AN IMMINENT DEPORTATION: A CALL FOR SOLIDARITY WITH AMIR HODHOD

UPDATE: A photo essay from the April 3, 2006 picket in support of Amir can be viewed HERE

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Amir Hodhod, an Egyptian political dissident and active member of Solidarity Across Borders for 3 years, is facing deportation on April 6th. We are calling on you to support him in his fight to remain in Canada by contacting officials to demand an immediate stay of deportation and that he be granted status in Canada.

This message contains:

1. BACKGROUND INFO ABOUT AMIR'S CASE.
2. MINISTER'S CONTACT INFORMATION.
3. SAMPLE LETTER OF SUPPORT.
4. A LINK TO AMIR'S RECENT ARTICLE Non Citizen = Non Human.
5. A STATEMENT BY AMIR HODHOD: The Story Of An Upcoming Deportation

To stay in touch: sansfrontieres@resist.ca or 514-848-7583
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1. ABOUT AMIR'S CASE:

Amir is a writer who fled Egypt 7 years ago fearing persecution because of
his opposition to fundamentalist ideologies and dissenting political views.
After leaving Egypt, Amir lived in the US for 3 ½ years, before coming to Canada
in 2003 to avoid the post 9-11 racism in the US. In Canada he made a claim for
refugee status. On March 14th006 he was given a deportation date of April
6th, 2006. On this day, Amir will be deported to the United States where he will
almost certainly be immediately detained and then deported to Egypt.

Since being in North America, Amir has continued to express his views, most
recently speaking out against the repression in Egypt during the recent
elections and the December 2005 massacre of Sudanese refuges in Cairo.

As a member of Solidarity Across Borders he walked the 7 days to Ottawa to call
for the regularization of all non-status people, an end to their deportation and detention and the abolition of security certificates. Amir has also been active in the Worker's Solidarity Network and was one of founders of the Egyptian Coalition for Justice and Democracy. He was also very supportive in helping other refugees get their status and settle in Montreal.

Egypt's human rights abuses, including repression of free speech, imprisonment
or "disappearances" of political dissidents and activists, torture by police
and the military, death of prisoners in custody, have been well-documented
and it is appalling that Canada would send anyone back to face this regime.

50% of refugee claims are denied in Canada every year. Reasons cited for
denying Amir's claim were that he did not have proper documentation that he
would face persecution. Documentation, in the form of articles that he had
written, remained in Egypt where Amir was unable to access them. More
recently, Amir has been able to track down some of these articles, but has not been
allowed to submit them. Under Canadian law there is no opportunity to
submit new evidence or to appeal this decision. Like so many others, Amir has been
denied the opportunity to present his case for being a political refugee and
is being sent back to face a brutal regime that he has been very active and
outspoken against.

We are calling on you to act in solidarity with Amir and support his right
to remain in Canada and to be granted status. Because his deportation is less
than 3 weeks away, we must act quickly. Please make your views known by calling
or writing the ministers listed below. A sample letter is included below but
please express your views however you see fit.

2. MINISTER'S CONTACT INFORMATION.

Monte Solberg, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 992-4516
Fax: (613) 992-6181
E-Mail: Solberg.M@parl.gc.ca

Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

In Ottawa: Stockwell Day, MP, P.C.
House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Phone: 613.995.1702
Fax: 613.995.1154
Email: day.s@parl.gc.ca

In BC: Suite 202, 301 Main Street
Penticton, BC V2A 5B7
Phone: 250.770.4480
Fax: 250.770.4484
Email: days1@parl.gc.ca

René D¹Aoust, Director Investigations and Removals,
CIC Montreal, Tel:
(514) 496-1237, Fax: (514) 496-2222

Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada,
Office of the Prime Minister, 80 Wellington Street,
Ottawa, K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
Email: pm@pm.gc.ca
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3. SAMPLE LETTER OF SUPPORT

[Feel free to use the following letter as a model. Please also feel free to
personalize the text as much as possible.]

(Name)
(Address)
(Place, date)

Re : Amir Hodhod

Dear (fill in name),

I have recently become aware of the CIC's intention to deport Amir Hodhod on
April 6th, and am writing to express my shock and outrage at this decision.

When Amir left Egypt he was fleeing political persecution for his progressive writings which criticized the Egyptian regime and spoke out against
fundamentalism. The Egyptian regime is a well documented human rights
abuser, which has become notorious in the international community for consistently
silencing opposition, opposition which Amir so clearly represents. It is
unbelievable to think that Canada - a signatory to the 1951 Geneva
Convention and its 1967 Protocol would not respect Amir's legal and legitimate status as a political refugee.

Amir arrived in the United States in 1999 where he lived illegally in NYC.
In 2003 he was forced to leave New York under the worst conditions in the post
9-11 hysteria, and continued to face the nightmare of daily life as a non-status person in Canada. In Montreal Amir worked odd jobs cooking in restaurants and living the reality of the refugee economy. Now he is facing deportation to the US, where he is most likely to be detained and surely deported to imprisonment in Egypt with the, possibility of being held indefinitely or tortured. How much longer will Canada continue to ignore the concrete economic and political realities of living without status in North America? I am writing to voice my outrage at this callous indifference towards Amir's situation as well as the plight of all non-status people.

Since Amir has been in Canada he has continued to be a voice of opposition
to the abuses and massacres committed by his home country. For example, he has
worked with the Egyptian Coalition for Justice and Democracy to speak out
against the massacre of the Sudanese refugees.

Amir has also supported the struggles of other non-status people in Montreal
through groups like Solidarity Across Borders, the Immigrant Workers Center,
and the Workers Solidarity Network. This consistent advocacy for the rights
of refugees worldwide is now in sharp contrast to the Canadian governments
refusal to acknowledge his legitimate refugee status, and it is unacceptable that a
country considered such a bastion of human rights should have such policy.

I feel it is outrageous and unacceptable that Canada would endanger the life
and wellbeing of Amir Hodhod by deporting him to the end result of him
ending up in Egypt, while maintaining a claim that Canada does not deport people to
torture.

I urge you to exercise your power to stop the deportation of Mr. Hodhod, and
to provide him with status here in Canada.

Sincerely,

Name
Address
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4. AMIR'S WRITING

Although much of Amir's writing has been in Arabic and is not on-line, you
can read a recent English article of his entitled: "Non Citizen = Non Human" at
http://www.montrealserai.com/2005_Volume_18/18_2/Article_16.htm
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5. STATEMENT BY AMIR HODHOD: THE STORY OF AN UPCOMING DEPORTATION

My name is Amir Hodhod and I am 42 years old. I was born in the city of
Mansoura on the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. My family is a member of
the Coptic Christian minority, and I have one younger brother and one younger
sister. I graduated as a pharmacist in 1990 from Mansoura University and
moved to Cairo where I studied philosophy. Before I fled Egypt I was a writer, and
I published articles in various secular, progressive and dissident magazines.

I left Egypt in 1999 because I was under threat from both the government and
from religious fundamentalists due to my articles and my political activities. I fled initially to the United States, where I lived and worked illegally in New York City. I came to Montreal in 2003, fleeing the racist situation I was experiencing and witnessing in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks.

On April 6, 2006 -- in less than three weeks -- I am scheduled to be deported
to the United States. If I am removed to the United States, it is almost certain that I will be detained and returned to Egypt. Currently, Immigration Canada offers me only two options: deportation to the United States (and almost certain detention); or my "voluntary" return to Egypt, where I fear persecution due to my political beliefs and activities.

I feel it is important to make clear -- to my friends and supporters, and to
the media and general population -- some of the important issues involved as
I confront the difficult choices I must make in the coming days and weeks.

I was a political activist in Egypt -- for leftist and secular movements --
and those activities continued actively and publicly in Montreal, especially
in the past several months. Recently, I have written and spoken against the
repression in Egypt during the recent elections, and the government massacre
of Sudanese refugees in Cairo this past December 2005.

Because of my very public political activities, including writings in Arabic
for various progressive websites, I have reason to fear that I will be
persecuted and detained in Egypt.

The human rights situation in Egypt is essentially ignored in the Canadian
media, but the Egyptian regime -- which is supported financially and
militarily by the West -- is one of the most brutal in the world. In Egypt there are thousands of political prisoners, open debate and free speech is repressed,
torture and ill treatment is a normal practice by the police and authorities, death in custody is common, and many activists are disappeared. This situation is confirmed by various human rights reports and agencies. Anyone familiar with
Egypt is aware of the repressive nature of the Egyptian authorities.

Right now, the political repression in Egypt is getting worse and worse due to
the recent political confrontations between the opposition and the Mubarak regime.

I have not hesitated to speak out against injustice, both within Egypt, and
here in Canada. Because of my outspoken beliefs, I have reason to believe that
I will be targeted if I am returned to Egypt. This is not speculation: I have a
very real fear of persecution, based on my positions as a secular, progressive
leftist.

It might seem convenient for me to silently return to Egypt, and to cease my
political activity, including my writings. However, I write this statement
to make clear, to everyone, that I refuse to be silenced, even in the face of
possible removal to a brutal regime. I insist that the truth about the situation in Egypt be exposed, and I want to continue to expose those truths.

I ask: How is it possible for the Canadian government to even consider deporting someone back to a brutal regime, known for torture and ill-treatment (and if I'm sent to the USA, that means I will certainly be sent back to Egypt, after enduring detention in US jails). I have not been given a fair hearing by Canada's refugee system. I was never allowed to appeal my refugee claim refusal on it merits. And now, I have no legal avenue to provide all the documentation attesting to the potential risk and ill treatment I face if I am deported on April 6, 2006.

I was refused recognition as a political refugee by the Canadian government.
But my writings, and my political activities -- on behalf of secular,
progressive leftist movements, and against the Egyptian government as well
as, partially, religious fundamentalists -- make it clear that there is a high
danger of facing persecution (including detention and torture) if returned.
This is the clear definition of a political refugee, but the Canadian system
provides me with no fair way to be recognized as a political refugee.

I have lived away from Egypt for seven years -- four years in the USA, and
three years in Canada. That entire time I was a non-status person. That
means that I lived the nightmare of uncertainty, not knowing what the future holds
for me, and never being able to properly build my life. That nightmare
continues, as I face the possibility of being returned to a country that I
fled. My future right now is detention and possible torture.

I want simply to be able to establish a regular life, to build on my previous experiences, and to be able to contribute meaningfully to society, including
thru my writings and my political activities.

I make this statement so that I can remain true to my beliefs, and not hide,
in any way, my true feelings about the Egyptian regime -- including the
thousands of political prisoners -- and the immigration process in Canada. I have
worked to raise awareness about non-status peoples in Canada, and I feel it's
important that I remain outspoken even as I, a non-status person, confront
the fate of deportation.

Amir Hodhod
March 14, 2006
MONTREAL