Side by side to #SaveHakeem

[100volt1]

A Collingwood supporters page on Facebook, Realistically Confident Collingwood Supporters, today posted an image of the Australian refugee, plays for Pascoe Vale Football Club in the NPL, that is being held in a prison in Thailand. If you're not familiar with the story I'll post a link to an article below. Long story short, the image had a photo of the detained Aussie refugee, Hakeem. Next to the image it has a Collingwood supporters crest that says 'side by side to #SaveHakeem'.

This is a huge story worldwide and for supporters of our club to back the movement is amazing. The Pascoe Vale Football Club picked it up and shared the post.

Thought it's worth bringing to your attention. Great cause. It makes me think - if this was an issue in the NFL or NBA would AFL + NRL clubs already send out their support for the campaign? Tragedy like this shouldn't be an individual sport issue when it's an Aussie athelete's issue and all sports in the country should get behind it. Food for thought.

Article: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...nd-to-use-its-powers-to-free-hakeem-al-araibi

Collingwood supporters post:

Pascoe Vale FC post RE Collingwood:

Sent from my CPH1725 using Tapatalk

 

[Pie eyed]

Can anyone post some details of his "refuge" application.
Like to know more about the circumstance of his move here.

 

[Black_White]

Can anyone post some details of his "refuge" application.
Like to know more about the circumstance of his move here.

He has been granted refugee status by those with a higher pay grade than you.
End of story.

If you really want to know;

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakeem_al-Araibi

In BahrainEdit

Al-Araibi spoke out against the persecution and torture of other footballers who had demonstrated against the ruling regime during the Bahraini uprising of 2011^[4] (which was mostly led by Bahrain's majority Shia, as is al-Araibi,^[5] whilst the ruling family is Sunni^[6]).
On his 19th birthday on 7 November 2012, walking on his way to a cafe in Bahrain to watch a Real Madrid-Barcelona game, he was picked up by Bahraini security forces. They accused him of vandalising a police station four days earlier, based on the supposed confession of his brother Emad, who allegedly told them that Hakeem had been part of a crowd of protestors who set upon the building with Molotov cocktails.^[1][7]
Details of alleged offenceEdit

The next day Al-Araibi told the public prosecutor he had been playing in a televised football match when the attack took place and denied the allegations. But his detention was extended for 45 days, during which he says security forces tried to torture a confession out of him.^[4] He told German broadcaster ARD "They spent three hours hitting me hard on my legs, while saying we will break your bones, we will destroy your future, you will never play football again with these legs.".^[6] He was then released on bail.^[8]
He was tried in absentia (after fleeing the country whilst on bail) for vandalism of a police station, which he denies, and sentenced to ten years in prison.^[4] Amnesty International describe this trial as "unfair".^[4] The alleged vandalism was said to have taken place at around the time that al-Araibi was playing in a televised football match.^[2][9][6]
The time of the attack on the police station is key to Hakeem Al-Arabi’s alibi. His brother said the attack took place at 6.30pm, but Hakeem was playing in a nationally televised game for his club Al-Shabab at the Al-Muharraq Stadium from 5.30pm to 7.20pm, with the Bahrain Football Association, the Al-Shab|ab club and fellow players confirming this. Footage from the game broadcast by Bahrain Sports Channel 1 showing al-Araibi playing was also submitted. However prosecution said that the mob had gathered earlier and the attack had taken place at 8pm and that Hakeem would have had enough time to leave the stadium and take part in it.^[1]
The entire case being brought by Bahrain is based on the alleged confession by his brother Emad to Bahraini police, which led to Emad's imprisonment. BIRD has said that Emad's testimony was obtained through physical and psychological duress.^[1]
Speaking up after fleeing the countryEdit

Speaking to international media from Australia in 2016, al-Araibi said that Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s ruling royal family and then running for president of FIFA, should be investigated for possible involvement in the mass torture of pro-democracy athletes who had protested against the royal family during the 2011 uprising.^[10] Al-Araibi also accused Sheikh Salman of discriminating against Shia Muslims. Salman lost his bid for the FIFA presidency, but remains president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and is still a FIFA vice-president.^[10]
Asylum and life in AustraliaEdit

Al-Araibi took his opportunity to flee the country when out on bail and playing football for the national team in 2013 in Qatar.^[8][11] He fled first to Iran, then Malaysia, then Thailand and eventually, nearly 6 months later, to Australia where he sought asylum in May 2014.^[1] Since then, he has lived in Melbourne, marrying his wife (whom he had known since he was 17) and playing semi-professional football.^[5][12] He was granted refugee status in Australia in 2017,^[4] which allowed him to travel with documentation and the assurance of protection.^[1]
He has played as a defender in several semi-professional football teams in Victoria, his current team being Pascoe Vale FC in Melbourne.^[10][12]

 

[Hyakutake]

This will give an idea.

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...n-saving-hakeem-al-araibi-before-its-too-late


But I guess thats "refuge" for you.

P.S. Pro Tip - the scare quotes around "refuge" make you look like a dick.

 

[PicaBoo]

He has been granted refugee status by those with a higher pay grade than you.
End of story.

If you really want to know;

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakeem_al-Araibi

A bit more to it. He got arrested in Thailand as Bahrain had a Interpol warrant for him outstanding . According to international law. Thailand shouldn't even have acted on that warrant. Every dictatorship can issue a warrant on some trumped up charge and have their critics shipped back. This makes a farce of the whole refuge status that we are granting. And tbh, the role that the Australian government is playing in this, is quite shameful. Rolling over as they always do when one of their citizens is in trouble overseas.
You would have thought that helping those kids in a cave would count for anything. Apparently not.

 

[Babylove]

A bit more to it. He got arrested in Thailand as Bahrain had a Interpol warrant for him outstanding . According to international law. Thailand shouldn't even have acted on that warrant. Every dictatorship can issue a warrant on some trumped up charge and have their critics shipped back. This makes a farce of the whole refuge status that we are granting. And tbh, the role that the Australian government is playing in this, is quite shameful. Rolling over as they always do when one of their citizens is in trouble overseas.
You would have thought that helping those kids in a cave would count for anything. Apparently not.

Yeah apparently it was incorrectly issued, and has since been withdrawn but Thailand still won’t release him or even grant bail.