Refugee Sponsors Needed in Nova Scotia

Date: April 5, 2022

Candidate Overview

Names: Wahid Ahmed* and Laiq Mahad*

Nationality: Pakistan. Fled to (current location): Republic of Georgia.

Plea for Help: Wahid Ahmed, a well-known atheist blogger and human rights activist from Pakistan,
and his cousin, Laiq Mahad, have been refused asylum in the Republic of Georgia despite many formal appeals. Wahid fled to Georgia with his cousin after he was kidnapped in 2017. They have been in the Republic of Georgia for nearly five years, trying to get international protection. Their asylum case has been rejected multiple times because, according to Georgian officials, “It is not in the best interests of the Georgian government as it may strain their relationship with Pakistan.” They have exhausted their appeals in Georgia and are going to try to launch an appeal with the European Council of Human Rights.

We URGENTLY need CFIC Halifax’s assistance to help Wahid and Laiq put together a constituent group in Halifax so their applications for private refugee resettlement to Canada can be submitted. This will stop them from being deported from Georgia back to Pakistan, if they can show that they have a Canadian application number. Secular Rescue (CFIC Transnational) has secured all the necessary funds. Sponsorship and applications have been taken care of, but we need 10 people who will be able to help Wahid and Laiq get resettled in Halifax. This is all we are needing at this time.

EXECUTIVE OFFICES
Center for Inquiry–Washington, D.C.
1012 14th St. NW, Suite 205
Washington, D.C. 20005

This constituent group will assist with the resettlement of the refugees during their first year in Canada. This will include help finding suitable housing, opening bank accounts, engaging ISANS for registration, acquiring health cards, advising them on how to use mass transit, finding local libraries, and moving about the city — basically everything they need to set up new lives in Canada. It is a requirement of the Canadian Government that privately sponsored refugees have a constituent group to help them get settled in.

We are requesting that CFIC Halifax members try to find any Canadian citizens in Halifax who could help us. If forced to return to Pakistan, where Wahid has already been subjected to numerous threats and torture, they both face further torture, prison, and other retribution from vigilante extremist groups.

Wahid has been active on social media for many years as a voice of reason, secularism, religious freedom, and an advocate for women and minority rights. He has denounced the Islamist terrorist organisations based in Pakistan, and this resulted in antagonizing the state. He criticized the violence against non-Muslim minorities and the sectarian killings of Pakistan’s Muslims. He has publicly expressed an atheist point of view on
social media platforms, which further endangered his life as this is thought of as “dangerous” and “blasphemous” in Muslim-dominant Pakistan.

His writings have emphasized the importance of free speech, secularism, rationalism, science, condemnation of terrorism and religious dogmas, as well as minority and women’s rights. In 2017, Wahid was abducted and tortured for 21 days by a state intelligence agency. After a huge international effort, he was released on January 28, 2017, and left Pakistan immediately. Once he was released, the state publicized this fact, which created further dangers from brutal vigilante gangs who frequently target persons such as Wahid. He left Pakistan with his cousin, Laiq Mahad, who is also an atheist, and is in danger for his association with Wahid.

Wahid has been a brave critic of religion and blasphemy laws, despite the numerous threats against his life. He merely seeks the freedom of speech and conscience that every human deserves. We hope you can assist them with putting together a constituent group so that Halifax will be the new home for these two brave atheist asylumseekers.

*Names have been changed to protect identities.