Haven at last for Ali Panah
Lloyd Ashton
| 18 Feb 2009
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Archbishop David Moxon and Ali Panah front up to the press at St John's College, Auckland.
Thumbs up: Ali Panah can live.
His six-year struggle for the right to remain in New Zealand – which included 20 months in Mt Eden Remand prison, and which culminated in a 53-day fast – is over.
Thanks be to God.
That, clearly, was the attitude of the Anglican supporters who turned up at a news conference at St John’s College yesterday afternoon, when the decision about the fate of Ali Panah, the Iranian refugee, was made public.
Supporters such as Clive and Linda Sperring. For three years, Clive had been Ali’s vicar at St James, Orakei.
And when Ali was bailed from prison in September 2007, weak and emaciated from the effects of his 53-day fast, it was Clive and Linda and their family who took him into their family home and gently nursed him back to health. Ali remained as the Sperring’s house guest for months.
Brother Brian and Brother Damian from the Anglican Friary in Hamilton were among yesterday’s support crew, too.
About 800 years ago, St Francis had beseeched his followers to show hospitality to the stranger in their midst – and Brian and Damian had put up their hands to offer Ali a new home when Clive Sperring retired, and Ali had to move on. He’s with the Brothers still.
And at the top table, in the glare of the TV lights and the flashing of the cameras, alongside Ali and his lawyer, Grant Illingworth QC, was Archbishop David Moxon.
It was the visit Archbishop David and Social Justice Commissioner Anthony Dancer made to Ali in Mt Eden Remand Prison in September 2007, on the 50th day of his fast that was almost certainly the tipping point for getting Ali out of jail – literally – and breaking his fast.
A couple of days after that, the Minister of Immigration intervened and gave Ali his stay of execution.
Ali was, said the Minister, to be bailed into the care and expense of the Anglican Church, until his case could be reviewed.
And it was through Anglican connections that Grant Illingworth QC became aware of Ali’s plight. He brought his legal firepower to bear on Ali’s behalf in submissions to the Minister of Immigration, and in representations to the Refugee Status Appeals Authority. And he did it ‘pro bono’, as the lawyers say. For free.
Yesterday afternoon Grant explained why the RSAA had finally, after a third appeal, relented and granted Ali refugee status.
What swung them, Grant said, was the widespread publicity about Ali’s Christian stand.
News of his Christian conversion had become so public it would be seen by – or easily accessible to – the Iranian authorities.
In the last two years Iran has become progressively more threatening for those who renounce Islam and embrace Christianity – and the RSAA is now persuaded that Ali might well be in danger if he was forced to return to Iran.
Once again, Archbishop David vouched yesterday for the authenticity of Ali’s Christian faith.
He told the media how the folk at St James, Orakei had been convinced, over a long period, that Ali’s faith was the real deal. He spoke of his own belief that it was sincere and genuine – and he told how the Friars in Hamilton were convinced, too.
Yesterday’s judgement from the RSAA wasn’t all plain sailing for Ali.
In his comments to the media Grant Illingworth freely acknowledged that there are some distinctly “unfavourable” elements in the judgement.
So much so, that if the situation for Iranian converts improves significantly, the Department of Labour may still renew proceedings to have Ali deported there.
So it would appear that Ali’s victory yesterday may have been a close-run thing.
By about the same margin, perhaps, that the Evers-Swindell sisters won gold in Beijing.
But as the record books will tell you, that was a victory, nonetheless.
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