Second Iranian Refugee allowed to stay in Canada

For the second time this year, lengthy efforts by parishes in the diocese of New Westminster have resulted in overcoming federal government orders to send refugees back to Iran.

In the latest case, a year and a half efforts by the parish of St. John the Evangelist, North Vancouver, has helped Allan (Ali) Monemi, 31, win the right to stay permanently with his family in Canada.

Last February, the efforts of St. Michael’s, Vancouver, resulted in the cancelling of a deportation order against Amir Kazemian.

Both men had been given sanctuary on the parish premises. While the concept of sanctuary has no formal legal sanction, police were reluctant to execute arrest warrants while the men were inside the churches – Monemi for 18 months, Kazemian for 32.

The Rev. Dan Meakes, rector of St. John’s, said the parish learned last week that an appeal to the Minister of Immigration was successful and Monemi, a convert to Christianity, can now apply to become a landed immigrant.

The Monemi family - Ali’s mother and father and younger brother - came to Canada in 1995. Ali had to remain in Iran for compulsory military service. While there, according to his story, he held hands in a public park with a woman whom he failed to realize was married. For this he was beaten, and ordered to report to a labour camp. Instead he left for Canada, arriving in 1999.

But his claim of refugee status was denied. In May of 2006 he was ordered deported. At that point he went into sanctuary at St. John’s and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He remained in sanctuary, either at St. John’s or briefly at two other parishes, which Meakes declined to name.

Meakes said that before going into sanctuary Monemi converted to Christianity and asked that people call him Allan. At his baptism, MP Don Bell became one of his godfathers. His conversion raised the stakes, since leaving Islam can be a capital offense in Iran.

The parish found lawyers willing to help Monemi plead his case while in sanctuary - Peter Larlee and Ryan Rosenburg, neither of them members of the parish.

The parish spearheaded a letter writing campaign to the Minister of Immigration and other members of parliament. Meakes went to Ottawa last April but was unable to meet with the Immigration Minister, Diane Findley, despite the efforts of MP Bell

He was supported during sanctuary in a small room at St. John’s by the parish and his own family, who and cooked meals and brought them to Monemi daily. Meakes said parish members and the Monemi family, who remain Muslim, often prayed together for Monemi’s release. Since February, another frequent visitor was Amir Kazemian.

Meakes said that the decision to allow Monemi came at a meeting Nov. 9 in the offices of the Canadian Border Services, which Monemi attended after being given assurances he would not be arrested. Meakes said he thought federal officials might be willing to send Monemi to a third country such as Italy, but didn’t expect the refugee to be allowed to stay in Canada.

Monemi, who worked in sales before he took sanctuary, has received three job offers and will probably work in construction, Meakes said. He is back living with his family.

Meakes especially praised the lawyers, who took on eight appearances for the refugee and did thousands of dollars worth of legal work, much of it without fee. “For them it’s been an act of love and a search for justice.”