Teen Wants to Stay in UK Because Iran Will Kill Him For Being Gay *UPDATED 11 Mar 08*
Why is this even a question? From this story it seems pretty clear that going back to Iran is a death sentence.
"But in the past few months my situation back home has changed. The Iranian authorities have found out that I am a homosexual and they are looking for me."
How did the Iranian authorities find out? During the interrogation of his boyfriend... just before the Iranians executed the boyfriend by hanging him. Whether you agree with homosexuality or not, granting him asylum should be a no-brainer.
The kid is now in the Netherlands because his asylum request was already refused once by UK authorities. He's trying to keep from being sent back to the UK because he fears they will deport him to Iran for execution. I hope the Netherlands and/or the UK do the right thing here.
*UPDATE* The Netherlands is sending him back to Britain on a technicality.
Upholding a ruling by the Dutch
government, the Council of State said Britain is responsible for
Kazemi's case because he applied for asylum there first. European Union
rules say the member state where an asylum seeker first enters the bloc
is responsible for processing that person's claim.
The good news is that a British official seems to be hinting that the asylum will be granted.
However, Britain's Border and
Immigration Agency has issued a statement that could give Kazemi hope:
"We examine with great care each individual case before removal and we
will not remove anyone who we believe is at risk on their return."
I hope so. I also hope Britain tells the Iranians they thought there weren't any homosexuals in Iran. Isn't that what Ahmadinejad said?
1
I share your concern. If there's any hesitation, my guess is he or a relative have shown up on a watch list and the authorities are understandably reluctant to let him in under an asylum exception. Maybe everything he's said is true. Then again, maybe his claim that he will be persecuted, or even his homosexuality, is a sham.
Posted by: DRJ at 09 March 2008@19:01:59 (wE7Og)
2
don't recall off the top of my head, but isn't the UK one of those countries which don't extradite people to the US if they are charged with a capital crime?
My own gut feeling is that the UK officials felt the claim of homosexuality is a sham, and that he simply doesn't want to return to Iran.
Posted by: kishnevi at 09 March 2008@20:16:09 (HkEJ7)
DRJ, I had some of the same thoughts... that maybe we weren't getting the whole story. If we accept the premise though, it is a shameful situation that he was denied once already and had to flee. I suspect his story is true and the denial was based on an assumption that he came for asylum instead of schooling and the authorities didn't believe his circumstances had changed.
kishnevi, I know Mexico is one that won't extradite, but I'm not sure about the UK. The fact is that since the boy isn't really charged with anything, extradition is moot. Neither the UK nor Mexico has a problem deporting someone home who is not facing charges, much less a capital sentence. If the story is a sham, that's one thing... but I'm not sure how you'd go about proving the truth or falsity of it. Apparently the statements by the father are not sufficient.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 09 March 2008@20:52:22 (Q5ggV)
California Courts
Over at Patterico's, a co-blogger who does a yeoman's job (that means fantastic work) has an excellent post which characterizes what people object to when they think "activist judges". DRJ has commented here several times and always has great questions and insight. Go on over and check out this post... then look for other DRJ articles and you'll see what I mean.
I used to work with patients suffering from Alzheimer's and other demetias when I was a clinical instructor in the Army. At the time, Aricept was one of the first drugs specifically labeled for treatment of Alzheimer's. Since then, it's not surprising that many advances have been made, so as I read this article was very surprised to see this:
Still, some controversy exists among experts as to what actually causes Alzheimer’s. Recent breakthrough research raises the question that Alzheimer’s could be a third form of diabetes. [emphasis mine]
I had never considered this but it makes a lot of sense. We already know that diabetes can have many chronic and potentially fatal complications. Cardiovascular disease, impotence, nerve damage, diabetic retinopathy... the list goes on and on. What most people don't realize about diabetes is that it's really about insulin, not sugar. I'm going to simplify this quite a bit, but it's pretty representative of what happens. Insulin is what breaks down sugar in the blood (glucose).
When your pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin, that's Type I (or Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus -- IDDM). When your cells resist insulin and prevent it from working even though you have enough, that's Type 2 (or Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus -- NIDDM). It's really that simple... diabetics either don't make the insulin they need, or something in their cells keeps the insulin from working.
Alzheimer's is generally considered to be caused by the formation of amyloid plaques and tangles breaking down the brain's nerve cells. Now, how can problems with insulin be related to Alzheimer's? My guess (and it's only my guess, no research or anything to back it up. Just thoughts sparked by the linked article) is that if insulin is interfering with the transport or function of glucose (blood sugar) past the blood-brain barrier, it could possibly create the amyloid plaques and tangles assumed to cause Alzheimer's. This could be either through direct accumulation of waste sugars, damage from excess sugars in the vessels (kind of like creating scar tissue), or something else that I haven't considered.
The bottom line is that this will be very interesting research to watch in the future because curing one might end up meaning curing both. That would be fantastic.
Did you know that there is a growing interest among researchers that autism is related to thyroid function? Thyroid dysfunction is basically a hormone issue. Researchers who deal with autoimmune disorders are also looking more closely into the role of hormones.
This makes sense to me, although I'm not sure if it's a cause or an effect. I've had a lot of experience with my kid's autism and his related immune dysfunction, as well as a family history of autoimmune diseases. Surprisingly, there's a lot of practical overlap between things that don't seem related like Crohns Disease, autism, and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, the other day at Patterico's, Kishnevi mentioned he thinks there is an overlap in his case between high-functioning autism and Crohns.
And to bring it back to your point, it's been my experience that people that have autoimmune, immune or even neurological diseases but that haven't been diagnosed as diabetic often exhibit hypoglycemic symptoms.
Thank you for posting on this.
Posted by: DRJ at 09 March 2008@15:02:47 (wE7Og)
2
Thanks for the info. My mother is enduring Alzheimer's, so unfortunately I get to see the process up close and personal.
Note to DRJ--I've been tested repeatedly for thyroid (because of the Crohn's) and come up clean every time. OTOH, I do, as you put it, exhibit hypoglycemic symptoms.
Posted by: kishnevi at 09 March 2008@20:07:46 (ntdZU)
DRJ, it certainly shows we have a lot more to learn. I have also noted that people with autoimmune diseases/disorders have concurrent conditions that on their face appear unrelated. Crohn's in particular gets a bad rap because the symptoms can be non-specific and variable, all while the sufferer appears pretty healthy. They often get accused of faking it, but more often behind their backs by jerks who don't think it will get back to their target. I've seen several Crohn's sufferers develop depression or substance issues related to the stress involved.
kishnevi, there's probably not much I can tell you about living with Alzheimer's than you already know. It's truly heartbreaking. One of the patients I worked with was a former doctor who ended up diagnosing himself. Unfortunately, his diagnosis was correct and by the time I took care of him he was very advanced. I'll add your mother in my prayers.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 09 March 2008@20:44:26 (Q5ggV)
If it's okay with you, I'm going to email you some information I learned about Crohns and thyroid supplementation.
Posted by: DRJ at 09 March 2008@22:15:44 (wE7Og)
5
Except I just realized I don't have your email address because I have a new address and I lost the address book from my old email address. If you want, email me at drj432@yahoo.com.
Just a little note of appreciation for this post, and an Alzheimer's care tip.
My dad had Alzheimer's and so I brought my parents to live with me. That way I could assist mom in his care. As you probably know, the real crisis occurs when an Alzheimer's patient can no longer feed themselves. We would spend hours feeding dad and as time went on he began to forget to swallow. I was beside myself because without being able to feed him, he would need to be in a professional facility. No one wanted that!
I was at the grocery loading up on Ensure when I noticed two things. First, there was a little girl, maybe three, sucking her thumb and in another aisle, an infant sitting in a cart happily nursing her bottle. It struck me that nursing was an instinctual behavior. No one teaches a baby to nurse; babies are taught to eat but not to nurse. I got an idea, maybe, just maybe, dad still possessed his instinct to nurse. A trip to the baby aisle found me buying two baby bottles and six or so nipples. Would it work?
After arriving home I cut a 1/4" hole in the first nipple but that made it too rough. I got out my hex wrench set, heated the 1/4" one on the stove and melted a hole in another nipple. That worked well.
Next, I took some turkey, a little gravy and some broth and whipped it in a blender to the consistency of heavy cream and put it in a bottle. Would it work?
I gave it to dad putting the nipple in his mouth. Wow. He grabbed hold of that bottle and held it until he had finished the whole thing. For the next year and a half dad used those bottles. Anything we ate at dinner was converted to a puree for dad.
What a relief, he was eating again and we didn't have to spend hours feeding him or having him placed on a feeding tube.
Just thought you might want to know.
Regards, Jerrie
Posted by: Jerrie.Atrick at 11 March 2008@17:37:02 (GZcfK)
We had several patients with feeding tubes for just that reason. They regress to the point where they forgot how to eat proper food. Your solution is ideal for home care, which is what most families prefer if they can manage it. I'll pass that on to some friends still working that field... I'm sure they'll give it a try with any family who's willing.
The consistency of the food is important. Too thick and it won't flow through properly. Too thin and they are likely to aspirate and risk very serious infection. It's much easier to avoid something going down the wrong "pipe" if it's a solid because swallowing is much more controlled (more muscle coordination, less suction).
Take Paddy for example... I'm sure he's had liquid go down wrong and started coughing far more times than food. Of course, when 95% of your intake is liquid... maybe he's not the best example!
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 11 March 2008@18:15:49 (Q5ggV)
Margaret Thatcher in Hospital *UPDATED*
I've always had (and still do have) a great respect for her intelligence and character. She was a great friend to President Reagan and still is a great friend to America. Here's hoping her stay in the hospital is short and uneventful.
Carol Thatcher said her mother was hospitalized as a precaution.
"Very
wisely, at her age and with a history of little strokes, they decided
to err on the side of caution," she said. "But it's good news today.
She is doing well."
1
I've always had a soft spot for Mrs. Thatcher. Most remarkable from the time she told GHWB not to "go all wobbly".
Posted by: X_LA_Native at 08 March 2008@21:38:07 (lBFL9)
2
TeX!! Good to see ya. I saw over at Jawa that HuffPo had to close their comments (again) because of the hateful masses they attract. Decided not to since I would feel obligated to link HuffPo and want to avoid that. I already feel slimed from linking Dkos, LA, and DU in the earlier post.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 08 March 2008@21:50:35 (Q5ggV)
Bush Derangment Syndrome Infects Town
I meant to post on this yesterday.
The symbolic article seeks to have police arrest Bush and Cheney if they ever visit Brattleboro or to extradite them for prosecution elsewhere — if they're not impeached first.
Granted, it's not the entire town... but how on Earth did it pass if it wasn't a pretty darn common sentiment? Has anyone noticed that they didn't vote on a resolution to arrest or extradite Chavez, Ahmadinejad, Bin Laden, Putin, etc...? Wonder why?
Is Venezuela Going to Invade Colombia?
A summit of Latin American leaders has resulted in an accord between Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who had blamed the United
States for the crisis as he sent tanks to the border with
Colombia, joined in shaking Uribe's hand and applauded loudly
and smiled.
If it was this easy to resolve, why send troops to the border so quickly? Maybe it's my suspicious nature, but I don't trust Chavez to abide by this. It's too drastic a turnaround from his recent rhetoric and out of character. Look for some new excuse for Chavez to actually send in his troops. And if/when it happens... remember where you heard it first.
1
I really doubt he'd invade, even if he did, South American wars in the modern era tend to be glorified slapfights by war standards, as most of the regimes have a shaky grip on power to begin with, sending troops that would otherwise be used to maintain stability out to fight is risky. Plus Chavez knows we'd just send over a force and stomp the little Commie punk's military ourselves.
Just remember where you heard it first, lol. It's just so out of character for him that I began to wonder what his motives were. As far as what he knows... Boosh is da debil! I wouldn't place a lot of confidence in his reasoning ability.
Also, I don't know if we would send troops. I'd like to think so, but getting involved in combat operations in South America while we're still having to work so hard in Iraq and Afghanistan might be tricky. Never mind the political fallout now that President Bush has endorsed John McCain. It would be handing a huge propaganda point to the Democrats.
It's certainly not a given at this point, and I'd bet that Chavez is aware of that. Trusting in his sincerity is just not something I'm prepared to do yet ever.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 07 March 2008@21:50:10 (Q5ggV)
3
Eh, he's playing a game. I think this is actually aimed specifically at the US. The US is the perfect entity to demagogue and blame for problems and failed systems. Chavez can blame the US for problems in Venezuela to mollify those who are poor and support him, and if he can waggle his dick and thumb his nose at the US, it plays well with that base.
Posted by: doubleplusundead at 07 March 2008@23:46:09 (68v+0)
4
True enough as far as it goes, but he could (and does) do all that without moving troops. That's what started my wondering, but we'll see. If he hasn't done something one way or another within two weeks, it's a head-game. I'm thinking he'll make a move though, probably within a week.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 07 March 2008@23:55:37 (Q5ggV)
5
Eh, I'm leaning toward thinking he's just playing politics. I don't think the Colombians are gonna cave, and they know the US is gonna back them if SHTF. Plus Chavez isn't in a great position to actually do something like a military action, given that he's got a lot of trouble at home.
Posted by: doubleplusundead at 08 March 2008@00:11:18 (68v+0)
Maybe so and you're right about the Colombians... they won't cave to Chavez or FARC. The position Chavez is in at home is also a powerful reason for him to direct attention somewhere else and try to inspire support from the people through nationalism.
I still don't trust the fat SOB.
Posted by: Stashiu3 at 08 March 2008@00:49:12 (Q5ggV)
Most Liberals Are Conservative (And Most Conservatives Are Liberal)
When I talk bad about liberals, I should really say
moonbats. I can't stand moonbats. Code Pink is full of hate-filled,
socialist-loving, BDS-afflicted shrews. IVAW is mostly made up from
people who were either screw-ups in the military and have a grudge because they
kept being slapped down, people who were never in the military, and maybe 5%
who were good soldiers and now have sincere moral objections to the war.Good on that 5% and I support them even
though I don’t agree with them. Why they associate with the other 95% I
don't know. There are many more examples and listing them would take
hours.
It Starts With The Little Things
You might think this is an attempt to stifle free speech, or an unworkable plan, or even idealistic wishful thinking by Pollyannas. What it may in fact be is a great first step in regaining civil society.
The little things matter, and no cussing/cursing sets a respectful tone to a conversation. I try not to curse in my everyday life and mostly avoid it online, although I make the occasional exception. Having little tolerance for dishonesty, arguments of moral equivalence where none exists (saying Bush = Hitler causes me to automatically dismiss anything else being said), or racist remarks makes it even harder to avoid cursing. I'll be the first to admit that I don't always succeed. I do know that any one of my four kids might come across something I write online and I want to be able to say, "Yes, I wrote that." without shame or embarrassment.
Don't get me wrong, hearing someone else cuss doesn't bother me... whether it's just part of how they speak, used to emphasize a point, or just insult me. Water off a duck's back and all that. Being in the military for 24 years will bring you in contact with a lot of different types of cussing, some almost artistic in its creativeness. Emperor Misha over at The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler and Kim du Toit at The Other Side of Kim are both masterful at skewing liberal idiots. Creative cussing can be very effective and fun to read, but neither of these gentlemen would ever consider using poor language in front of a lady (I assume this excludes Code Pink and other moonbats, but I did say lady).
Suffice to say, I don't faint at bad language. I do like this teenagers initiative though, especially when he says that,
"I finally told my friends, `I
don't cuss.' And I said, `If you want to hang out with me, you don't cuss.'"
Good for him and I agree. You can do whatever you like, but if you want to associate with me you have to meet my standards. If you don't like it, that's ok. You go your way and I'll go mine.. I know I'll do fine and I wish you well. If you don't like how I act about something, tell me. I'll either change or no longer expect that I can hang out with you. No harm, no foul. That's how peer pressure works and he now has 10,000 members in his no-cussing club.
Hopefully it will continue to catch on and people can disagree while showing mutual respect. That's what we're supposed to do all the time, but fail to do all too often. Save the invective for when it's appropriate and it becomes much more effective.
Sites are added to the Moronosphere and Gerbil Nation blogrolls by request. I got everyone on there who was there when they were made, so email me if you know of a new addition. Some of these are on the main blogroll as well and will remain duplicated.
The main blogroll is at my own discretion. I gratefully accept suggestions by email, but I don't do blogroll exchanges. If a site is there, it's because I personally recommend it. If it's one that is not updated often, check out the archives and you'll probably see why it's there. I will rarely remove a site from the main blogroll once it's there.
Recent Comments
sillyblindharper
*rustle, rustle* **looks around empty thread** SQUEaK! entry
Comments are not moderated and users are not registered. This means that I have little to no control over who posts a comment or the content of that comment. Therefore, comments other than my own do not reflect any viewpoint of mine, no matter how long it appears as I will likely remove comments that cross the line of decency. If a comment is removed, a notation that the comment was there will be inserted. Any questions or concerns about posts, comments, copyright, or other issues may be addressed by emailing me at "stashiu3 AT gmail DOT com" replacing the AT with @ and DOT with a period. If that's too complicated, maybe you shouldn't be on the internet without supervision. Just sayin'
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Stash
About Me
I am a Psychiatric Nurse who retired from the Army after 24 years total service. I started out as a Private E-1, made Sergeant E-5 in 23 months, then went to nursing school and ROTC to get commissioned. I am interested in politics where I lean heavily conservative, movies, music, and books. Hopefully you will enjoy what you see and come back often.
Contact me
Stashiu3 AT gmail DOT com
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