Do not forsake the vulnerable
John Calvin needs our help.
Calvin is gay. With Pride Week coming, he should be excited about the festivities. Instead, he’s counting the days of his precious life.
Calvin is a refugee from Palestine who may soon be deported. However, the details of his arduous life seem irrelevant for the Canadian authorities.
Calvin grew up in a Muslim household that idolizes Hamas. He was indoctrinated to follow that path. Yet, he chose to abandon it.
He ran away from home and later on converted to Christianity. If the challenges of being a “gay apostate” were not enough, he also had to contend with sexual abuse by a fellow Palestinian inmate in an Israeli prison.
Calvin has openly asserted his truth on his sexuality and faith. As such, if deported, he faces imminent extrajudicial murder from his own people in general, and family in particular.
Canadian authorities are perhaps concerned about the threats to public safety from a skinny, young gay man who has found meaning in following Christ.
Calvin provides us all with an opportunity to realize our potential as human beings.
His following the path of Christ allows even the most conservative of Christians to speak up for him to send the message that all life is sacred, including that of a gay person.
His being a “gay apostate” allows Muslims to stand up for him to vehemently reject the medieval punishments for sexuality and apostasy.
His case allows militant atheists to go beyond “religion bashing” and armchair negativity to actually work with a handful of Christians, who are clutching at straws to help him.
Canadians can help by signing the online petition for him, calling Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, calling their MPs, or through any other possible civic discourse.
Do we as Muslims, Christians, Jews, atheists and everyone else abandon Calvin? Or do we remind authorities that we are only as safe as the most vulnerable among us?
The choice is ours.