The grandson of Hamas founder Said Bilal, Calvin changed his name to both protect himself and separate him from his family’s past. Calvin fled the West Bank, where he grew up, at age 14 to escape his jihadi family. Calvin moved to Canada, where as an adult in Edmonton he came out as gay. He was also inspired to explore Christianity after reading the book “The Da Vinci Code”.
Predictably, his family was not happy. Ordering an “honor killing” and putting a price on Calvin’s head. Calvin, facing deportation from Canada, decided to apply for asylum. His application was denied because he was seen as a de-facto member of the terror organization, as he was born into it. As the date of his deportation arrived, Calvin fled to the United States in search of safety, where he was detained for 7 months.
From: Grandson of Hamas founder is gay, Christian, and living in NYC – HYPELINE
Cultural appropriation.
It’s kind of unsettling that a gay man renamed himself after Jean Calvin.
You sure it’s that Calvin, and not the 1955 rock & roll pioneer?
“OK. Tell me about yourself. I’ll warn you, I’m going to be very skeptical about granting someone with such strong family connections to terrorism residency.”
“No, I not terrorist. I not even Muslim anymore. I Christian now, convert after reading wonderful book about Jesus.”
“And what book is that?”
“DaVinci Code!”
“Your statement is that you found Jesus after reading a book by Dan Brown.”
“Yes, is so moving. He is genius.”
“OK. The good news is that we’re not going to move to deport you. The bad news is that I’m going to kill you right now.”
This is a surprisingly accurate description of how Credible Fear Interviews and Asylum Office Interviews go even if it is meant as a joke. Technically, they aren’t supposed to ask too many doctrinaire quiz or religious type questions but that is honored more in the breach than reality.
If you ever start a band you have to call it Credible Fear Interviews.
One of the first things that I learned by becoming a lawyer is that most people really misuse the word incredible.
Inconceivable!!
Ha.
This guy should be deported, at a minimum, because we don’t want islamic hit teams infiltrating the us to kill him. Ship him back.
Maybe just Belgium, then? Seems unjust to deport a fellow looking to leave Hamas back to Palestine, and since the hit teams are already in Belgium… win/win.
Canada’s fine.
I’m assuming you’re joking because there’s no way you’d be cringing at the idea of Hamas sending Islamic hit teams into the ‘States.
One should not assume.
You know the rest.
I’m shocked.
No you’re not.
Personally, I see it as a wonderful indicator. Fundamentalist Islam is not, in fact, impervious to Modernity.
If we were smart, we’d make a reality show about him with Arabic subtitles and put it on the youtubes.
Eh, if the gov tried to make a reality show about him it’d suck. The private sector won’t because it’s risky and probably wouldn’t be much money to be made.
That said he does confirm my own preconceptions that fundamentalist Islam is deeply vulnerable to modernity, but then again I’ve always though that so confirmation bias eh?
Given my suspicions that it was impervious, I’m quite pleased. I see this as leveragable.
My theory is that belief systems that make life generally suck are pretty hard to hold together in the face of average people seeing that there are other ways of life that aren’t constantly miserable. Communism is the most recent example.
I’m sure fundamentalist Islam will hold on longer for the usual reasons religions tend to hold on longer, but it has an uphill battle to hold onto the hearts and minds of its adherents, given what a stressful and unrewarding way of life it seems to offer.
Wanking Off with the Wahabis.
I’m sure we could issue a “work permit” for him. But again. They can film it in Can a duh.
Please try to have a higher-level view.
Imagine the worst happening: a targeted assassination. I would hope that the cameras would be running. Play the tape on every news program, play the audio on NPR, get it on every college campus. Make the college Muslim group give speeches as if it were a Babtist shooting an abortion doctor. Have young Muslim students give speeches on the importance of inclusivity.
I quiver.
Dude, like anyone would actually air the actual shooting.
But hey, I’d be game for it. But why don’t we film the show in his home country? They it’d be “the locals” stoning him for being gay. That ought to get some folks’s attention.