Sunday, October 5, 2014

Sadia Khan petition

Sadia Khan is a Christian woman victim of Pakistan and Sri Lankan Generals. She wrote about the security forces of Pakistan and upon receiving threats fled to Sri Lanka. On the request of Pak ISI Pakistan friendly Sri Lankan authorities kept them in illegal detention for 1 month. They confiscated their Passports and everything they had. They fled from the detention and live in hiding for the last 1 & a half year.

Unfortunately though recognized refugees by UNHCR they still live in extreme fear and in hiding. Their passports are still with Sri Lankan authorities. They want UNHCR to resettle them to Canada as soon as possible. Their life in Sri Lanka is in extreme  danger. Canada please help them before we are killed.


Sign the petition here: Canada please resettle us immediately

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Diary of a little Pakistani Christian refugee girl in Sri Lanka


Diary of a Pakistani refugee child in Sri Lanka
UNHCR gave us a letter of failure and we were all scared to death. What if we are sent back to Pakistan we will be killed. My mother’s Pashtun family would never let us live. Pakistan army Generals against whom my sister had written would not let us live.



My sister started looking for a lawyer so that he can help us with our appeal against the decision of UNHCR. We found a lawyer; he came to our house in a very good mood and went very angry after seeing my sister’s website.
We started receiving wrong calls. We were followed. My sister said now I am exposed. She started writing with her real name.
We went to women in need center and asked for protection they agreed. When they spoke to UNHCR Colombo staff they refused to accept us and we returned to our rented home with a lot of fear.


On Saturday 15 some immigration officers came to our house. They were forcing us to open the door. They were banging and kicking on the door. They had no female officer with them. We were very scared and left the house by jumping in to the next building house. It was very risky as we were on the 2nd floor.


chulananda prera Head of Immigration Department



We went to Kandy and stayed there for few days. We called UNHCR and asked them to help us. UNHCR staff said “does not do a drama come back to your house. You are protected by UNHCR immigration cannot harm you”.
We came back to our house and we were arrested right in front of our house.
People who 1st attacked us were not immigration officers or police men. They were taxi drivers they held us tight and many passersby also helped them. My sister fell down many people were holding and touching her, someone snatched her heavy gold chain.
Officers arrived very late and were very happy on our arrest.


Police station in Colombo
They took us to nearby Dahiwala police station. The head of the immigration staff  Amit entered  the police station and was forcing the police high officials to accept us in the jail but they plainly refused and told them that we cannot be accepted in the jails as we were not criminals but asylum seekers. 
I asked him for how long he will keep us in the jail he answered with a very furious face 40 years. My mother said please for God sake he said there is no God here.
We were brought to Mirahina detention camp.


There were many people detained there they were surprised at our arrest and detention as we were registered Asylum seekers with UNHCR and had no male family member with us. Mr Amit took our passports by force and went away.
Next day we went to the small office of immigration staff in the Detention camp. The officer present there was not very sure why we were in the detention camp. On our request he started calling different numbers to find out the reason of our arrest. After calling many numbers and after a detailed conversation he told us very comfortably while stretching in his seat
He put his one finger on the other and said,
“Your case is between ISI and SIS. ISI head contacted SIS head to investigate about you. Your house is sealed you will be presented to the court and you will be deported to Pakistan”
Gota baya Rajapaksa headof Defence in Sri Lanka



Head of ISI Zahir ul Islam 

Inoticed that my sister was very scared she told my mother they will kill us.
Afer that she started calling UNHCR office she cried many times and asked them to help us. She told my mother UNHCR staff is under pressure from their Pakistan friendly Government they will not help us.
My sister kept calling Human rights groups and journalists no body helped us. Every day my sister looked as if she will die.


Pic of calbo wala teaching hospital colombo

One morning she had pain in her chest. She had a heart attack. She was taken to the hospital I accompanied her. Our mother was not allowed to come to the hospital. We spent few days in the hospital. 
A doctor told my sister that Government authorities had advised them to discharge us as soon as possible because we were spies of India.
In the hospital my sister kept crying. We were guarded by armed police men and women day and night.
My sister was still very sick when she was discharged from the hospital. From the hospital we were taken to a horrible looking jail. Our name was enlisted there.
They planned to shift us from detention camp to the jail.
Now it was clear that Sri Lankan authorities were doing as told by Pakistan security forces against whom my sister had written.
 Sri Lankan authorities acted criminally and UNHCR was scared of their Government and was hiding. We decided to flee from the detention camp.
It was Monday 8th April 201, when we left the detention camp early in the morning.
Our Sufferings were not over it was a start of another horrible period hiding in Sri Lanka when special forces were looking for us. We were bleeding and UNHCR was hiding. There was no one in UNHCR who could say no to the Pakistan friendly Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
To be continued ...

Friday, May 23, 2014

A PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN CHILD APPEALS TO SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT

A Pakistani child appeals to Sri Lankan Government

Dear Sri Lnkan authorities
I am 12 Years old Amala Khan. I am exhausted and sick because of the troubles and painful life of hiding in Sri lanka.
wrote about the security forces of Pakistan. We were threatened and fled to Sri Lanka.  Now we are recognized refugees by UNHCR. 
Last year On the request of Pakistan ISI, Sri Lankan authorities kept us in illegal detention. They took our passports and all we had.  they were about to deport us to Pakistan. Knowing the huge danger to our life we fled from the detention camp.
We are recognized refugees by UNHCR yet Sri Lanka still withholds our passports. I am very scared. I don’ go to School. I tremble with fear. I am very tired of hiding and life on the run. I am dying.
Please Sri Lankan Authorities return our passports Please let us leave your country with safety. Your children are free and happy because they have powerful fathers like you. I don't have a father. Please let me live with my mother and sister in Peace.
Please help a child who is slowly dying with fear,
Amala Khan,

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Monday, March 17, 2014

A Brave Young Pakistani Woman’s Struggle Against Oppression

Written by: Shawn Forbes
Today we celebrate the accomplishments and struggles of the brave women around the world who stand firm in the face of oppression and discrimination.  One such woman is Sadia Khan.  A young student and writer from Pakistan who dared to speak out against a prevalent fundamentalist ideology.  Sadia Khan’s struggle embodies the personal adversity Women everywhere are faced with every day.
Sadia and Amala Khan
Sadia and Amala Khan
Ten years ago in Quetta Pakistan, a young Pashtun girl named Sadia Khan was forced to flee her home alongside her young sister Amala ( an infant ) and their mother.  Sadia’s only crime was her objection to a radical and extremist society.  Sadia refused to be complacent in a world where women and minorities are deprived the very basic freedoms that every single living being is entitled to.  She publicly voiced her objections in her home, community and school.  Unfortunately, Sadia soon realized that her peers in the community were already steeped in a state endorsed culture of extremism.
In Pakistan, state polices encourage radical Islamic ideology while punishing moderate principles.  Thousands of activists and hundreds of journalists have been abducted and extra-judicially killed by State agencies and vicious death squads.  In 2010 Sadia began writing a book exposing these drastic human rights abuses.  She traveled extensively throughout Pakistan collecting reports, information, and testimony about ongoing state endorsed extremism.  
During this time Sadia‘s own family members tried to take her life, for her political, social, and religious opinions.  They also forced their mother to abandon her adopted daughter Amala. They had strong objection over her adoption. According to them she was a curse and was born without a marriage. They said according to their religious traditions, she should be killed for the sin of her unknown parents.
Sadia completed her book in 2011 but her work gained the attention of extremist elements in the region.  She soon found herself under constant suvaillance by ISI agents and extremist thugs.   In 2011 Sadia found herself the fortunate survivor of a vehicular attack.
Concerned citizens of her community came to inquire about her in a near-by shop.  Soon thereafter even these kind hearted citizens received threatening letters. Upon receiving the letter Sadia Khan, alongside her mother & her young sister Amala, fled their home and went to a servant’s house. They remained hiding there for 4 days and on 1st january 2012 left for Sri Lanka.
In Sri Lanka, Sadia was unable to publish her book so she started publishing articles from the book on a blog website. She knew it was very dangerous and will be awarded with death if exposed so she blogged with an anonymous name of Khizra Khan Yousafzai. 
Fearing for her life, Sadia and her family registered with UNHCR as asylum seekers. Over estimating the protection of UNHCR Sadia began blogging with her own name and exposed her real identity and location. Due to her outspoken stance against extremism and female oppression, expressed on her very popularblog and youtube channel, Pakistani ISI Agents quickly became aware of her location.  Within a week she and her family were apprehended and held in a detention camp for 1 month.  While in the detention camp, the authorities advised her:”Your case is between ISI and SIS.  ISI agents have contacted the head of SIS and now he himself is investigating about you.  You will be presented to the high court and deported to Pakistan.”
Sadia knew she would not be allowed to live after whatever has happened. After experiencing a minor heart attack, her mother was denied permission to visit her daughter in the hospital. Sadia was held under armed guard by Sri Lankan police officers.  A doctor told Sadia that they have been advised by Sri Lankan authorities to discharge her as soon as possible, alleging she was a dangerous spy.
When Sadia was still recovering, she was prematurely sent back to the detention camp.  Despite her inhuman treatment, Sadia remained vigiliant.  She continued to plead with the Sri Lankan UNHCR.  Sadia demonstrated her personal strength and resolve, refusing to give up on her family.  Trapped by 2 intelligence agencies, and detained by authorities for demanding her basic human rights and personal liberties.  On April 9th of 2013 Sadia and her family decided to flee from the detention camp.
After leaving the detention camp, Sadia, Amala, and their mother went into hiding.  Persued by International Intelligence Agencies and living in constant fear, Sadia bravely continued her online crusade for justice.
In October 2013 her mother who was exhausted with the life in hiding came forward to publicly beg UNHCR to grant them asylum.  Sadia and her little sis Amala left the safe house due to the fear of Sri Lankan authorities. Their mother eventually returned from the Sri Lankan UNHCR office in Colombo to an empty house empty handed.
For over 4 months Sadia and Amala had to live separately from their mother. They fear that their mother was under surveillance, they would all be abducted should they meet.  In November 2013 the Sri Lankan UNHCR finally announced their decision to approve Sadia’s asylum request, but a decision regarding her mother and young sister’s applications were still pending. Definitely UNHCR is under a lot of pressure from the state of Sri Lanka or else they would never take over 2 years to decide the fate of 3 women who face death at the hands of a strict Pashtun community and from 2 powerful state agencies.
Thanks to Sadia Khan’s tireless efforts, and personal resolve, the Sri Lankan UNHCR granted full asylum to Sadia Khan, Amala and their mother in February 2014.  The unsung heroes like Sadia Khan embody the female spirit.  Sadia’s brave struggle against overwhelming odds and hardships reflects the strength of the female spirit.  Her success is a victory for all women everywhere.  Sadia continues to work towards creating awareness of the oppression of Women in fundamentalist cultures.

Article by Shawn Forbes

Friday, February 14, 2014

UNHCR saves our life



Thank You UNHCR, Thank You Ilija Todorovic. UNHCR gives us asylum and gives us a chance to live. Though it came very late yet we are over joyed with the protection of UNHCR. Today me and my sis Sadia celebrated this. We brought a small cake with Cocacola and celebrated our freedom. Here Sadia took my pics.