Case #2: Majid al-Massari
In July 2004, Majid al-Massari was secretly arrested in Seattle by the FBI and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) for alleged terrorism activity. He was held incommunicado for eleven days, prevented from contacting his concerned colleagues at work, his frantic family, or his attorney. Only after the story of his arrest was leaked to the media did his whereabouts become known.
The government charge: ‘deportable’ because of an "aggravated felony" drug purchase, later acknowledged to be a mistake. Despite this Majid is still in detention!
Majid’s father, well-known Saudi opposition leader Muhammad al-Massari, was repeatedly arrested and tortured in the early 90’s by the Saudi government. Following his father’s escape in 1994 Majid’s uncles, and young brother were arrested, tortured, and held without charges for a year. Majids family and friends strongly believe he is being used as a pawn by both the U.S. and Saudi governments as a means to get to his father.
To learn more about these cases you can sign up on the email list by emailing info@theaacc.org or contact Ibrahim al-Husseini ibrahimal@yahoo.com . or call Phone numer (206) 634-9001.
http://www.theaacc.org/
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