The lawyer Claudio Villalobos Villanueva is a serious man who is deeply shaken by the treatment authorities have given his client. He tells how quickly Imran Firasat received asylum in 2006 and that it is primarily based on his open criticism of Islam. Firasat had written several newspaper articles about the problems with Islam, and even interviewed on TV.
- But in 2012, just days after Imran film The Innocent Prophet came out, changed the authorities suddenly. Several embassies sounded the alarm that the film could provoke terrorist acts, and from the Embassy of Belgium came a High Terror Alert [High terror alert], says Claudio Villalobos Villanueva.
authorities opened a case on Imran Celebrate Kit asylum status. Meanwhile, the investigation was going on, his second film The Innocence of Islamic Jihad - about the same time as the U.S. film Innocence of Muslims. At first, the U.S. film blamed for the attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi September 11, 2012, later it turned out that the whole was a well-planned terrorist attack. But then, had already President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went out and asked the Islamic world to apologize for the film.
Spanish authorities suffered the jitters. In recent memory had all the Islamist terrorist attack on trains in Madrid March 11, 2004, which killed 191 and injured over 2, 000. December 21, 2012 it was decided to withdraw Imran Celebrate Kit asylum status.
- They chose the easiest option - to silence Imran while Muslims go to the meeting, said the lawyer. The worst thing about this course, is that Imran is a certain death if he is sent back to Pakistan, or Indonesia where he also lived. But of course it may also be implications for freedom of expression and other human right to criticize Islam.
Claudio Villalobos Villanueva points out that a Spanish citizen would never have suffered Imran Celebrate Kit destiny, and therefore he sees the judgment as both discriminatory and racist.
They appealed the lost asylum status to a higher court - who refused to take up the case. However, it has the Supreme Court decided to do so early next year, Imran Firasat another chance to avoid deportation to his own death.
- We will request that the trial be held in open court, said the lawyer. It is very important that people are aware of Imran cases.
To avoid problems with the authorities, Imran Firasat kept them informed of everything he does.
- I have written to the Parliament, the Government and all sorts of authorities and told her all about my films.Not once have I heard anything from them - not until they decided to take away my asylum status, says Imran Firasat. reason they never responded Firasat, it is very likely that it would then appear that Spain censors its citizens freedom of expression. But instead of prior censorship suffered Imran Firasat of deportation.
Sam Nunberg at The Legal Project in Philadelphia is also involved in Celebrate kit cases. In an interviewwith Canadian journalist Ezra Levant says Nunberg to Spain throws out refugees who informs about the dangers of Islam, but lets hardline Islamists and threatening to stay in the country.
Imran Firasat and his attorney expects to win the hearing in the Supreme Court. If they lose, they go on to the European Court of Human Rights.
- Sure, I would now be able to take me to another European country and seek asylum there, but I will fight to stay in Spain. It must be permissible to educate people about Islam, as I do in my movies - even in the land that had once been occupied by Islam, says Imran Firasat. FACTS / Imran Firasat
Born in Pakistan. Questioned as a child of the Islamic faith in which you were not allowed to question anything. Left Islam then he is forbidden to marry a Buddhist woman from Indonesia. Come to Spain in 2004 and received asylum in 2006. Moved to Indonesia with his wife and three children in 2008, to take a break from the commotion his Islam criticism given him in Spain.
Blogged there anonymously about Islam, but was discovered by the authorities. Expelled from Indonesia, July 7, 2010, and returned to Spain. 16 July, nine days later (!), He was sentenced in absentia by a police tribunal to 20 years in prison for a murder that was committed on June 10 the same year. Spain refused to leave him out, but gave the Indonesian authorities the right offer to come to Spain to present their evidence.Three times appeared Imran Firasat in court - the Indonesians never showed up. Finally, the Spanish Commission of Inquiry into the whole thing, and Firasat was told that matter to be closed.
December 21, 2012 from, he was taken suddenly his Spanish residence permit when he "poses a threat to national security" because of his films about Islam. In early 2014, the matter dealt with by the Spanish Supreme Court. Celebrate Kit's wife and children are still in Indonesia. Where they are threatened by Islamist groups Majelis Ulama, Front Pembela Islam and Hizb ut-Tahrir. He has received a multi hotmejl from these groups, where they demand that he stop criticizing Islam and ask all Indonesian Muslims to apologize. Imran and his family have now converted to Christianity.
Footnote: In the near future a filmed interview with Imran Firasat be published on Dispatch International.
Imran Celebrate Kit movies:
The Innocent Prophet
The Innocence of Islamic Jihad
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