Despite numerous representations and an Early Day Motion signed by the large majority of Scotland’s MPs, Theresa May has ordered that Majid Ali, a Glasgow City College student, be deported back to almost certain torture and probable death in Pakistan in just twenty minutes from now. I attended the demonstration on his behalf yesterday at the Scottish Office.
Majid is a member of the much persecuted Baloch minority. Two of his immediate family have been “disappeared” by the Pakistani military since his asylum application was submitted. There is no doubt that given the numerous MP’s who have raised his case, and the well-supported early day motion, civil servants will have put the decision to May personally. She was however not even prepared to grant a delay for a look at the evidence. May is very likely not merely pandering to the racist UKIP voting electorate – she is on the far right of politics herself. The callous sacrifice of Majid Ali is proof, if any more were needed, that this Conservative administration is nothing to do with Cameron’s purported “compassionate conservatism.” They are the nasty party indeed.
But it also gives a stark example of the meaningless nature of the “enhanced devolution” in the new Scotland Act. Majid Ali’s community and Scotland’s elected representatives all want to keep him here, as an asset to his community and to our country. But even once the new Scotland Act is passed, it still would be Theresa May and the London Home Office who are the arbiters in all immigration and nationality matters.
For me, independence is the answer, and the only way Scotland will be able to operate as an ethical state. But for those Scots gradualists who actually believe in this devolution distraction, the absence of any input in immigration matters is a crucial example of how inadequate the proposed “new powers” are.
The majority of all extant UK statute laws apply equally in England and Scotland, but in Scotland are enforced by different administrative and judicial processes. While the UK is unfortunately a single state, it will have the same laws and regulations on immigration applying throughout. But there is no reason whatsoever that, as with so many other areas of law, the administration, judicial function and discretionary powers under the laws should not be devolved from London to Scotland as regards persons in Scotland.
That this is not so much as on the table shows how sham are the proposed “extra powers”. And that Majid Ali is being deported by Theresa May against universal Scottish opinion, shows the contempt which this Tory government intends to display against Scotland.
Assuming the deportation go ahead, the next useful step is to put pressure on Theresa May through letters to MPs to account for what happens to him after his return. There is a chance that forcing the British Government to make enquiries of the Pakistani Government about him may just keep him alive.
You’ve only got to listen to radio 4 and the world service occasionally to know that UK plc uses drama, music and art rather than law to tackle aspects of sexual deviancy. UK plc deliberately let Savile and Cyril Smith off the hook until their deaths, depriving their victims of justice unnecessarily.
The trolls have denied defending Janner from having to face court, but their lack of self-awareness that they were defending criminal acts is deeply disturbing. For those who have no shame, leave them. Their warped minds project their own distorted thinking onto others.
I’ll continue to remind them of their defence of Janner even if their mental sickness remains unruffled by using this mechanism of projection they use to deny it. They are sick people, I don’t even think they are paid to troll. Just lonely nutcases pleading for attention in a hostile world.
Suhayl
Wealthy Muslims in the UK attend Friday prayers at Salafi-style mosques to get their certificate of Islamic correctness, while continuing to break all the religion’s laws of openness, truthfulness and justice in their daily business practice.
‘alatheenahum yuraaoon/ those who would be seen to be practising Islam wa yamna’unal maa’oon/ but who never come up to the mark of what is required by Islam
@John Spencer-Davis 10 Jun, 2015 – 4:02 pm
A good point, unless the British government (as I suspect) had an alternative reason for assurance that Majid Ali would not be treated badly on return, e.g. his brother may been involved with people or activities that he himself was not, so that any diplomatic assurance may have been better grounded than just the Pakistani government’s say-so. But we’ll never know, unless all the facts are made known.
Abe Rene
11/06/2015 8:50am
If you are prepared to trust in that likelihood on the part of either the British or the Pakistani government, then you are a more trusting person than I am.
I would prefer to do what little I can to err on the side of prudence.
Kind regards,
John
Hindu-Muslim animosity in India was much less strong before the British stoked it up.
That’s an easy statement to make, harder to support. Care to try? It wasn’t in the British interest to ‘stoke it up’, in fact, since a warring population doesn’t produce profits (we were much more reluctant to sell arms to people who might use them against us then).
Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon Education Minister and Naftali Bennett, have been making pronouncements.
Israel minister proposes partial West Bank annexation
Israeli defence minister on prospect of peace with Palestinians says ‘not in my lifetime’
9 June 2015
http://wakeupfromyourslumber.com/israeli-defence-minister-on-prospect-of-peace-with-palestinians-says-not-in-my-lifetime/
Capitalizing on the Syrian War: Israeli Politician says Syria “No Longer Exists”
8 June 2015
‘Education Minister Naftali Bennett is calling for the world to recognize its 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights because “Syria no longer functions as a country that could reclaim the strategic plateau” according to the Jerusalem Post. Mr. Bennett is taking advantage of Syrian government’s ongoing civil war with the rebels and the Islamic State known as ISIS or ISIL. Bennett is also “undermining support for Palestinian statehood on other land Israel occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War” according to the report. Bennett called on the international community to recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel when he said “I call on the international community: Stand with us, recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights now,” Bennett said in a speech to the Herzliya Conference, an annual Israeli policy forum. “Borders are changing daily. Syria, as a state, no longer exists. So this is the time for initiative.”’
http://wakeupfromyourslumber.com/capitalizing-on-the-syrian-war-israeli-politician-says-syria-no-longer-exists/
s/be
Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon and Education Minister Naftali Bennett, have been making pronouncements.
Oh yeah?
‘Clean slate’ urged on spying powers
A new “comprehensive” law is needed to cover security services’ powers to monitor online activity, the UK’s terror watchdog says in a report.
11 minutes ago
Live Surveillance laws report
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33092894
Agent Cameron is at the National Memorial Arboretum at a service to remember the soldiers from Camp Bastion who died in Afghanistan. Yes. Correct. Only the soldiers not the Afghani people.
Prince Harry, in full military rig, but not wearing his ‘We do bad things to bad people’ baseball cap, is speaking.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33085826
Great propaganda for the glorification of war and killing.
John Spencer-Davis @ 11.10 pm on 11 June – I have taken your advice and written to Amnesty (reply still awaited) and will now write to my MP (Helen Hayes). I agree with later comments that, on their own, diplomatic assurances from the host government are of limited value. There needs to be contact with Majid Ali; or, if he is in jail or hospital, with relatives and friends who have had recent direct access to him. Such evidence is needed now and on a regular basis for as long as there are reasons to be concerned about his treatment since being sent back to Pakistan.
Iain Orr
11/06/2015 1:31 pm
Thank you for letting me know. I am awaiting a call back from AI to talk about what they are doing for him, I know someone is handling his case.
Amnesty International certainly believes that letters of protest are useful, and has frequently published testimony to that effect from people who have been released from confinement. Whether they are right or not I honestly do not know, but as I say, I don’t think it will do him any harm for the authorities to know his case is quite high-profile.
Kind regards,
John
11.6.15: 7:41am: Giyane. Yep, spot on.
Number of signers of Early Day Motion for Majid Ali has jumped to 66.
Amnesty International have informed me today that they are considering which course of action is in Majid Ali’s best interests and poses the least risk to him. If they issue an Urgent Action they will let me know.
Kind regards,
John
Mary
They start with the Golan Heights {which I have visited} and before you know it they will have carved out a greater Israel from the west of Syria. a long done deal with AlQaida and IS and the Muslim Brotherhood jeehad takfiris targeting all Muslims.
Giyane
11 Jun, 2015 – 7:41 am
‘alatheenahum yuraaoon/ those who would be seen to be practising Islam wa yamna’unal maa’oon/ but who never come up to the mark of what is required by Islam
________________
Gee whiz man! This isn’t an agony mullah’s column for converted cuckoos. You really love wearing your religion on your sleeve don’t you? Very peculiar indeed. Try freeing yourself from your selfsame prison! But then you have so much invested in all your dogma.
And let’s have a little less of the Arabic, shall we. There are surely some – perhaps even a majority – on this blog who do not have Arabic among their languages.
Now 67, Lysias. Still not much more than 10% but at least SOME of our elected representatives can walk around with their heads held high.
This was published today. Majid Ali suspected having been killed.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/deported-student-feared-killed-after-forced-return-to-pakistan.128834441
John Goss
14/06/2015 9:15pm
Let’s not borrow trouble: let’s hope he has been held incommunicado for questioning.
Kind regards,
John
I do hope that John.