Public Comments

Khurram is a hard-working American. I am impressed by his technical abilities, kindness and diligence. If he is forced to leave the US this nation will have lost one of its best and brightest.

The INS and restrictions on immigration in general are absolutely evil. Apartheid on an international scale, even if few recognize it as such. Good luck. (I don't mind this being public, unless its possibly inflammatory nature would harm your case.)

i think it is absurd to judge a man's political views on the basis of support he has given to an online chat group. i have faith in our government investigative agencies, and if they have determined it would be in the best intersts of this country to deport this man, then i must trust their judgment and evidence...over a mere screen peronality on an internet chatgroup...a person whose true relgious and politicial ideologies i have absolutely no way of knowing. this individual may be an active member of a terrorist cell...how would i know? byt his posts to an online chat group interested in losing weight to enhance longevity? I think this whole effor to garner suppor in this manner is facile, considering neither i nor any other members of this group have ever met this man, nor know any thing at all about his personal life. i think this effort, however well intentioned, is highly specious and very misplaced. after wtc, we do not live in the same society. liberal freedoms previously extended must be sacrificed for greater protection of our communities and country. please know this is not meanspritied...only practical...just visit the site at wtc and you will understand in a way you now cannot.

Khurram Hashmi has lived here almost his entire life. He has an american education and an american family. He had no choice of wether or not to move to the US. I didn't even know he wasn't an american citizen until the INS proceedings started. Please don't expell him just because he is Pakastani and because his parents couldn't get legal status 30 years ago. Kurram is hard working, ethical, and a serious contributer to American society.

I hope this helps. It's a scary time in our country when the powers that be could consider deporting someone like you.

As a retired Marine Corps Captain and a United States Citizen, I fully support Khurram Hashmi and his family's efforts to remain in the United States where they have been productive, law abiding residents for the past thirty (30) years. INS efforts to deport them is an outrage and an affront to the freedom and liberty I and so many of my friends fought to defend. I implore Congressional representatives reading this message to bring their attention and the full weight of their office to bear on this unfortunate problem and to expedite its resolution to the satisfaction of the Hashmi family and all freedom loving people.

Hello Khurram, You have my personal support in this grave matter. If you and your family need a sponsor here in the US, I will gladly do so. Please let me know if I can be of help in any way possible. You are a valuable human being and your good works will not go unnoticed. This will work itself out, but make sure you have a good lawyer. Unfortunately, that has become the American Way, but the law is on your side, so keep the faith.

I am a member of the CR Society who has benefited on numerous occasions from biology and nutrition information that Khurram Hashmi has posted to the Society's Internet List. His presence in the United States makes our country a better place, and I hope you will ensure its continuance.

I do hope Dean's having mobilized Society members to communicate with Congress and the INS helps solve your family's problem--and I wish for you persistence, courage, and a successful outcome.

I have had much informal interaction with Khurram Hashmi, who has lived in the U.S. since a small child. He is a fine human being who has contributed, and will continue to contribute, to what it is that makes this country a wonderful place to live. Please do not destroy his and his family's hope for a better life by forcing their return to Pakistan, a country that they essentially know nothing of at this time.

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Username: Tom Kobzina
UserCity: Altamonte Springs
UserState: Florida, U.S.A.

OfficialComment:

Although I have never met Khurram Hashmi personally, I know him through his numerous posts on the CR Society website. I believe that he is a good man. I believe that he is a man of integrity. I believe that he would never do anything that was against the interests of the government of the United States or of its allies. I would be disappointed if the government of the United States did anything to interfere with his life or his livelihood.

PersonalComment:

Khurram, please contact me personally if I can be of any assistance in your problems with government agents.

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Username: Robert Derram
UserCity: Los Angeles
UserState: CA

OfficialComment:

To Whom It May Concern:

I, Robert Derram, declare that in all my dealings with Khurram Hashmi, I have observed in him the highest moral character. Further, I have witnessed his helpfulness and dedication as a member of society working for our common good, and never have I witnessed or heard of anything negative about him.

Khurram has maintained an important website that is at the cutting edge of human health research, and has freely contributed his talents to public health initiatives of the greatest importance. I deeply believe Khurram is a tremendous asset to the United States of America.

Respectfully,

Robert Derram

PersonalComment:

Dear Khurram,

My wife has had dealings with the INS (she is a foreign national, currently a permanent resident), and so I happen to know a bit about the INS, at least pre-9/11 hysteria. Also my wife is from Poland, and so not from one of the discriminated countries. Dealing with the INS has shaken my faith in the basic fairness of the American system.

The best course of action, is contacting your federal representative (senator) office. Here's the hard reality: I have done so here in California, and having gone through the process, I know this - it is ENTIRELY dependent on the specific person you are dealing with. If the person truly extends themselves, an emergency phone call will be put through to the INS, and it can be effective (based on the case of my wife, with the important caveat it was pre-9/11 hysteria). However, if you come upon an individual who has little interest, your case will be put on a thick stack of "ignored" pleas. The senator him/herself will not deal with it in either case - bottom line, the case worker is the key here.

I'm an atheist, and so I cannot pray for you, but please know, that my best thoughts and wishes are with you.

If there is some way I can assist you, I will do so.

Best regards,

Robert Derram
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Username: Robert Krikorian
UserCity: Cincinnati
UserState: OH/USA

OfficialComment:

I am writing on behalf of Khurram Hashmi. I have known Khurram for approximately 4 years through his participation in the CR Society and have come to admire him. Khurram has demonstrated several wonderful qualities, among them determination, intelligence, conscientiousness, positive humanistic values, generosity, and kindness. He has been an integral member of the Society and has contributed in a variety of ways to its growth as a supportive organization serving a large number of members. I strongly support his continued residence in the US and believe it would be a significant loss to our country if he were to leave. He is a talented, dedicated individual who will only improve the lives of those he interacts with. I cannot imagine that he would wish to harm another individual or to disrupt our government or cultures and find no reasonable basis for considering that he would have such intentions.

PersonalComment:

Khurram:
I am very sorry to hear about your family's difficulties with the INS. Please let me know if there is anything more I can do to help. I am confident you will not be forced to leave the US.
Best regards.
-Robert.
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Username: Mac Bundy
UserCity: Seattle
UserState: WA/USA

OfficialComment:

Dear Sirs,
Re Khurram Hashmi
Mr Hashmi has been of invaluable assistence to me. He has a brilliant and educated mind. We cannot afford to lose this benevolent man. Please let him stay. He is an American.

Sincerely, Mac Bundy

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I was very touched with your situation. Being deported is not an easy thing, changing in the life is stressful. I never went out my country, but in this dangerous (war) times I prefer to stay here, find a job gain money and live here. I should say to you that life give us different ways to folow, but no matter what pathway life leads us, the hope in the future need to be prevalent in our minds *all the time*. The strength of the consciousness is the true power , because the mind is powerful than the body and Decartes says that the reason can do everything (I agree with him). Must situations are impossible to be solved only by money (incurable deseases for example). That enters *the reasoning*, that can find a way to it. So, if you are in difficulties, think that your reasoning is powerful enough to free you from them. I have only words to offer you. But STRONG WORDS, because the world are for the strongest people. You ARE strong and you will find a way to solve that difficulty. Sometimes people think that money can solve everything. That is a lie. It can't. Aging cannot be defeated by money. And the war cannot be defeat by money too. Only comprehension and intelligence can solve such problems. I really believe that you are an very smart and intelligent guy (looking at your pages and contributions to our society) YOU will find the way to postpone this problem. I really believe it. And aging problem will be defeated in the future, as well. The intelligence can destroy all the problems with the time. The strength of you personality and wisdom will win all the controvesal situations. Your effort and dedication was worth to us all. And we hope to find you in a near future.

I am Warren Taylor, an American citizen, and a personal friend of Mr. Khurram Hashmi for almost 4 years. I am in close contact with him on a daily basis. We telephone each other frequently, even though I am almost 2,000 miles away. We exchange emails, we send each other letters, and we discuss common goals of living a healthy and moral lifestyle. Khurram is a very friendly, sincere, and warm individual, who has great ability to make warm lasting friends. I am proud to know Khurram as a personal friend. I will vouch for him as being a loyal supporter of our country, dedicated to its principles of freedom, and of the very highest character and integrity, with a hard work ethic. Khurram came to the US as a small child with his parents from Pakistan 30 years ago. He is educated entirely in the US since childhood, has lived in the US continuously, and of course speaks only English. He is completing his Masters Degree in Computer Science, and is a genius level student (straight A) like his Father, who has a PhD degree, educated and obtained here in the US. Khurram holds a full time job, and has done so for many years. As a person who has lived in the US for 30 years, who has lived an exemplary life, who has distinguished himself as a scholar, with the warmest feelings as a loyal patriot to our country, Khurram should not be subject to registration or to question by the INS. He should be granted his citizenship outright! I firmly support Khurram in his efforts to obtain full US Citizenship. I can think of no person who is more highly qualified and worthy to be called a US Citizen.

Khurram Hashmi does not know who I am, but he has changed my life. He is one of a very small handful of people who have all helped me to regain health. His advice and insights given on the crsociety website and in many entries in the crsociety mailing list have been truly invaluable to me. I was having trouble doing my work before, but now I can look forward to years of work to the benefit of society. Please allow him to stay in the country. Many people like me need his help.

As an anthropologist specializing in cultural pathology and the dynamics of terrorism I am convinced that Khurram Hashmi cannot possibly be a danger to the United States. To the contrary, it is through individuals like Mr. Hashmi that we have our greatest hope to survive as a strong and democratic nation. I would be more than willing to testify on his behalf in any immigration court proceedings should that be necessary.

Dear Khurram, I have been travelling and less active as a reader and participant of late and only now (February 8, '03) learned about your difficulties with immigration. My phone, should you need supportive testimony is (959) 824-8444. That is my office phone and I usually check for messages - and of course you have my email which I check daily.

Khurram Hashmi has made a great contribution to the well-being of many people, including myself. He has worked hard to help others to achieve optimal health, giving important information and offering his incisive insights. Mr. Hashmi is a great asset to the United States of America. He has contributed much to the USA already, and should be allowed to continue contributing. In all ways with the exception of his place of birth, Khurram Hashmi is an American. He deserves the chance to continue to contribute to American life.

Hi Khurram, I believe Winston Churchill's words are appropriate here: "Never give up." We appreciate you and are thinking of you as you face this test.

One of the first people I learned to trust on the CR Society's e-mail list was Khurram Hashmi. He was highly recommended by other CR folk, and his extensive contributions to our health interest group make it important to me and to many others to have him stay with us in the States.

You are only keystrokes on a screen to me, but I'm delighted that you have allowed Dean to "go to bat for you" as we say in the States. I personally wish you and your family deep encouragement and hope. Many of us believe that thoughts can assist in guiding the events of the future. Keep your mind in the positive thoughts, as we are.

Dear Congresswoman Kaptur:

Re: INS status of Khurram Hashmi

You are a person who is very busy with very important matters of state and your local constituency. I sincerely appreciate your interest in and action on a matter that concerns both.

I have been active with the Calorie Restriction Society (CRS) for three years and have known Khurram Hashmi of your district through the CRS electronic mailing list for that period. For the past year I have served as the initiating Communications Coordinator of a pilot study on the Effects of Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition in Humans. We have recently moved this study to the Washington University in St. Louis , under the aegis of Luigi Fontana, M.D., who is principal investigator.

In the course of this study, I have experienced Khurram as a thoughtful, industrious, responsible person. I live in New York and was in Manhattan on September 11, 2001 . I understand the importance of homeland security in a very personal way. Still, I don’t want the INS to overextend its efforts to protect American citizens to the point of stamping out the very freedoms we want secure in our homeland.

I understand that you have been sent much detail about the Hashmi family case, so I won’t list those details. Suffice it to say that Khurram is an upstanding, hard working citizen of the planet, who we are lucky enough to have living in our country. Please do all you can to ensure that the INS deals with his case appropriately so that we can continue welcome him here as our friend and colleague.

I am sure that you will want to do this as it mirrors exactly the positive effect you want to have in matters of state and support of your constituency.

On a personal note—I grew up in Ohio , and still have many friends and family members there. I will be proud to point to your humanity and commitment when this case is settled fairly.

Sincerely,