The Star continues its excellent coverage of the plight of Sayed Shah Sharifi, the brave young Afghan interpreter who has been betrayed by the Harper government, despite glowing Canadian military reports supporting his application for emigration to Canada.
As his last hope after being rejected by faceless bureaucrats and abandoned by the spineless Jason Kenney, Canada's Immigration Minister, Sharifi is reluctantly accepting the offer of pro bono legal help from Lorne Waldman, a Toronto immigration and refugee lawyer who has successfully argued cases all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, who plans to ask the Federal Court of Canada for a judicial review of the government’s decision to reject Sharifi’s visa application.
The article, again by Paul Watson, concludes with the following:
Take heart that a growing number of Star readers haven’t been so timid about speaking up for Sharifi. I get new emails from them every day, often with copies of angry letters they have sent to Kenney and other MPs.
One has started an online petition at www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/canadianpatriotyes, hoping to channel enough public outrage to move Kenney to think again and do right by an Afghan who risked his life to support Canadian combat troops.
Those outraged by Sharifi's contemptible treatment may wish to add their name to the petition.
Showing posts with label afganhistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label afganhistan. Show all posts
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Star Readers and Harper Government's Injustice to Sayed Shah Sharifi's
While I rarely excerpt long passages from other sources fro my blog, I am making an exception today to print the reactions of Toronto Star readers to the cruel abandonment by the Harper government of Sayed Shah Sharifi, the brave Afghan interpreter who served our troops so valiantly:
I was appalled, disgusted and angry as I read Paul Watson’s accounts of the Afghan interpreter Sayed Shah Sharifi’s rejection for the special visa programme by our immigration department. The bafflegab response to the Star from Immigration Minister Jason Kenney should not surprise me as it is typical of the Conservative dictatorial approach to governing.
The suspicion that Sharifi was rejected because he had the timerity to speak out to the Star is probably correct. If it is, it demonstrates that Kenney abnd his immigration “henchmen” are morally bankrupt.
This applicant has no fewer than 13 Canadian officials who worked closely with him on the battlefield and all declared him not only an upstanding young man, but also a hero. Their word should certainly trump the unfounded suspicions of a few bureaucrats. Sharifi sounds like exactly the kind of immigrant Canada needs.
Kenney should do the right thing and admit this man to Canada immediately before something happens to him or any of his family at the hands of the Taliban. If it does, I certainly know where I will be laying the blame.
As Watson writes, “The most inconvertible proof of Sharifi’s risk would be his corpse.” We can only hope and pray this does not happen before Kenney et al come to their senses.
Penny Preston, Blue Mountains
The Star is to be highly commended for its coverage of the Afghanistan interpreter’s plight.The position adopted by the Canadian government on this matter is disgraceful and one can only hope that the death threats received by this gentleman do not come to pass. Shame, Shame, Shame on you Canada.
Oh and by the way, the silence emanating from the other two major Toronto daily papers regarding Ottawa’s stance on this matter is deafening.
Peter Blunt, Richmond Hill
While I am surprised neither by the incredible immorality of this decision nor the insouciance of Jason Kenney, I must say that I am somewhat unsettled by the staggering stupidity involved. At the same time as they are spending billions on “national security,” the government is ensuring that it is all for naught.
As a recruitment strategy for the Taliban, there cannot be a more effective tool than being able to exploit the fact that a member-nation of the ISAF abandoned those who risked everything to assist them.
Jason Kenney has never been a minister that any caring Canadian could point to with pride, but he may have surpassed his previous efforts with this unconscionable act. I hope that sufficient Canadians rally around this young man that Kenney will reverse his decision.
Many thanks to Paul Watson and the Star for this excellent article.
Lois A. Airth, Renfrew
We know the current Canadian government is cold hearted and mean, but to leave a friend in danger has to be the most dispicable thing. Our ideal on this mission was to help others including our “friends,” the U.S. and the people of Afghanistan. When we get to the end we now abandom not only the country but also those that believed in us and put their lives at risk for us. I would ask our leader where in his Bible does he find this instruction?
Terry Robert, Winnipeg
I was appalled, disgusted and angry as I read Paul Watson’s accounts of the Afghan interpreter Sayed Shah Sharifi’s rejection for the special visa programme by our immigration department. The bafflegab response to the Star from Immigration Minister Jason Kenney should not surprise me as it is typical of the Conservative dictatorial approach to governing.
The suspicion that Sharifi was rejected because he had the timerity to speak out to the Star is probably correct. If it is, it demonstrates that Kenney abnd his immigration “henchmen” are morally bankrupt.
This applicant has no fewer than 13 Canadian officials who worked closely with him on the battlefield and all declared him not only an upstanding young man, but also a hero. Their word should certainly trump the unfounded suspicions of a few bureaucrats. Sharifi sounds like exactly the kind of immigrant Canada needs.
Kenney should do the right thing and admit this man to Canada immediately before something happens to him or any of his family at the hands of the Taliban. If it does, I certainly know where I will be laying the blame.
As Watson writes, “The most inconvertible proof of Sharifi’s risk would be his corpse.” We can only hope and pray this does not happen before Kenney et al come to their senses.
Penny Preston, Blue Mountains
The Star is to be highly commended for its coverage of the Afghanistan interpreter’s plight.The position adopted by the Canadian government on this matter is disgraceful and one can only hope that the death threats received by this gentleman do not come to pass. Shame, Shame, Shame on you Canada.
Oh and by the way, the silence emanating from the other two major Toronto daily papers regarding Ottawa’s stance on this matter is deafening.
Peter Blunt, Richmond Hill
While I am surprised neither by the incredible immorality of this decision nor the insouciance of Jason Kenney, I must say that I am somewhat unsettled by the staggering stupidity involved. At the same time as they are spending billions on “national security,” the government is ensuring that it is all for naught.
As a recruitment strategy for the Taliban, there cannot be a more effective tool than being able to exploit the fact that a member-nation of the ISAF abandoned those who risked everything to assist them.
Jason Kenney has never been a minister that any caring Canadian could point to with pride, but he may have surpassed his previous efforts with this unconscionable act. I hope that sufficient Canadians rally around this young man that Kenney will reverse his decision.
Many thanks to Paul Watson and the Star for this excellent article.
Lois A. Airth, Renfrew
We know the current Canadian government is cold hearted and mean, but to leave a friend in danger has to be the most dispicable thing. Our ideal on this mission was to help others including our “friends,” the U.S. and the people of Afghanistan. When we get to the end we now abandom not only the country but also those that believed in us and put their lives at risk for us. I would ask our leader where in his Bible does he find this instruction?
Terry Robert, Winnipeg
Saturday, November 19, 2011
More From Paul Watson on Sayed Shah Sharifi
The older I get, the longer I live, the more I realize that true justice is uncommon, and that evil frequently prevails over good. The case of Sayed Shah Sharifi, the Afghan interpreter whose work was so highly-prized by the Canadian military, is only the latest example of this fact.
Continuing his series in The Toronto Star on the plight of this young man, Paul Watson today offers proof that Sharifi's life is in danger from the Taliban for his work with the Canadian military, a claim that has been flatly rejected by immigration officials who have denied him a visa to emigrate to Canada. There is speculation that the rejection was prompted by the fact that the interpreter went public about how he was being treated by officials, an assertion that certainly has plenty of precedent with the Harper government, which has time and time again demonstrated its intolerance for those who disagree with it.
In today's article, Hunter cites the eyewitness account of Philip Hunter, a medic in Canada’s army reserves, who worked closely with Sharifi:
Hunter recalls at least three occasions when he witnessed Sharifi receive threats from insurgents.
Once, Hunter was at Forward Operating Base Wilson, in Kandahar province’s bloodied Zhari district, then roiling with Taliban activity.
The two were drinking tea when Sharifi’s cellphone rang.
“He spoke for a few minutes with the other party before hanging up,” Hunter told me from Ottawa, where he is training to be a civilian paramedic. “While my Pashto is limited, I could tell that there was a bit of a confrontational tone to the conversation.
“When he closed his phone he told me, with a shrug of his shoulders and a half-smile, that it was a local Taliban commander calling him to remind him that he had his phone number, and that he was going to kill him when he got the chance.”
In a similar incident at Masum Ghar, near the front line with territory completely under Taliban control, Sharifi arrived with a platoon on a two-week stint with the Canadian battle group’s quick reaction force, Hunter said.
“When we were chatting outside the medical clinic his phone rang, and it was another Taliban commander calling to tell him that he knew he was now at Masum Ghar, and if he saw Sayed with his troops in the Panjwaii bazaar, the foreigners (us) would not be able to protect him,” Hunter recalled.
Ultimately Sharifi quit his job as interpreter after the Taliban threatened to kill his entire family for his continued work.
The Harper government has a reputation of never backing down on anything. Unfortunately, this jejeune characteristic may very well end up costing the life of a young man who would be a real asset to Canadian society.
Continuing his series in The Toronto Star on the plight of this young man, Paul Watson today offers proof that Sharifi's life is in danger from the Taliban for his work with the Canadian military, a claim that has been flatly rejected by immigration officials who have denied him a visa to emigrate to Canada. There is speculation that the rejection was prompted by the fact that the interpreter went public about how he was being treated by officials, an assertion that certainly has plenty of precedent with the Harper government, which has time and time again demonstrated its intolerance for those who disagree with it.
In today's article, Hunter cites the eyewitness account of Philip Hunter, a medic in Canada’s army reserves, who worked closely with Sharifi:
Hunter recalls at least three occasions when he witnessed Sharifi receive threats from insurgents.
Once, Hunter was at Forward Operating Base Wilson, in Kandahar province’s bloodied Zhari district, then roiling with Taliban activity.
The two were drinking tea when Sharifi’s cellphone rang.
“He spoke for a few minutes with the other party before hanging up,” Hunter told me from Ottawa, where he is training to be a civilian paramedic. “While my Pashto is limited, I could tell that there was a bit of a confrontational tone to the conversation.
“When he closed his phone he told me, with a shrug of his shoulders and a half-smile, that it was a local Taliban commander calling him to remind him that he had his phone number, and that he was going to kill him when he got the chance.”
In a similar incident at Masum Ghar, near the front line with territory completely under Taliban control, Sharifi arrived with a platoon on a two-week stint with the Canadian battle group’s quick reaction force, Hunter said.
“When we were chatting outside the medical clinic his phone rang, and it was another Taliban commander calling to tell him that he knew he was now at Masum Ghar, and if he saw Sayed with his troops in the Panjwaii bazaar, the foreigners (us) would not be able to protect him,” Hunter recalled.
Ultimately Sharifi quit his job as interpreter after the Taliban threatened to kill his entire family for his continued work.
The Harper government has a reputation of never backing down on anything. Unfortunately, this jejeune characteristic may very well end up costing the life of a young man who would be a real asset to Canadian society.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
My Letter to Jason Kenney Re: Sayed Shah Sharifi
Dear Minister Kenney,
I am writing to express both my shock and my disappointment over Canada's failure to honour its word to Sayed Shah Sharifi, the brave Afghan interpreter who risked the wrath of Taliban insurgents to assist our forces in his country. By all accounts a very brave and competent individual, he, along with other interpreters, was promised sanctuary for himself and his family because of service to our military.
As has been widely reported, despite the fact that he continues to be at risk, our immigration officials have turned down his application for emigration to Canada, the speculation being that it is retaliation for his having made his plight public, thereby embarrassing your government.
I implore you to do the right thing, reverse this decision, and expedite his and his family's passage to Canada. To do anything less can only be seen as a callous and immoral abdication of the promises previously made.
Sincerely,
Lorne Warwick
I am writing to express both my shock and my disappointment over Canada's failure to honour its word to Sayed Shah Sharifi, the brave Afghan interpreter who risked the wrath of Taliban insurgents to assist our forces in his country. By all accounts a very brave and competent individual, he, along with other interpreters, was promised sanctuary for himself and his family because of service to our military.
As has been widely reported, despite the fact that he continues to be at risk, our immigration officials have turned down his application for emigration to Canada, the speculation being that it is retaliation for his having made his plight public, thereby embarrassing your government.
I implore you to do the right thing, reverse this decision, and expedite his and his family's passage to Canada. To do anything less can only be seen as a callous and immoral abdication of the promises previously made.
Sincerely,
Lorne Warwick
Canada's International Reputation Continues to Deteriorate
Once looked upon as an honest-broker middle power which enjoyed the respect of almost the entire world, Canada in recent years has seen a steady deterioration in its reputation for many reasons, its unreserved and uncritical support of all things Israeli, the obstructionist role it plays on climate-change, and its on-going export of deadly asbestos to third-world nations that offer no protection to its workers but three of the reasons for this sad decline.
The most recent cause to look with suspicion and disfavour upon our country is found in a story first reported on in Sunday's Toronto Star, with followups in Monday and Tuesday's online editions.
The stories all revolve around an Afghan interpreter, Sayed Shah Sharifi, who by all accounts did exemplary work for the Canadian forces in Afghanistan despite great risk to himself and his family from the Taliban, a risk that continues to this day, with the promise that afterwards he would qualify under a special program to emigrate to Canada for his service.
Unfortunately, Canada has gone back on its word to Sharifi, the suspected reason being that he had brought the failure of our government to fulfill its promise to the press, an embarrassing revelation that seems to have been on the minds of those immigration officials deciding his fate.
I hope you will take some time to read the provided links, and take whatever action you think appropriate to try to right this injustice, including a letter to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
The most recent cause to look with suspicion and disfavour upon our country is found in a story first reported on in Sunday's Toronto Star, with followups in Monday and Tuesday's online editions.
The stories all revolve around an Afghan interpreter, Sayed Shah Sharifi, who by all accounts did exemplary work for the Canadian forces in Afghanistan despite great risk to himself and his family from the Taliban, a risk that continues to this day, with the promise that afterwards he would qualify under a special program to emigrate to Canada for his service.
Unfortunately, Canada has gone back on its word to Sharifi, the suspected reason being that he had brought the failure of our government to fulfill its promise to the press, an embarrassing revelation that seems to have been on the minds of those immigration officials deciding his fate.
I hope you will take some time to read the provided links, and take whatever action you think appropriate to try to right this injustice, including a letter to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
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