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Pakistani Boy Receives "Political" Asylum
WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (IslamOnline) - A Pakistani autistic boy has been granted U.S. political asylum after
his mother filed an application stating that she fears that he will be persecuted if he is sent back to Pakistan.
In a case which observers are calling a first, 10-year-old Umair Chaudry was told by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Wednesday that he can remain in the U.S. where his condition is reportedly improving after medication and treatment in a special school.
Umair was first brought to Chicago by his mother, Farah Chaudry, five years ago for treatment and briefly returned to Karachi in 1999 where "he was forced to undergo various degrading and dangerous mystical treatments consistent with the curse of 'Allah,'" according to her asylum application. She also added that treatments in Pakistan included drinking dirty water.
Umair frequently goes into fits, one symptom of autism, and wears a helmet and mittens for self-protection.
In Pakistan, the mother and son were allegedly socially isolated, physically assaulted and the boy threatened with incarceration in a mental asylum by the family.
Robert Esbrook, director of the INS' Chicago office said, "His asylum was granted not on the basis of being disabled or autistic."
"It's the persecution his disability itself causes. He fits the classic definition of a refugee."
In what observers say is a vast misunderstanding of Islam, with the aid of the mother, Esbrook said, "The autism itself was seen by his society as demon possession, in a religious way."
Opponents to immigration, however, were in rage over the decision, claiming the decision would open the floodgates for more similar "political" asylum cases.
"This is at the cutting edge of where people are trying to push asylum," said David Ray, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a national nonprofit group that working to restrict immigration.
"Asylum is meant to shield people from government-sponsored persecution, not from taunting comments of neighbors," he said.
While Umair has been granted asylum, his mother has not, even though the INS states that ultimately, they will not be separated. The boy's father continues to remain in Pakistan.
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