A Strange Claim
By Kamangir • Mar 11th, 2007 • Category: IranImportant Notice: Please read this note before reading this post.
I found this image in a blog, I would cautiously call “not so reliable”. At the first sight, it seems to prove that the self-assigned king of the Blogestan has applied for political asylum in UK, and has been rejected. While I have my own reasons to criticize Hoder, this image is to my understanding fake for many obvious reasons.
First, it is practically very difficult for Hoder’s “enemies” to find such an evidence against him. There is also no reason why he would have scanned the letter, if it ever existed. Also, the letter has not been folded, something very strange if it has been sent by post, as they mostly do. On top of that, although I was not able to find the blank form, the sentences mentioned in the letter are suspicious.
It seems that the text in the box at the middle has been written by the undersigned “John Almond”. The first line reads “You have applied for entry clearance as an Asylum for Political purpose”. I am not sure why “Political” starts with capital P. The second sentence reads “…I am not satisfied, on visit your weblog (http://i.hoder.com), because you have no political problem in Iran, that: You intend to stay in th UK without any strong reason because;…”. Aside from the grammatical problems in this weird sentence, the referred address is Hoder’s Persian website. His English blog, which should have been the source of this decision is this: http://www.hoder.com/weblog/. Also, the first reason, “…I don’t see any thought or counterrevolution or any subject matter against Islamic Republic of Iran regime” is obviously a Persian sentence translated into English by a not very good translator. Especially, the word “counterrevolution” is too much Persian. The second reason ends with a question mark, but obviously is not a question. “A bank account of 2,000$” should be “…$2,000″, I think. The concluding sentence “…I cannot be satisfied that you have strong economic…ties to satisfy me that you are proper as asylum” is again grammatically strange. It is also interesting to know that, as much as I know, Hossein Derakhshan is a Canadian citizen. Thus, there would be no point for him to seek asylum in UK.
I think those who manufacture these personal attacks in fact commit mistakes similar to what he has frequently made. I think there is something really wrong when activism turns into solely defending yourself, or attacking others for that matter.
Posted by Kamangir
Author's email address: arash@kamangir.net | All posts by Kamangir
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Nice!
You may want to add that why on the earth they wanted to attach his picture on the letter.
He had a Canadian Passport when he was here with us in Toronto. Why should he apply for political asylum in UK?
Amir,
That’s my point.
Truly bizarre. If the IR ever finds someone trained in the ways of PhotoShop and the syntax of the English language… actually, any ideas where I could send a resume and what the conversion rates into Canadian dollars would be? Think they’d let me work from home?
To be honest, I find Deraakhshan more capable and honest than this kind of people.
As you have mentioned, the grammar and the vocabulary of the letter says itself that it has not been written by a native English language speaker!!! It is not even written by a person with moderate English language knowledge !!! Just once again read the story of the source you have found the picture in… “One of the Homeland officers which is a friend of mine gave me a copy of some application forms”!!!! England people and doing such things?!!! you know, the person writing under the name “Shiva” in that weblog, is a bit crazy…if you have ever followed here stories…once she (actually I believe, HE)claimed that she has applied for US visa to leave Iran and go to live in United States…after few months, she (HE) forgot that and continued saying something else!!!
Look at the same that they have left for his response on the letter!!! Funny… VERY UGLY FAKE LETTER!!!