wfn.org | Religious Leaders Fight Deportation of Family of Waqar Hasan,

["Nat'l Council of Churches" <nccc_usa@ncccusa.org>]

For Immediate Release

Religious Community Fights Deportation of Family of Waqar Hasan, Murdered in
2001

September 25, 2003, NEW YORK CITY -- Several ecumenical leaders are part of
a broad religious community effort to save the family of the late Waqar
Hasan from deportation. A Pakistani man who had lived and worked in New
Jersey for nearly 10 years, Hasan was murdered point-blank four days after
"9-11" for no other reason than that he was a Muslim with a "Middle Eastern"
face.

When asked by the police why he shot Mr. Hasan, 32-year-old Mark Anthony
Stroman said, "I did it to retaliate on local Arab Americans or whatever you
want to call them."

Now Mr. Hasan's widow and four daughters face deportation unless Congress
acts to permit them to remain in their adopted homeland. To that end, U.S.
Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey's 12th District has introduced a special bill,
H.R. 867.

Supporting this effort are prominent Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders,
including NCC President Elenie Huszagh and General Secretary Bob Edgar,
United Methodist Bishop Melvin Talbert, and Thomas Jeavons, General
Secretary of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of
Friends.

Click Hasan Family at www.holt.house.gov for more information and
documentation.

-end-

NCC Media Contact: 212-870-2227
news@ncccusa.org; www.ncccusa.org

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