A U.S. Army 2nd Lieutenant rushed home not to celebrate Christmas but to say goodbye to his beloved mom who will be deported soon after living 30 years on U.S. soil. A deportation law legally applied in this case shattered the dream of a Mexican family. ICE’s raid and deportation of undocumented immigrants has been dominating the news all year throughout the country, even in Mississippi. Unfortunately, the year 2019 is ending with this heart-wrenching news for this serviceman.
It seems to me, being born on certain soil is a lifelong sin for many unfortunate humans.
A Fulbright student, Zunaid Hafeez came from Pakistan to Jackson State University to study English literature. After finishing his degree, he went back to his home state of Multan and joined a university where he studied before. As an academic, he conducted seminars inviting famous women’s rights activists from different parts of Pakistan. During one such discussion, a few students accused him and the renowned speaker for blasphemy — a law rigorously practiced and misused in Pakistan. Following his arrest, he slept on the floor of a jail for 6 years, while his name was engraved on the honor board at JSU. A few days back, Mr. Hafeez was given a death sentence by the judge of a Multan court. There is no DNA evidence, no documents for the proof that he did something against the law of the land. It is just a hearsay.
Almost a decade back, a similar hearsay incidence happened with a Christian woman, Aasia Bibi. Pakistan’s supreme court ultimately acquitted her. However, there was a huge mass protest by the fundamentalists at that time. The government, however, let her go to Canada with her family. What a crazy law!
A pilgrim passenger after performing Hajj (sacred prayer event in Islam) in Mecca was caught on his return by the immigration authority in the Dhaka airport with a few thousand Yaba tablets (Meth tablets), which are a forbidden item in Bangladesh.
I wonder did he pray to God so that he can evade the law? A human mind and face have a pseudo-mask everywhere in the world. In 2019 so far, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has seized 56.7 million meth pills. Can you imagine?
Recently, the hottest day with a temperature of 106-degrees Fahrenheit was recorded in some part of Australia where even birds don’t fly in the sky. Time magazine rightfully made Greta Thunberg — a teen age girl from Sweden, the person of the year as a climate activist. Every country in the world should make efforts to reduce the global warming trend to save humanity.
As opposed to the dark news, there is an abundance of good news too. In fact, more of good works, good laws, more of good people are around and that’s why our planet is such a beautiful place to live on.
According to a Scottish research group, the doctors have restored blind people’s vision through stem cells of deceased organ donors. What a breakthrough science, indeed! These people, for the first time, will be able to see plants’ greenery and the blue sky and the lovely faces of their dear ones.
In this year-ending month, a couple in the USA has celebrated 80 years of their married life. She’s 105 and he’s 106. Is there any other good news can supersede this one?
Jiben Roy, a native of Bangladesh, teaches chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences at Mississippi University for Women. His email address is [email protected].
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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