A family from Cameroon, illegally in Canada, is in the process of being deported and some on the left are absolutely apoplectic. These are the same people who wince at the thought of their government using military force against the Islamic State, who are inflicting the same and much worse type of atrocities on thousands and thousands of people in Iraq and Syria.
Hilary Fuh-Cham and his wife and daughter fled their native Cameroon in 2007 and came to Canada where Fuh-Cham’s wife gave birth to two more children. After making unsuccessful refugee claims and applications to remain in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, the family is scheduled to be removed from Canada on Oct. 9.
Fuh-Cham’s father was a sub-chief in the small village where they lived. After his death, Fuh-Cham was to replace him in this capacity. Those in the village, including his father, hold indigenous beliefs and engage in indigenous practises. When Fuh-Cham was relatively young, he converted to Christianity and became a Roman Catholic.
Upon his father’s death, the new sub-chief was told he must conform to indigenous practises including female genital mutilation. His wife and daughter would have to undergo female circumcision. According to Fuh-Cham, he fears he will be killed if returned to the village and his wife and now two daughters would be forced to undergo mutilation.
Fuh-Cham and his family have a lot of support in Canada, particularly from the John Brebeuf Lasalle-Social Justice Group and their local Quebec federal representative, NDP MP Helene Le Blanc, the MP representing Lasalle-Emard.
By all accounts, the family members have led exemplary lives since coming to Canada seven years ago. Fuh-Cham has been active in the church in his parish and created a choir and the Cameroon Goodwill Society. He has also become involved in other charities including the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
Nonetheless, the family, save for the two Canadian born children are illegally in the country.
The Fuh-Chams have a lot of support in the community. A support webpage as well as a Facebook page have been set up. Vigils have been held and a petition urging the government to allow them to stay and containing 1,951 signatures was presented to the House of Commons by LeBlanc.
It appears their claim to refugee status, even if legitimate, is weak. Both the support page and MP LeBlanc fall into the same trap by saying they are about to be deported back to their “village.” Of course they will not be deported to a certain village but to a country. This issue is not whether the family risks persecution in the village but in the country of Cameroon. People who fear persecution have a duty to seek help from their own government before fleeing to another country and to seek a safe place within that country.
As for being allowed to stay on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, that remedy is in the sole discretion of the government who may very well allow them to stay.
It is noteworthy how people such as the MP for Lasalle-Emard pretend to be so concerned about persecution and genital mutilation. In a media release, LeBlanc talked about how the family will face religious persecution if they are returned to Cameroon and how the wife and her two daughters will face genital mutilation. The timing of her concerns could not be better.
The left are extremely selective when speaking out against the persecution of Christians.
LeBlanc’s NDP party as well as the third party Liberals are all set to vote against the government’s plan to conduct airstrikes in Iraq against the Islamic State. There is no doubt these bombing raids, while not completely destroying ISIS, will save the lives of people who would otherwise wind up dead or worse at the hands of the Islamic terrorists. The left are extremely selective when speaking out against the persecution of Christians.
The Islamic state has killed thousands of people, raped and enslaved women, and beheaded people including infants and children for no other reason than they are Christians. These people, who unlike the Fuh-Chams, have not broken any of Canada’s laws, are simply not worth even trying to save if saving them means using Canada’s military.
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau put it best when he said that the Canadian government should not use the word “barbaric” when describing such practices as female circumcision.
Left are obsessed with feelings
Trying to prevent the removal of the family while being against fighting ISIS and saving the lives of some of these victims is proof that those on the left are obsessed with feelings. They know the family and it makes them feel good to help them stay in Canada. As far as helping those in the Middle East, as Joseph Stalin might say, they are just statistics.
The Fuh-Chams are no doubt nice people as are the victims of the Islamic terrorists.
A stay of the execution of the deportation order is expected to be heard tomorrow. They could ultimately be allowed to stay in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Whether permitted to stay or removed, their story will be over soon.
And then the left will go back bemoaning the government’s decision to commence air attacks on ISIS to try and save the lives of potential victims.
