Christian refugees from Israel fresh cases Case Three
From Olga GRINEVA
(Montreal)
to anyone whom it may concern
==============
Grineva (Shulgina) Olga Alexandrovna.
Born - July 7, 1956. Leninobad, Tadjikistan.
1. Basically, I have spent my whole life in Tadjikistan, but has finished
the school at Ukraine, in 1975, then - married there, and came back (1977)
to Tadjikistan.
2. (1) In 1991 - 1992 the unrests have began in Tadjikistan, in connection
with the disintegration of the Soviet Union; political conditions have become
unstable - and the civil war has errupted between Muslim fundamentalists
- and the moderate Muslim movement.
2) My husband, a lieutenant colonel, was occupying a senior position in the
Ministry of Interior (Internal) Affairs: he was the chief of the Department
on Mobilization in the Management of the Interior (Internal) Affairs of the
Lininobad region. He was initiated into the important state secrets, and
by the nature of his work cooperated with KGB - and also knew the important
details of the Muslim extremists' activity in Tadjikistan. Therefore, being
Russian, he [automatically] was a threat for the newly forming Tadjik national
political elite. I worked in the Interior (Internal) Affairs' system myself,
and, keeping friendly connections with my ex-co-workers, (also from my husband)
learned that the policy of authorities of Tadjikistan has quickly oriented
to remove all Russian staff from the Interior (Internal) Affairs' system.
3) Threats - addressed to my husband: 1990. Criminals, condemned earlier
due to his operative work, who have begun to be released from prisons, threatened
to kill him. Formal separation with my husband (we have carried out the first
part of the procedure of divorce, not finilizing it up to the end, and continued
to be considered under the law as family. We would be considered "finally
(conclusively) divorced", if paid the expedient court fee - and would receive
the second part of the court decision: the certificate on divorce).
4) The Tadjik authorities were afraid, that, dismissed from the (Ministry's
of) Interior (Internal) Affairs system, from KGB and army Russian staff could
form a dangerous (to them) opposition - and persisted that all such people
should leave the country.
5) Visitors at home, warnings that if my husband will not retire from work
voluntary and will not leave Tadjikistan, he and his family can once merely
"disappear". Another time we have been surrounded [by armed men] near our
home - and, under the point of a weapon, have been told the same.
6) After these incidents we have left our apartment and were hiding by relatives
for some time. At this time children did not go to school, and we practically
did not leave our refuge. Beside a personal threat to us, there were unrests
and massacres in the streets.
7) While we were hiding, friends of my husband have drawn up [were preparing]
our papers [documents] to help us leave Tadjikistan. They have taken away
all our present documents - for preparing our foreign passports, necessary
for departure abroad.
8) In the hectic haste of the preparation for departure I did not know (all
these affairs were my husband's businesses), that in the certain moment not
my original certificate of birth, but another one, repeated, was returned,
where in the column "mother's nationality" - "Jew" stood.
3. (1) My husband took care of the documents in Moscow, where he departured
to on board of a military airplane. Refugee certificates were issued by the
Department of the Refugees' Affairs of the Regional Executive Committee of
the Leninodad area (region), but has arrived in Moscow, when we already left,
and later were delivered to us in Israel.
(2) In Moscow we found out, that during the stay there my husband
was engaged in registration [issuing, obtaining] of the "entrance [immigration]
visas" for the permanent residency in Israel. By that moment I did not know
yet, that the [so-called] Law on Return exists in the State of Israel, according
to which only a person of Jewish nationality or a member of his family can
immigrate to Israel.
(3) We could not stay in Russia any more. I have explained
in my refugee claim, why..
( I was in such a suppressed condition [mood, psychological state] that could
hardly realize, what occurred around [me]. I can not recollect, whether or
not I used to come personally to Israeli consulate in Moscow and signed any
documents there. I remember only that some formal procedures took place in
Moscow, but I do not remember whether it was at the airport, in Sochnut,
in Moscow's organizations, or in the embassy of Israel.)
4. (1) On February 14, 1994 we arrived to Israel and have resided in Ashdod.
I am Christian, my children are baptized, [they are] Christians. It appeared
that now there was no opportunity to "rewrite" [change] the nationality in
Israel. Israel is such a state, where only people of one nationality - Jewish
- or members of their families have rights to live, and even the Jews [if
they became] Christians have no rights to immigrate to Israel. Conflicts
with my husband, as I regularly reproached him that he "has made" me Jewish
without my consent: as he knew about conditions of receiving of the Israeli
immigration visa.
5) Gradually life in Israel became intolerable. I was compelled to go to
Synagogue, to pretend that I observe "kashrut"; [I] had no rights to attend
the church (besides - in general - there is no church in Ashdod) [or/and]
observe Christian customs, and raise my children accordingly with the Christian
tradition. Sometimes, hiding from anybody, I went to the Church of the Holy
Sepulchrein in Jerusalem. This double life was psychologically, morally unbearable.
I became nervous, irritated, was under constant fear to do something not
correctly. My husband has begun to drink.
6) Approximately in 4-5 months after our arrival [to Israel] conflicts with
my husband have got a menacing character. That, that in the internal passport
of my husband (in «teudat-zehut» [later in the text - T.-Z.],
which some people incorrectly name as the identification card), in the column
"nationality", was written "nationality wasn't define", made him mad and
poisoned his life. At work he was humiliated because he was "without nationality",
was offended verbally, underpaid (was not paid "night", as well as vacation
money (supplements), was given poor-quality materials, with which he could
not work, was refused a mask (he worked as a welder), forced to carry out
works in such places and in such conditions that it was equivalently to a
torture - and have damaged his health. Working without a mask, in a bending
position, in pipes, where he could not avoid breathing in the gases from
electric welding, burning his eyes because of the absence of a mask, he knew
that he is given such a work, which the Jews do not carry out.
7) His indignation [despair] and stresses broke out in family, when he was
coming home from work. Hard drinking, beatings (he was beating me), - all
this constantly amplified. Sometimes he grabbed a knife and chased me all
along the apartment, so, that I was forced to go outside, and remain there,
until he will not fall asleep.
8) My daughter, Natasha, was constantly offended and humiliated by children
(aboriginal Israelis) living in our house. They cried out "all Russians are
prostitutes" ("kol ha-rusiyot - zonot"), "go back to Rusia". They constantly
called us through Intercom, and offended me and my daughter. I have gone
to neighbors to investigate, what's going on, and ask them to influence (stop)
their children. But the parents have declared that we invented [made up]
everything, and that by thus we've offended them and their children. They
have threatened that next time they will turn [complain] to police [asking
to punish us] for this slander.
9) I felt, that I was discriminated in employment - because I am Russian.
First, I was not given a Hebrew course: all the time they told that the course
is postponed. And then I was forced to search for work. Not having Hebrew
- plus the common victimization (linked to my nationality), when I've attempted
to employ myself, have resulted in staying without a job for a long time,
and, when finally employed, - not in Ashdod, but in Tel Aviv, so that it
was necessary to go far and come back home late at night. I could not stay
with my husband any more, as he has become even more aggressive, and I was
afraid for my life and life of my children.
10) Relations with my neighbors became more and more menacing, too: they
offended us, advised [us] to "go back to Russia", did not let us to pass,
and played small miscellaneous dirty tricks.
11) Taking my children with me, I have moved to town Yehud. Living there,
I have continued to work in Tel-Aviv. There were constant conflicts at work.
The attitude towards unprotected and deprived new Russian immigrants has
resulted that my owner (assuming that all «Russian women» are
"refuseless" [trouble-free], has began to stick to me with the sexual bids.
He threatened to fire me from work and "promised" other troubles. Besides
I was renting an apartment together with a nanny of his children. Rejecting
his bids, I would loose not only work, but also the apartment. I was in such
a depressed [psychological] state that I was forced to concede his bids.
On way to work he has begun to beat me in the car. These beatings became
systematic.
12) When we lived in the city of Yehud my daughter was raped. She had a boyfriend,
an Israeli, a Moroccan origin. Once his cousin Haim, under pretext of a meeting
with Moshe (her boyfriend), has taken her to his home. There he has raped
her, and then declared, that all Russian are prostitutes - and that at police
nobody will react to the complaints of «Russians». Immediately
after raping her he has told his whole family (they have heard the cries)
the following: «I've already told you, that all Russians - are prostitutes».
13) At the beginning my daughter was afraid to tell me about it, and when
(in two weeks) has told, and we have addressed to police, there they have
told us that, because we have not turned to police immediately, they will
not do anything.
14) The police has informed Haim and Moshe's family about our complain, and
they have started to call and threat us. We felt completely deprived and
defenseless, powerless to undertake anything.
15) All this (persecution by my owner and the case with my daughter) has
forced me to move to Ganei-Aviv (Lod), where the apartment was more expensive,
and the place was much worse. Once at work, when I have got the sandwich,
brought from home, the owner has threw over me, crying out that all Russian
eat pork, and has struck me by a stick. Later he has left me alone for a
while, but in more than two years has began to stick to me again. When I
have announced him that I'll address the police, he has struck me: so strong,
that I have received a serious trauma. For the promise not to turn to police
he has given me his word not to fire me, but has not carried out his promise.
And in July 2000, without paying me the due vacation [dismissal] money, he
has fired me.
16) In the same period of time I was continuously called and persecuted by
my husband, who (by threats and persistence) tried to force me to live with
him again.
I had no other option but to start a divorce procedure to legalize my status
and have more security from encroachments of my husband.
17) While for the social reasons I could not afford the divorce in Israel,
I have recollected that we began a procedure of divorce in Tadjikistan, and
that there was a court decision at the first stage of the legal procedure
of divorce. When I have addressed to a Sochnut's representative for advise,
and has mentioned about the divorce in Tadjikistan, which wasn't finished
by then, he has advised me to give a way to this document, which, as he said,
will solve my problem.
18) In reality, even after I have received the certificate on divorce, legalized
everywhere (in the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of Tadjikistan, in consulate
of Israel in Uzbekistan), the divorce was not recognized by the state of
Israel. I continued to be considered as a married woman. In response to the
repeated submission of my application (after a lawyer, hired by me, has addressed
to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Israel) I was told to appear at the
Ministry of Internal Affairs [bureau], and informed, that I should bring
a description of my situation with me. I've appeared there with it, and also
presented the decision of the Tadjik court from 1990 - and the certificate
of cancellation of the marriage from 1995. The lawyer has warned me, that
my husband will be deported from Israel because under the Israeli law he,
ostensibly, has immigrated to Israel, while being divorced. Without my knowledge
the lawyer called my husband (to his cellular phone), warning him about eventual
deportation, which threats him.
19) After my husband has learned everything, he has visited my daughter,
persuading her to convince me to stop the process of divorce. When she has
refused, he has struck her, and has told «I shall kill both you, and
your mother», and has left saying these words. When I have learned
about it, I tried to contact him by the phone, but this number was already
disconnected. Soon my husband has called me at home, and has declared that
he has visited the Ministry of Internal Affairs - and has made there a declaration
that neither I, nor my children are not Jews, and that he's ready to prove
it, and on the basis of it we should be deported together with him.
20) I have addressed to police in Ashdod, but was told there that, as my
husband's address is unknown, any measures will not be undertaken before
I'll find his actual address. [Soon] in the Ministry of Internal Affairs
I have received the data about his habitation registration (starting from
some time there is a law in Israel about "habitation registration allowance"
["propiska" in Russian] - as in ex-USSR), but it appeared, that he does not
live there anymore.
21) I thought that my husband only blackmails us, and actually did not reported
us, but soon have received a letter from the Ministry of the Internal Affairs,
[saying] that I must appear there with my mother's birth certificate, for
confirmation of her nationality and continuation of the divorce procedure.
I went there to explain that I do not have my mother's birth certificate,
and then was told that I should bring other documents, besides the certificate
of birth, which would confirm that I'm Jewish. Or I should go to the Rabbinate,
where they can «confirm my nationality».
4. Nothing more remained [to me] but to depart without waiting for deportation.
It is necessary to explain, why I believed, that other solutions didn't exist.
First, psychologically I was unable to bear the procedure of deportation,
all this shame, possible arrest and placement in the deportation prison,
and a removal from Israel under an escort. Secondly, I sincerely believe
that in Tadjikistan death is still threatening us. (Besides, being both Russian
- and Israeli in a Muslim state like Tadjikistan is a life-threatening task
in itself). Thirdly, I knew, that if I can not confirm that I am Jewish,
the tehudat-zehut (T.-Z.) will be taken away from me. (And in Israel without
the T.-Z. you are doomed (fated). Fourth: my husband continued to threat
my daughter, and me, by murder. I saw that the police does not undertake
any measures. In Israel I addressed with my complaints to many organizations
- [like] WIZO, Histadrut, police, and others, - but nobody did anything to
protect my rights. Fifth: shortly before our departure serious problems with
my son have begun.
5. (1) In connection with what we experienced in Tadjikistan, becoming witnesses
of war, disorder, beatings of the people, murders, and violence of [uncontrolled]
crowd, - my children and me - we have received a deep psychological trauma.
By going through such a strong shock, we became opponents of any violence.
Me, my daughter and son - all of us are pacifists; this is our deep belief.
Therefore my daughter, when to she was 18 years old, has refused to serve
in Israeli army, and was nominated for an alternative military service. In
Israel, they glancing askance at those, who has refused to serve in the army,
and it became an additional source of discrimination of my daughter. It has
become the reason of even more severe discrimination, to which my daughter
was exposed.
2) In August 2, 2001 my son Sasha was called for Israeli army. He was subjected
to routine checks and measures of distribution. With first appearance at
the draft board he has declared that categorically refuses to serve in Israeli
army, and has explained, that he is a pacifist, and against any violence.
He was told that his declaration [application] would be accepted [filed]
only after all checks, registration and distribution. He was told that these
stages are pure formality and, besides, without passing them, his declaration
about his unwillingness to serve in the army will not be given an official
(legal) course. It was a deceptive trick. All procedures connected to preparation
for the army service lasted approximately 3 months, till October 31. Each
time, when he came to make an official application that he refuses to serve
[in the army] (which had to be somehow filed and registered), he was told
to wait; but nobody used to take care of his case up to the end of the day.
At last, once, after he came to the draft board, he was forced to be seen
by a doctor again, and by deceit all his clothes have been taken away. Therefore
after the medical exam he had nothing to do but to put on the military uniform.
But, when he said categorically that all the same - he's not going to serve
in the army, only then the interview with an officer was issued. It has appeared
that it was not an interview, but a court, during which the officer spoke
with him extremely roughly, declaring that all Russians are liars and crooks,
and that all of them sneaked into Israel by a fraud. He told my son - that
does not trust my son's declaration about his pacifist belief: because all
Russians are liars and violators of the laws. When my son tried to object,
the officer has announced that my son now will be taken to a prison and that
for each objection to the officer the prison term will be extended [increased].
Right there, my son was handcuffed and sent to a military prison. He has
stayed in the military prison about one month. Feeling the authority and
impunity the prison officers offended and carried psychological pressure
on my son, leaving the [full (bright)] light in the [prison] cell during
the night - to prevent [prisoners] from sleeping (torture by insomnia); some
times he was punished by sweat-box (where remained in handcuffs, in а bent
position for many hours) - for speaking Russian. Once, when my son unconsciously
has started to talk Russian with others inmates again, an officer has struck
him, and he fell by a side, breaking two ribs. For a week he stayed in bed,
abortively asking for the army doctor - and then they let him out from prison,
issuing the next court session. When he came home, we tried to visit our
family doctor, but the doctor has announced, that - as the son now in the
army, he does not belong any more to ''kupat-cholim" (medical cash cooperative),
and should address only to an army doctor. Three hearings of the army court
were held. During the first of them they told my son, that if he will continue
to name himself a pacifist and refuse to service in the army, they will put
him in the military prison again. We made a conclusion, that if he'll go
to the prison again, this time he will be simply killed, and we have decided,
that it is better to leave the country, for what was necessary to ask a delay
from the compulsory military service. At the third hearing this delay was
given to him.
6) We have decided to leave for a country, which situates as far away from
Europe and Israel as possible: to make more difficult for our eventual persecutors
to find us. I am one hundred percent sure that my husband will look for us,
trying to find our refuge. For this reason we have departed for Canada not
by a direct flight, but via London.
7) I ask to display human and objective vision of our situation, and to understand
that we have no place to go and no place to come back. By the present time
(we ask you not to approach this question formally) we do not have any genuine
citizenship of any country of residence. In those countries, where we ever
lived, presently we have neither a house, nor relatives, neither friends
(lost all contacts), nor a true citizenship. Besides, there is an inevitable
threat to our life, health, freedom, safety and mental integrity. Personally
I, my children - we can not live by double life any more, and would prefer
rather to kill ourselves, than to continue such a dual existence. I feel
that if I would live by such life some more months, I would simply have become
insane. From the first day of arrival to Montreal we feel that we are in
habitual conditions, in cultural environment, accepted by our mentality.
We have visited the church of St. Paul and Peter, which we intend to attend
regularly, and we are happy that at least temporarily and as refugee claimants
could be here, among related to us environments. We are happy, that we meet
Christmas on Canadian soil - and for the first time after many years will
celebrate it.