"Apostate" Hussain Muradi to be Deported to Afghanistan

In 2007, Pervez Kambaksh was sentenced to death in Afghanistan for distributing documents online criticizing the status and treatment of women in Islam. Following a massive international campaign, President Hamid Karzai granted him amnesty, and he was freed last month.

Today, UK asylum seeker Hussain Muradi faces a fate that is worse. Muradi, who has been in Britain for several years now, was detained on September 10, 2009 in the UK, his asylum request turned down. He is currently in detention, facing deportation to Afghanistan, where he would very likely be executed.

Under Afghan law, Muradi's crime is more severe than that of Kambaksh. Muradi, a prominent and vocal member of the UK's Council of Ex-Muslims, renounced Islam as part of his fight against Islamists -- and as part of his effort to combat "the taboo that comes with such a renunciation," exemplified by the execution of "apostates" that is widely practiced in Muslim countries.

Under Afghan law, Muradi faces the death penalty for apostasy.

In this video, made shortly before his detention, Muradi said, "If I went back to Afghanistan myself, I would call it a suicide; if I am sent back to Afghanistan, I would see it as an execution."

Maryam Namazie, campaign organizer for Britain's Council of Ex-Muslims and honorary associate at Britain's National Secular Society, has started a campaign to help stop Muradi's deportation back to Afghanistan.

This is another opportunity for the world's citizens to save the life of a man who is wholly innocent, and faces execution for a "thought crime," as Kambaksh did in 2007.

Importantly, it is also an opportunity for moderate and progressive Muslims, who are increasingly concerned about their religion being repeatedly associated with violence and terrorism, to reclaim it by speaking out.

If you would like to help, please contact Maryam Namazie at:

Maryam Namazie Spokesperson Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain BM Box 1919 London WC1N 3XX United Kingdom Tel: [phone] Email: [e-mail]

Follow Ali A. Rizvi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/aliamjadrizvi

Comments

[sysmgr1345]

We need to be supporting people that denounce that craziness, not letting them get killed for it.

[paulcanning]

This is the basis on which his claim is being decided.

The Operational Guidance Note on Afghanistan11 advises that due to a lack of information about the treatment of apostates in Afghanistan, owing to converts keeping a low profile when in the country, and the lack of evidence of direct persecution, that applicants are not granted asylum in the UK on these grounds. It does admit that in some circumstances, where there is evidence of the prospect of persecution, asylum may be granted.

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/countryspecificasylumpolicyogns/

Guidance is about finding some way to deport or, as in this case, making assumptions that it is safe based on lack of evidence (glass half-full).

UK asylum policy is pretty scandalous. Thousands of children detained, asylum seekers made homeless and are denied anything but the most basic support. Border agency staff are under investigation for consistently using violence, many detention centres have been condemned. The UK has not even been prepared to offer asylum to those like Iraqi translators under threat of torture and execution.

Rarely is anything negative said about these realities in the UK media so most Brits are uneducated on the subject and believe lies which are frankly borderline if not totally racist.

It would be extremely useful for those of us trying to do something about this for US citizens to make their feelings known to the UK authorities. I have experience of other cases where this has saved people.

[Ali A. Rizvi - Huffpost Blogger]

Thank you, paulcanning. I was going to come here and post pretty much the same thing that you did.

In addition, I also want to post the following from Maryam Namazie, who wants to allay the concern that Muradi did something to merit deportation:

"...it seems there is a discussion that says he must have
done something wrong that he is detained. I am so angry to hear this and
said I will respond when he is released but it is bugging me to hell. Maybe
you can write something and explain how those who are refused can often be
deported even if they have a legitimate claim. Plus he is now in Dover
Removal Centre where they take failed asylum applicants and so on. That way
at least I can stop fuming about it and get on with the things I need to do
for Hussain..."

The link you provided explains the UK asylum policy.

[paulcanning]

Glad to hear that Ali.

Your note is very important as much comment in these situations usually revolves around 'well he must have done something wrong' - blind acceptance that the asylum bureaucracy proceeds efficiently and effectively.

[Sean Tisdall]

On the grounds that the BNP might snatch up a marginal constituency. Srsly, this is loony.

[S1m0n]

The facts as present add up to a valid claim to refuge, as I see. On what grounds was his claim denied?