This is a clear case of the stupidities of US immigration law. If Ahmadshah's conversion and Christian knowledge seem at all sincere, he should be seen as a clear-cut candidate for political asylum pure and simple, with former visa violations either forgiven or punished by reasonable fines. The fact that one of his sisters has already been killed for apostasy from Islam ought to be seen as one big fat plus in his favor. I'm going to try to find out how to write to the INS and give them my two bits.

Mr. Spencer, does your source know of a case number I might refer to?

Posted by: Kepha at February 27, 2005 8:25 AM

Yes, of course. But would it not be better if conversion to Christianity were made automatic ground to stay (subject to checks, of course)? After all, the 8th US circuit court of appeals only stated what ought to be ABC, elementary knowledge - that Islam kills apostates - especially for a body dedicated to evaluating the reasons exiles have to fear their return home. One has the suspicion that the US Immigration Service still does not realize that religion may make a difference. Mind you, I would not put it past the more committed jihadis to try to acquire a smattering of Christian knowledge merely to pass as refugees, but that sort of thing cannot be faked or hidden for long.

Posted by: Paolo at February 27, 2005 9:53 AM

In this internal war, we have few choices - some are

1. Expulsion of the islamofascist enemy

2. Exchange muslim populations with the persecuted Christians in muslim nations - kills two birds with one stone.

3. Convert muslims in the West, away from islam

The last is the only realistic political option we have. If we can turn muslims in the West away from islam, faster then population growth + conversion to islam (in the West only), then we have a realistic chance of leaving a free West to our grandchildren. And this is what the Armanious family were doing - persuading muslims to leave islam. They were fighting the war for the defence of freedom. That is why the murder of the Armanious family, is of far greater portent then the murder of Van Gogh, though both murders were in response to an attack on islam.

This Afghan Christian should have been considered as a refugee without hesitation, as in this war, this is the way one can put real pressure on the umma. The authorities though are so PC, that they will grant asylum to an al-Qaeda member and deport a muslim convert to Christianity, just to prove their Political Correctness.

What is it they say about gods, hubris and mental affliction?

Posted by: DP111 at February 27, 2005 5:39 PM

Paolo:I would not put it past the more committed jihadis to try to acquire a smattering of Christian knowledge merely to pass as refugees, but that sort of thing cannot be faked or hidden for long.

Precisely. There have been a few cases in the UK where muslims have converted to Christianity to avoid deportation. What the "poor dears" had not realised is that in most of the West, a Christian refugee from any islamic nation is far more likely to be deported then a muslim refugee.

What is also not realised that the apostate muslim is in greater danger, even here in the West, then the Coptic family in Jersey, for being an apostate of islam is a far greater offence in islam.

Posted by: DP111 at February 27, 2005 5:57 PM

Sadly the recent slaughter of Coptic Christians
shows that the family just might be safe in Afghanstan if they stay in the NATO protected areas,the denial and paranoia from groups like CAIR will only get more non-Muslims killed for Allah's cause.

Posted by: ala-sux at February 27, 2005 6:07 PM

I'm fully aware of the dangers of the insincere and unstable abusing the system. Also, for all their being offspring of a "fundamentalist" culture (at least in Euro-Canadian eyes), the typical American is pretty clueless about any shades of traditional belief; and there's a good chance that a real, bonafide convert from Islam to Christianity might know a lot more about Christianity than a supposedly "Christian" INS officer examining him to determine eligibility for asylum.

If, in the US Department of State, which is as elite and brainy an organization as you'll find in the US government, they once believed that "Monsoon Islam" (the Gangetic Plain and eastwards--including the mad Moros of Mindanao) was the kinder, gentler version while "fundamentalism" was a strictly Shi'ite phenomenon, there's not much hope for INS.

But, about both, as typical American bureaucracies, they're bound by what the brilliant, far-sighted, full-of-integrity-to-their-fingertips types in Congress write into our law.

So, ala-sux and other dear neighbors in Canada, you might just have to struggle a bit to get your section of our continent back on track before you think of heading south (not that we'd really mind a few more Canadian immigrants or anything).

Posted by: Kepha at February 27, 2005 6:44 PM

We should grant him immunity or deport him to Canada where he would stand a better chance for survival. How does that saying go? not all arabs are muslim and not all muslims are arab.

Posted by: chuck H. at February 27, 2005 9:31 PM

If the conversion is real, the Afghan Christian should not only be allowed to stay, but he should be given a new job. Over and over, we hear how desparate the government agencies are for translators of Middle Eastern and Asian languages. This man could stay in the US and be put to work translating phone calls, newspapers, etc. He would certainly know the language and culture and yet, his exit from Islam would enable him to be free of the religious conflicts and uncertain loyalities experienced with Muslim translators.

Posted by: maryrose at February 28, 2005 1:09 AM

U.S. Immigration and asylum seeking are exercises in sheer lunacy. At a time when Islamic violence toward Christian natives in Islamic lands has reached a fervor not seen since the run-up to the Assyrian/Armenian genocide of the last century, these Christians deserve to be placed at the head of the line of asylum seekers. However, my own experiences as a past Christian immigrant tells me that is not so. I will give you an example of my introduction to dhimmi asylum.

A dear Christian friend of mine whose entire family came to the US through legal immigration faced a situation in his homeland due to his religion. He was a student in a technical institute that graduated naval communication officers. He was bullied and hazed constantly by both instructors and students who did not want to see a dhimmi officer. In his country the rates of Christian admissions to Military and Police academies is about 1%, which is not representative of the 14% Christian population. He was forced to quit at the end of his sophomore year and faced dashed hopes and dreams, and no future to speak of. He was not permitted to transfer to a civilian college and pursue an alternative career. Also, he suffered from post-traumatic stress and constant fear due to his ordeal. Sure, after leaving the academy he faced the same level of threat as any member of his community, but that gave him no comfort.

He packed his belongings and headed to America on a tourist visa (pre 9/11) with the hope of seeking asylum once he got there. Little that he knew, he had an appointment in the dhimmi zone, a dimension of idiocy and lunacy, in the Federal courts of New York. His case dragged on until after 9/11 when it came before a lady Judge who just could not believe that Christians were being ill treated. To make matters worst, his court assigned interpreter was a bearded fanatical Muslim. To make a long story short, after a tragically comic farce performed by the Judge, the INS, and the interpreter, he lost his case and was sent back to hell. Now his world is the four corners of his room, sinking deeper each day in a state of depression and fear. All praise to the almighty GW Bush and his false Christian and conservative values, which he used to fool descent folks into reelecting him (At least the ones who did not know that they were making a choice between the lesser of two evils).

I ask you! --- Would not this man, who for the two years he spent in America was a model resident, hard working, self sufficient, loyal, and grateful deserve the same opportunity given to Islamic killers escaping prosecution in their home lands, former Sudanese genocide participants (now earning six figure incomes in national security jobs), and the run of the mill Islamic fanatic?

The day my family showed up at the American embassy to get our permanent visas, we were the last family in a line of a hundred, only two of which were Christians. The Muslim families were overwhelmingly practicing Muslims as evident by the Islamic dress of the female members and the prayer marks on the foreheads of the men. Setting in the lobby of the embassy, I wondered, my God, we came here to get away from these people, yet they follow us in mass to the ends of the earth.

Posted by: have_mercy at February 28, 2005 9:57 PM