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Canada Deports
Christian Arabs

Toronto (JTA) — An Israeli
family of Christian Arabs
denied asylum in Canada
was deported to Israel,
where they fear Moslem ex-
tremists will execute them.
Fihmi Matta, 41, formerly
a driver with the Egged bus
company, arrived in Canada
in October 1990 and filed for
refugee status. He claimed
his life was in danger be-
cause he refused to carry out
terrorist orders from the
Islamic fundamentalist
group Hezbollah to blow up a
bus depot.
Mr. Matta was staying
with friends in Edmonton,
Alberta, but in July flew
back to Israel, where he said
his wife, Nawal, was receiv-
ing nightly telephone
threats and his 18-year-old
daughter, Lina, was
assaulted.
After raising enough
money for his family's air-
fare, the unemployed bus
driver returned to Canada
on Nov. 13 together with his
wife and sons, Sam, 16, and
Alla, 9. They were given
temporary visitors' visas on
their Israeli passports.
Later that month, adju-
dicators for Canada's Im-
migration Department re-
jected Mr. Matta's refugee
bid. Also that month, a
separate two-man refugee
panel turned down his
family's application.
Just before those pro-
ceedings got under way, a
distraught Mr. Matta col-
lapsed and was rushed to
hospital with chest pains. He
was banned from the hear-
ing when it took place.

The immigration au-
thorities found Mr. Matta's
claims of persecution
implausible, demanding to
know how, if he was in mor-
tal danger in his homeland,
he could safely spend five
months there last year. They
also questioned why he had
not reported the threats
against him to Israeli police.
Mr. Matta claims members
of the Muslim Brotherhood
beat him twice.
David Kilgour, the mem-
ber of Parliament for Ed-
monton- Southeast, where
Mr. Matta was living,
brought up the matter in the
House of Commons and un-
successfully intervened on
his behalf with Immigration
Minister Bernard Valcourt.
The Federal Court of
Canada refused to grant
leave to appeal the case, and
a last-minute appeal for a
reprieve on humanitarian
grounds also failed.

"Woe is to the world whose leader is gone,
woe is to the ship whose helmsman is gone."

(Bova Batra 91a-b)

With profound sadness in our hearts,
Yeshivat Akiva joins the entire community
in mourning the passing of

Rabbi Leizer Levin, 5fw

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May his many years of devoted leadership, Torah scholarship,
and genuine chessed continue to inspire our lives.

Rabbi Zev Shimansky

Barry Eisenberg

Headmaster

President

Rabbi Marc Volk

Dr. Myer Roszler

Executive Director

NECESITAMOS
MAS DE
SU TIPO.

DONE SANGRE

Chairman of the Board

The administration, faculty, staff, student body and the
extended family of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, sadly notes
the passing of our revered leader,

RABBI LEIZER LEVIN

As President of our Board of Education
and Council of Orthodox Rabbis, he
was the guiding light of our schools
and our institution. His regal personali-
ty has left an indelible mark on all
those that were fortunate to know
him.

1111 111111

American
Red Cross

Our condolences are offered to his children, grand-
children, great-grandchildren and his extended family.
The Detroit Jewish community and the entire Torah world
share in mourning their great loss.

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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