Press Release
Office of the Bishop
The
Evangelical Catholic Diocese of the
Northwest
Post Office Box
178388
Chicago
Illinois 60617-60617-8388
Office: 773-721-5383 or 773-817-5818 Fax: 773-721-2581
Email:
diocesenw@aol.com
March 13, 2008
Chicago, Illinois - For Immediate Release
Bishop Wilkowski
petitions British government to save life
of
Madhi Kazemi
Bishop James Alan Wilkowski, Evangelical Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of the Northwest, has petitioned the British government to save the life of Iranian Madhi Kazemi, who faces deportation to Iran and possible execution for being homosexual.
Today, Bishop Wilkowski sent a letter to the Honorable John Clark, Consul-General of the British Consulate in Chicago, petitioning the Her Majesty's Government to not deport Madhi Kazemi back to Iran for possible execution.
The following is the text of the Bishop's letter to Mr. Clark
The Evangelical Catholic Diocese of the Northwest
Post Office Box 178388 Chicago Illinois 60617-8388
Office: 773-721-5383 Fax: 773-721-2581 Email: diocesenw@evangelicalcatholicchurch.org
Office of the Bishop
March 13, 2008
The Honorable James Clark
Consul-General
The British Consulate in Chicago
400 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago Illinois 60611
RE: Madhi Kazemi
Dear Mr. Clark:
I am Bishop James Alan Wilkowski, Evangelical Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of the Northwest. It is in my capacity as Bishop that I write to you regarding the matter of Madhi Kazemi, a young Iranian on the verge of being deported back to Iran, via the United Kingdom, and who faces execution for being homosexual. I shall presume that you are aware of the facts of this case and I shall not take up your time restating the issues involved.
However I do wish to take a moment of your time to plead Her Majesty’s government to save the life of this young man, for once this matter is handed back to the United Kingdom; Her Majesty’s government shall have the power of saving this man’s life or sending him to his death.
The Evangelical Catholic Church is unconditionally opposed to the death penalty in any and all circumstances. To condemn and execute someone based upon their sexual orientation is exceptionally heinous and can only be equated with the profiling and executions of the Jewish people by the Nazi during WWII.
Surely, Her Majesty’s government cannot ignore the obvious.
I respectfully ask that my plea to save the life of this man be transmitted to Her Majesty’s Government. I make this plea to Her Majesty’s government as a Catholic Bishop and as a man who shares Mr. Kazemi's sexual orientation.
I thank you for taking the time to consider the merits of my request.
My God’s Blessings be upon you, Her Majesty and Her Majesty’s government as we prepare to celebrate miracle of Easter.
I remain,
Respectfully Yours in Christ,
James Alan Wilkowski
Evangelical Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of the Northwest
www.evangelicalcatholicchurch.org/northwest.htm