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(Iranian) Refugee sews eyes shut in protest
Yahooooooo/Reuters ^
| 7/8/03
Posted on 07/08/2003 9:42:56 AM PDT by areafiftyone
LONDON (Reuters) - An Iranian refugee has sewn his eyes, ears and mouth shut in protest at the rejection of his asylum application, a friend says.
The move by Shahin Portofeh, 23, comes less than two months after another Iranian refugee, Abas Amini, won the right to stay in Britain after resorting to the same extreme tactic.
"I'm standing next to him right now and he is in a lot of pain," said a woman describing herself as a friend and interpreter in Portofeh's bedroom in Coventry.
The interpreter, who declined to be named, said Portofeh was lying on his bed, unable to eat or drink after starting his protest in a house he shares with other Iranians on Monday. He used four stitches to close his mouth, two to shut each eye and one stitch across each ear.
"He says he will do this until he dies," she told Reuters on Tuesday.
A Home Office spokesman said Portofeh's protest would have no bearing on his case. "We find it very regrettable that someone took this kind of action," he said.
Reza Moradi, the London-based director of the International Federation of Iranian Refugees (IFIR), said his organisation did not support such forms of protest. He said the IFIR planned a series of speeches around the country targeted at asylum seekers urging them not to embark on a series of copy-cat protests.
He said Portofeh called him last week after learning his asylum application had been turned down and indicated he would mirror the actions of Amini, a political poet and communist activist, who won the right to stay in Britain.
"I told him 'don't do it.' I spoke to him for more than an hour. He believes that this is the only way," said Moradi.
TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: eyeoftheneedle; lookfortheunionlabel; miserablesewandsew; pinhead; sewwhat; tantrum
To: areafiftyone
Oh, he's ready for the asylum, all right.
2
posted on
07/08/2003 9:45:34 AM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
To: All
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| Lighten Up, Francis! |
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3
posted on
07/08/2003 9:46:34 AM PDT
by
Support Free Republic
(Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
To: areafiftyone
How unseamly.
4
posted on
07/08/2003 9:47:19 AM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
To: areafiftyone
Sew what?
(I just can't help myself)
5
posted on
07/08/2003 9:50:39 AM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
To: martin_fierro
This thread has me in stitches!
6
posted on
07/08/2003 9:51:35 AM PDT
by
Tijeras_Slim
(The Preview button is for wimps!)
To: areafiftyone
Ask yourself: "What must life be like in Iran that two people would resort to such extreme self-mutilation measures in order not to have to return there?"
7
posted on
07/08/2003 9:53:53 AM PDT
by
FreedomCalls
(It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
To: Tijeras_Slim
He said the IFIR planned a series of speeches around the country targeted at asylum seekers urging them not to embark on a series of copy-cat protests. I predict they won't need much convincing.
8
posted on
07/08/2003 9:55:49 AM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
To: FreedomCalls
What a horror! I just can't fathom. Why don't they just let this guy stay.
9
posted on
07/08/2003 9:56:25 AM PDT
by
areafiftyone
(The U.N. needs a good Flush!)
To: Tijeras_Slim; xsmommy
(Iranian) Refugee sews eyes shut in protest How awful for hem.
10
posted on
07/08/2003 9:57:34 AM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
To: Tijeras_Slim
Stop needling the poor guy, TS...
11
posted on
07/08/2003 9:57:51 AM PDT
by
Constitution Day
(Remember! Only! You! Can! Prevent! Exclamation! Abuse!)
To: areafiftyone
To: Constitution Day; Tijeras_Slim
TS is entitled to his opinion.
13
posted on
07/08/2003 10:03:15 AM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
To: martin_fierro
Yeah, you're right. The protester really is a pinhead.
14
posted on
07/08/2003 10:05:40 AM PDT
by
Constitution Day
(Remember! Only! You! Can! Prevent! Exclamation! Abuse!)
To: areafiftyone
What a loomatic.
15
posted on
07/08/2003 10:06:58 AM PDT
by
Mr. Bird
To: Mr. Bird
That sort of mutilation seamstressful.
16
posted on
07/08/2003 11:05:39 AM PDT
by
gcruse
(There is no such thing as society: there are individual men and women[.] --Margaret Thatcher)
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