Ali Panah Petition
“Whatever you do to the least of these you do also to me.” (Matt. 25:40)Ali Reza Panah is an Iranian who arrived in New Zealand some years ago from South Korea. Ali applied for refugee status. His application was denied and he was arrested 18 months ago and detained at Auckland’s Mt Eden Prison without charge or trial.Ali has been on what he describes as a fast (others have called it a hunger strike) since 12 July when once more he was refused bail and his on-going incarceration was rubber stamped by the District Court. He was taken from Mt Eden Prison to Auckland Hospital mid-last week.Ali converted to Christianity before he arrived in New Zealand and has been ‘adopted’ by an Anglican church community in Auckland. Ali fears religious persecution if he returns to Iran. Christian converts from Islam, in current day Shia dominated Iran, risk arrest on their return. Islamic law has this as a fundamental tenet that any renouncing of Islam in favour of another religion is apostasy and the Q’ran states that such an apostate should be put to death.Amnesty International says it is not safe for people like Ali to return to Iran at present. They say the Government (through the office of the Minister for Immigration, Hon David Cunliffe) should issue Ali and others in his situation temporary visas to remain in New Zealand until the situation in Iran changes.New Zealand United Nations representative Rosemary Banks spoke last October of a ‘deterioration of human rights in Iran’, including the treatment of Christians: yet our Government still wants to deport Iranian converts to a country where religious conversion from Islam is punishable by death. It would further be contrary to New Zealand’s committment to the convention against torture to send him back to Iran.For more details about the situation in Iran:http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/mar/assessment.asp?groupId=63010http://www.ctbi.org.uk/http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/Regions/Middle-East-and-North-Africa/IranFor the definition of a refugee, click here.
Why are we involved?
The Archbishops and the Social Justice Commissioner engage this because for one thing it concerns how we care for the vulnerable in our society. There has been concern expressed within the church of the way Ali Panah has been dealt with. The Government needs to embody good governance – justice with mercy. There is a continuum of concern – these are not isolated issues.
Sign the Ali Panah Petition
Please help Ali, add your voice and help bring about positive change by signing this petition to the Minister for Immigration, Hon David Cunliffe requesting a just and merciful solution can be found for Mr Ali Panah. This may include a ability to stay temporarily so that other long term solutions can be found, and if he can’t stay here that might involve arrangements being made for him to live safely elsewhere.To sign the petition, simply add your name and any comments you may have (you may not have any, and that’s obviously fine – if not just insert a fullstop in the comments field), and click submit.We will pass these on to the Minister. While we understand that your concern is strong, please keep your comments courteous.
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New Zealand must be acquiring a reputation as being unreasonable and lacking in compassionate with this case and the Ahmed Zaoui case.
Immigration laws at present seem to fall more heavily on some people than others. I would like to support Ali Panah’s right to freedom and would encourage the authorities to be generous and compassionate in his case.
show ya love for people and let him stay
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Do the honourable thing and let the man stay.
This modist petition which is backed by a community of people commited to support Mr Panah deserves a reappraisal of the options open to the Minister of Immigration.
Regretfully, our government is again (as in the Ahmed Zaoui case) not abiding by its commitment to assist genuine asylum seekers. It appears to be aligning itself more and more to our other western “allies” in their pananoiac “war on terror”. What has happened to our old values of compassion trust?
Mr. Panah would indeed be in danger should he be returned to Iran.
I feel and pray for the moderate Muslims in that country who must arel oppressed by such a fundamentalist government. However, the west must take some blame for it’s historical interference in Irnanian politics over the past 80 years or so which has help create the current situation.
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Dear Minister
Please do whatever you can to ensure that Mr Panah is not put in a position where his life is threatened.
Kind regards
Tim McKenzie
I urge the Minister of Immigration to review Ali Panah’s case with compassion and allow him to stay in New Zealand.
Does the government not care about the death of innocents. Obviously there are special circumstances for people facing death for religion. He should stay in NZ to protect his LIFE, we are handing him his death sentence by sending him home
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Please investigate the real risks that this man may face if deported and review your decision with a view to being compassionate.
Dear Minister,
Thank you for your gesture that will allow Ali to have a respite in his fight for his freedom.
I hope though that yesterday’s agreement was not a strategy to avoid a shamefull death in and for New Zealand and still to allow Ali to be murdered in a foreign and far away Muslim country where many anonymous Christians die everyday for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as you may know it well. God sees everything and He is aware of men’s devious plans. If Ali is killed later on, the shame would come back on you and unfortunately on New Zealand too and it would become more difficult for God to defend New Zealand as He has faithfully done so far.
Mr the Minister, please remember that you represent the country and each and everyone who voice their concern on this long petition. Mercy and compassion are not empty words. They raise the value of the people who express these virtues in their lives even if it brings contempt from the ‘famous and powerful people of the day’. Such an action has an eternal value and you will need it when you’ll face God one day to give an account of the responsability and authority God gave you for a little while.
May God give you the courage to act according to your conscience and to give Ali an honorable future in New Zealand
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I have been following Ali’s story on TV and cannot believe how hard-hearted the Minster of Immigration is being. Even if Ali Panah is not killed for his conversion to Christianity if he is returned to Iran, in my view he should definitely be allowed to stay in NZ. He has proven during his time here that he has what it takes to be a good NZ citizen and contribute to our society – he’s well respected by all who have met him as a good worker and a good person. As for whether or not his conversion is real, only God can truly know – but I believe that he’s genuine and so do many others.
I would rather have Ali Panah as my neighbour than any one of the numerous P addicts and manufacturers, child abusers and child killers – all of whom have the right to stay in this country only because of the fact that they were born here, although the majority of decent NZers find what they have done despicable.
Please give Ali Panah a chance!
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To be honest this has made me – a Labour supporter – a little ashamed to be a New Zealander.
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Hang in there Ali, Justice will prevail, may the Lord bless you and keep you.
New Zealand, execute common sense, show compassion.
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It is disappointing to find that the New Zealand government continues to put other people’s security concerns (War on Terror etc) before the genuine and proven humanitarian needs of those seeking asylum in our country. Ali is one of several in this situation, which will be made worse with the passage of the immigration bill currently before Parliament.
To The Minister for Immigration , the Hon David Cunliffe , I am requesting a just and merciful solution for Ali Panah to live in New Zealand . If he gets sent back to Iran he will be tortured and put to death why would you send him to his death please have a heart and allow him to live in New Zealand , thank you , Zena Booth .
My prayers are that Ali Panah to be allowed justice in this country of ours, and that his faith in God not diminish.
I also pray for you ,as the Minister of Imigration to act in a christian manner toward our “Brother in Christ
There is a strong likelihood that Ali Panah will be killed if he returns to Iran, purely because he has deserted his Islamic faith and has converted to Christianity. That immediately puts him in danger in a Muslim country. Those who do know him have testified strongly to his sincerity as a Christian. It is unthinkable to me that we as New Zealanders who have taken so many stands for justice and humanity in our history should send him away under rhese circumstances. Such an action would make me ashamed to be a New Zealander!
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I support this petition
Please show this man some compassion – let him live.
Demonstrate our basic kiwi value – give him a fair go.
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What has the New Zealand government been threatened with that it has to slavishly obey the orders of the UK, USA and Australia?
New Zealand was always called God’s Own Country. Let it therefore obey only Higher Orders