A Sydney Anglican faces a death sentence if the Department of Immigration pushes ahead with plans to deport him to Iran, says the Principal of Moore College.
The Rev. Dr. John Woodhouse says he is extremely concerned by the government's intention to send a former Muslim and Moore College student back to a country where converting to Christianity is considered a capital crime.
"Frankly, I'm alarmed at the grave danger in which Amir's life is being placed if his deportation goes ahead," Dr Woodhouse says.
Amir Mesrinejad converted to Christianity during the four years he has spent at Villawood Detention Centre.
Diocesan officials say attempts to contact the Prime Minister and the Minister for Immigration regarding his plight have been met with silence.
Moore College students and lecturers will protest outside of Villawood Detention Centre at 2.00 PM today to draw attention to the sword hanging over the asylum seeker's head.
"It is simply unbelievable that Australia could consider sending Amir back to Iran, where apostates from Islam face the death penalty by law," Dr Woodhouse says.
"His conversion to Christianity is public knowledge, which serves only to heighten the danger he would face."
The Diocese of Sydney has given Mr Mesrinejad a job working at St Paul's Carlingford, one of Sydney's largest Anglican Churches.
Both Dr Woodhouse and the Rev Dr Bruce Hall, rector of St Paul's, have been organising Diocesan-wide protests to save Mr. Mesrinejad.
A recently released report titled ‘Deported to Danger’, throws new light on Australia's treatment of rejected asylum seekers.
The study reveals that 35 out of the 40 people interviewed were living in dangerous circumstances immediately on arrival at the point of deportation.
This report found a growing volume of claims which speak of people spending fear-filled lives in hiding or, even worse, disappearance, imprisonment, torture or death after being deported from Australia.
Just last week the Immigration Minister began to re-assess the cases of 23 Iranian Christian asylum seekers being held in Baxter detention centre.
The Government has admitted that new information has come to light about the desperate circumstances facing Christians in Iran which are significant enough to convince the Minister that certain asylum seekers who have converted to Christianity could face very real persecution.
The applications are expected to be reviewed in the coming fortnight.
"Amir is a sincere Christian convert who is studying theology and has applied for and accepted a job working for the Anglican Church in Sydney. These facts are known publically," says Tracy Gordon, a member of the Sydney Diocese' Social Issues Executive.
"How can the Australian Government expect that Amir should live "discreetly' as a Christian in Iran, to avoid persecution?"
Ms Gordon says Mr Mesrinejad would face very real dangers the moment he stepped off the plane.
"Even if the government does not enforce the death penalty, there are many recent cases where the people have taken the law into their own hands."
At this time the Government has refused to comment on Mr Mesrinejad's case.
For more information read the Sydneyanglicans.net’s article Sent Home To No Home At All
