I don't normally send messages on the internet about particular campaigns (which
some people find rather boring), but this is a particularly important one. I
don't just think about the cause for which I am fighting (a form of socialism
based on proportional representation), but individual people I care about. I met
the sister of child 'M' at the Convention of the Left on Wednesday, and their
ordeal of 51 days in a detention centre (essentially a prison) is scandalous. If
they are returned to Iran, they could suffer persecution or worse.

It is a good issue to attack the New Labour government when campaigning on,
since their criticisms of the Iranian regime makes them hypocrites for wanting
to send a family back there. I handed out about 400 leaflets on this issue at
the Manchester universities on Thursday, and will hand more out this wekend. I
put my Foundation for PR-based Socialism newsletter 4 (see
http://www.PRsocialism.org) on the back, and have talked about the need to
change society so that injustices like this don't continue to occur. [There is
an Asian newsagent in Manchester with very cheap (2p), fast and double-sided
photocopiers.] Virtually every Muslim (especially women) who I offer the leaflet
to takes it when I mention an eight-year old Iranian boy facing deportation.

I've included the text (and an image) from the campaign's home page below
(http://www.childm.org.uk). Leaflets and petitions can be downloaded from the
website, and it'd be great if others would print off copies to campaign on this
issue too elsewhere in the UK (or even overseas).

I also urge readers of this message to visit the website of Hands Off the
People of Iran (Hopi, http://www.hopoi.org), which supports progressive forces
in Iran as well as opposing an imperialist attack on that country. Vicky from
the small group Permanent Revolution spoke very well on the issue at a debate
during the Convention of the Left.

--
Steve Wallis (Manchester, England) 
Preferred email address: revolutionarysocialiststeve@...
Blogs: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/steve-wallis-socialist-blog,
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Founder, Good Intentions Network: http://www.goodintentionsnetwork.org
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Founder, Foundation for PR-based Socialism: http://www.PRsocialism.org
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Who is Child M?
Child "M" (who can’t be named for legal reasons) is aged 8. He is here in the
UK with his mum, brother and sister. They face persecution if they are returned
to Iran - they are accused of circulating Salman Rushdie's book ‘The Satanic
Verses’. The British government has refused their asylum claim and tried to
deport them - most recently locking-up the whole family in a detention centre -
for 51 days! They have just been released and allowed to return to Manchester.
There have been recent reports in the press highlighting the harmful effects of
detention on children. Detention can, “significantly impair a child’s mental
and physical health,” (BID Report into the Detention of Children, March 2008).
The Children’s Commissioner called it, “an inhuman process,” (Children’s
Commissioner, September 08). Home Office guidance says that children should not
be detained in this way.

The family is making challenges in the High Court - but it is not enough to put
their faith in the law. So they have started a campaign - "Child "M" Must
Stay!". Download a leaflet here.Child “M” and his family must not be removed
from Britain and returned to Iran. It will be too dangerous for them.
"Child M, like the many other minors detained by the UK authorities in a clear
breach of their human rights, has committed no offence - other than being born
in a country which seeks to deny freedom of speech, then coming with his family
to the UK where they believed their rights would be upheld. An immigration
centre is no place for a child and the Green Party is calling on the Home Office
to immediately end its policy of incarcerating innocent young people, as well as
to allow Child M and his family to remain in the UK."
Caroline Lucas MEP

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