Dear friends --
A self-organized group of around 45 Afghan refugees in
Norway have been marching between May 19th and June
16th. Their 650 km Asylum March follows a centuries
old pilgrimage route to Trodheim which is the burial
site of Olav the Holy, the founder of Christianity in
Norway 1000 years ago. Pilgrims still go to Trodheim
to seek penance or aid for sickess, along one of the
most significant trajectories in the Norwegian
symbolic geography. The Afghan marchers walked the
pilgrimage route in the opposite direction, from
Trodheim to Oslo, not to seek penance but to protest
Norway’s deportation of refugees.
Along the way they have been meeting with Norwegians,
discussing the war in Afghanistan, refugee rights, at
times organizing small public events involving music,
discussions and food. In most of the towns along the
way, the marchers received housing in churches,
schools and farms, sleeping only a few nights under
the open skies. They were also joined by supporters
for portions of their walk.
For more info on the march please see
www.asylmarj.no
10 articles have already appeared in Norwegian
newspapers about their protest, a politician from the
Socialist party has demanded that the Ministry of
Labor and Social Inclusion deliberate what has
happened to those who have been deported by force
since last year’s hunger strike – about 150 refugees
in all. The support from various organizations is
increasing.
There is so much more to say about this incredible
march – the critical repurposing of a
national-christian trope to poetically restage the
relationship of citizen to refugee, of host to
pilgrim, and to transform the penance-seeker into
protester. But this email is a request for urgent
support, so I shall get right to it.
Upon their arrival in Olso, the marchers occupied the
square in front of Parliament – handing in a letter to
demand answers on Norway’s deportation policies,
especially with the new UN report and regulations
dealing specifically with assessing asylum claims by
Afghan refugees . The protest is intended to force
into public debate whether or not Norway should follow
the UN instructions for forcibly deporting Afghan
refugees, which would immediately impact the roughly
400 Afghans in Norway currently.
On 2AM on Wednesday June 21st Police arrested the
entire group – half were subsequently released, while
half were sent to Trandum Deportation prison. Thursday
and Friday arrests and deportation orders were hastily
pushed through the courts, and Saturday deportation
tickets were ordered for 15 of the 21 arrested. Among
those arrested was also an Afghan refugee who was not
part of the Asylum March.
All week-end, a team of activists worked with the
refugees, protesting at the airport, putting pressure
on the ministry and demanding action from the larger
supporters of the march.
As the prisoners were about to board the plane, a
last-minute decision to postpone was handed down. Only
one of the detainees was deported – the protester who
did not participate in the march. The rest of the
refugees were returned to Trandum – and although this
temporary and partial victory is important, the
situation is far from resolved.
Please consider supporting this small group in their
struggle -- it may be especially useful for other
groups active in refugee rights, social justice, human
rights, anti-war, anticapitalist or anticacist
campaigns to draft letters of support, to help connect
this local struggle with similar efforts elsewhere, to
provide some media visibility.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
1. Put pressure on representatives of the Norwegian
Government. In the US, the contact information of the
Norwegian embassy is listed at the end of this
message, along with a sample letter.
2. Talk about it !!!!! Please help spread the word
about this action. Media support could be immensely
helpful at this point, helping to maintain pressure
for a solution to the situation of the detainees and
for more long-term debate on refugee rights .
3. Sign the Petition!!!!!!!!, which you will find on
the website
4. Do an action in solidarity with this group – a
small protest, a march, draft a public declaration,
hold a teach-in; include this campaign in your ongoing
activities: conferences, seminars and so forth.
5. Those of you close enough, or with close ties to
Oslo, please contact the group directly to see how you
may be able to help
For more information please see:
http://www.asylmarsj.no
Also, a speech by Zahir Athari, one of the
participants in the march and an outspoken refugee and
activist leader:
http://www.spisderike.net/motmakt/4096/
*************************
The Royal Norwegian Embassy
2720 34th Street, N.W.?
Washington, D.C. 20008
His Excellency Knut Vollebaek - ?Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Mr. Rune Resaland?Minister - Deputy Chief of Mission
Ms. Aud Kolberg - Minister Counselor for Political
Affairs
Telephone number: (202) 333-6000?
Fax number: (202) 337-0870?
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dear Representatives of the Norwegian Government
We are writing to inquire about the status of the 21
Afghan refugees currently detained by the Norwegian
Authorities at the Trandum Prison. We are concerned
about the conditions of their detention, and about the
possibility of deportation. In view of the commitments
of the Norwegian State and the international
community, and the obligation of our states to
acknowledge the suffering and devastation we are
complicitous in creating, we demand the following:
1. The immediate release of all detained refugees in
Norway
2. An investigation into the living and working
conditions of Afghan refugees currently in Norway;
immediate attention to the deep social problems that
are the direct result of their exploitation as cheap
labor
3. The discussion, in the highest forums of
legislative power in the state, about refugee rights
and the responsibility of the state for protecting
people displaced by wars of occupation
Zahir Athari of the Asylum Marchers said in his
speech:
“The reality is that Afghan refugees are the scapegoat
for a defeated war policy. . It was claimed by the USA
and partners that we will win the war and put every
things in order in Afghanistan, now since after 5years
not only nothing came to the order but also they are
losing completely. The Norwegian government has to
advertise Afghanistan as being safer and more
democratic than Norway, and start to deport afghan
refugees back, as quick as possible, to prove the
claims and to justify its participation in that war on
the Norwegian public view.”
We believe this to be an accurate analysis of the
situation internationally; the responsibilities both
our states bear for the crisis that has left so may
Afghans displaced must be assumed openly, not
suppressed!!!
