Bita Ghaedi

Please take just a moment to read about the plight of Bita Ghaedi, an Iranian refugee who fled to the United Kingdom for her life because her own family wanted her dead after she fled an abusive marriage. She was beaten and battered. She escaped. If she were returned, she would most likely never survive. She would be killed.

The United Kingdom has decided that saving her life is not worth the trouble, not worth the monumental outlay that accepting one, lone individual into the country would entail. But no, this is not true, this is not a question of saving her life: She has already saved her own life, she escaped from her abusers and her would-be and now likely murderers. This is a question of whether or not she is to be condemned to death, to be murdered. And apparently it's okay.

Today, May 5th, she is to be forced onto an airplane and returned to Iran and her abusers.

This is happening right now.

Way to go, Western civilization...

h/t Questioning Transphobia

Update (5/10/2010): Bita Ghaedi's airplane was delayed by weather and the British court has granted her a second application attempt for asylum. Also, the EU has placed a ban on her deportation. I suppose this restores a bit of my hope for society, but many more people who are not as fortunate to have their stories recognized like hers still have to contend with these horrors.