Comments on: Help Begum stay!

By: raz

raz — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 12:15:25 +0000

Despicable

By: linda grant

linda grant — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 12:14:05 +0000

We wish to update all Begum’s supporters about her situation. Begum was deported today ( Saturday June 17th) at 9.45am, three escorts were used so we imagine it would have been difficult for her to resist. Begum’s friends in Kent Refugee Action Network are trying to arrange legal support for her through Amnesty International incase she is detained at Mumbai Airport.

On Friday June 23rd Begum was scheduled as a key note speaker at a public meeting
“I will Survive- Refugee Women speak out against Rape and Torture. ” at the Friends Meeting House, the Friars, Canterbury,CT1 2AS 7.30-9.30pm.

The meeting will still take place and we will be holding a short vigil at 7pm prior to the meeting ( Venue to be confirmed) to pay tribute to Begum and celebrate her time with us in the UK. We are hoping that some of Begum’s colleagues from the Human Rights Advocay course she recently graduated from will join us.

Begum was very well loved in our community. Although we are very angry and sad about her deportation we know that her campaign really struck a blow for women’s rights and highlighted the apalling failure of the UK government to deliver justice and safety to women seeking asylum.

We want to thank everyone for the fantastic support you gave over the last few days. Hundreds of people faxed the Liam Byrne Minister for Immigration and Air India. Others went to the airport.We had intensive media coverage. We didn’t stop the deportation but the political arguments came across loud and clear.Thank you so much.

Please send messages of support and tributes for our vigil to

Delia Hazrati deliah.h@antlworld.com

cc Kate Adams kadams314@hotmail.com

By: sonia

sonia — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 10:05:36 +0000

Shariq’s got some good points up there. there is a difference between which groups are considered to be facing persecution and can claim asylum.

Of course i think fundamentally , there ought to be no reason why you shouldn’t be able to consider an individual on the merit and context of an individual’s case. this is where the ‘tyranny’ of ‘categorizing’ people in ‘groups’ really reveals itself!

And that’s an issue that faces everyone across the world.

By: sonia

sonia — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 10:01:20 +0000

“If she does end up in Mumbai, arenâ€™t there indian womenâ€™s groups that can help her out? Give her a safe place to stay?”

well one hopes she’ll be okay. there are women’s groups and NGO’s and shelters sure – and probably a huge need for the services too.

By: sonia

sonia — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 09:59:33 +0000

How sad. And there i was about to suggest starting a pledge about this. but there you go – Nation-States being what they are what can you expect!! No doubt given the onslaught the Home Office has been receiving they’re keen to be seen to be busy ‘catching up’ with the deportations..

By: Johnny

Johnny — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 08:30:26 +0000

Well seems she has been deported:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/5090268.stm

By: Linda Grant

Linda Grant — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 08:26:31 +0000

Although it has not yet been offically confirmed I understand that Begum was indeed deported yesterday.

If any of you would like to get involved in future campaigns, the address once again is http://www.refugeewomen.com/

By: Vikrant

Vikrant — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 07:33:52 +0000

@OP: A sampling of your JW nutjobs. See this

By: Vikrant

Vikrant — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 07:16:34 +0000

@OP: Dont care what Robert says. Most posters there are down right racists. JW these days sounds more like LGF and FR…

By: Old Pickler

Old Pickler — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 14:37:14 +0000

those imbelic BNP supporting rednecks.

Not all of us. Robert Spencer did say something in one of his posts about white supremacists being just as bad as Islamic supremacists, but it was too little too late.

By: raz

raz — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 14:09:50 +0000

Is Sepia Mutiny a satirical site about pathetic ‘brown’ losers? I hope so.

By: mirax

mirax — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 12:41:33 +0000

What’s the update on the begum?

If she does end up in Mumbai, aren’t there indian women’s groups that can help her out? Give her a safe place to stay?

By: Rakhee

Rakhee — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 12:31:23 +0000

…and on the topic of forced marriages, check this out…

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5967_1719950,001600060001.htm

By: Vikrant

Vikrant — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 12:30:16 +0000

lol i’m no longer associated with JihadWatch those imbelic BNP supporting rednecks.

By: Rakhee

Rakhee — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 12:29:05 +0000

Found this fact sheet from the Women’s Resource Centre – have a look under Nationality. An estimated 50% women seeking asylum in the Uk are rape survivors. Need a bit more info/breakdown but that statistic is pretty horrifying if you ask me.

http://www.wrc.org.uk/downloads/Policy%20stuff/Statistics.pdf

By: mirax

mirax — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 12:26:58 +0000

Not indian enough? How dare you!

Er I am not a SM regular, not by a long shot, way too much brown-consciousness there which I think kind of pathetic and over self-conscious. But the mainstream media has a complete blank on this (bloody BBC too)and SM is the only outlet for discussion on the subject. Apart from dhimmiwatch (or is that jihad watch?) But I can only sink so low, y’kno

By: Vikrant

Vikrant — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 12:23:54 +0000

but you are better off living in Singapore, really Compared to my lil' English town that everybody loves to hate S'pore is heaven!

By: Vikrant

Vikrant — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 12:15:11 +0000

most of the Guys at SM are typical pseudos particularly Amardeep. I lost al the respect for him after his outburst against Tavleen Singh!! Hmm maybe you arent Indian anough to realise the subtle biases of the people at SM.

By: mirax

mirax — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 12:10:11 +0000

you are too close minded for such a young fella, sigh. You’ll lose out on a lot of learning if you stick to such narrow prejudices, Vik, and there’s a lot of life (and learning) ahead of you.

By: mirax

mirax — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 12:05:58 +0000

weell, tandas is important but m’sian public toilets are ugghhhh.

Not even “apa khabar?”(what’s happening?/Hi) or terima kasih (thanks)? If you are going to live in JB(I know of one blogger who’s going to commute from JB to SMU in S’pore but you are better off living in Singapore, really), you totally need Malay, kiddo. But it is a really easy language to pick up.Senang ya!