Tuesday, August 02, 2005

"Canadians - have you no heart?"

Once again, it sounds like our immigration service has kept out of the country some people who need our help desperately and who would make a great contribution to the country!
Sorry, I don't mean to sound so cynical and critical, because I know Canada's immigration service does better than many other countries in the world. But still, we need to do more, and do it better. I was shocked at the cavelier approach to tragedy attributed in this story to our immigration officials.
NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof has written a two-part column: Another Face of Terror and A Pakistani Rape, and a Pakistani Love Story, the story of the rape of Dr. Shazia Khalid and her rejection by her country when she sought justice rather than killing herself. To save her life she escaped Pakistan, with her husband but without her son: "Pakistani officials put Dr. Shazia and Mr. Khalid on a plane to London, without their son. As soon as they arrived, Dr. Shazia inquired about asylum in Canada, where she has relatives and friends. But a Canadian bureaucrat rejected the asylum application on the ground that they were now safe in Britain. (Come on, Canadians - have you no heart?) Dr. Shazia and Mr. Khalid are now living in a one-room dive in a bad neighborhood in London, while applying for asylum in Britain."
Kristof concludes his column by telling his readers what they can do to help. " Since they are lonely and isolated in London, but have friends and relatives in Canada, the single thing that would help the most is if Canada reconsidered its refusal to grant them asylum. You can suggest that by writing to Joseph Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1, Canada. You can send e-mail to Minister@cic.gc.ca. If Canada gives Dr. Shazia asylum, this love story can still end well; otherwise, I'm afraid it'll be one more tragedy."
We should open our doors to this woman and her family.

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