The Norani family is as typical as any. The parents are a hardworking couple who have raised their sons with affection and maintained a good reputation in the community.
“We live a very tranquil, humble life,” says the mother. “We stay away from all kinds of conflict and mind our own business. Our children were never involved in any controversial matters, never got themselves in trouble. They just studied and went to school, and later on went to work.”
The Noranis emigrated from Iran, an ancient civilization that has undergone numerous political, social, and religious transformations. Cyrus, who established the Persian Empire in 559 B.C., declared religious freedom for all citizens and created the first charter of human rights.
Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, however, human rights violations have been rampant in Iran, and the persecution of religious minorities is commonplace. Because of the regime’s enmity with Israel, Iran’s centuries-old Jewish population is shrinking.
Hesam Norani is an Iranian Jew who has lived in Buffalo for nearly 20 years. He and his wife, Mahin, run a small convenience store on Hertel Avenue. Norani requested asylum upon arriving in the United States, but the case has bounced between courts for years, and the couple has not been able to obtain U.S. citizenship. The next court hearing is on October 28th, and the couple faces deportation if their case is rejected.
“I feel they will be persecuted upon their return to Iran because of their interreligious marriage, the stance of the government against Jews in general, and the apostasy law in Iran, which would subject the so-called sinner to death by stoning,” says Jamshid Arani, Norani’s New York City-based attorney.
Norani and his wife, a Muslim, were married years before Iran passed a civil code that outlaws marriage between Muslim women and non-Muslim men.
The couple has twin sons, Hamid and Hamed, who are 38. The brothers were initially sent to the United States at age 14 on a tourist visa, with the blessing of the Iranian government, so doctors could examine a suspected tumor on Hamid’s leg. While here, their parents decided to have them legally adopted by an uncle to avoid their conscription into the Iranian army, which was then at war with Iraq.
“I came to Buffalo in 1988,” says Norani. “I felt this city would be a good place for my sons to live and study in, and as my brother, their uncle, had decided to relocate to California, I stayed here with them and had my visa renewed several times. I bought this store and worked every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. After 8 years of visiting U.S. embassies in various countries, my wife finally obtained a U.S. visa and joined us in Buffalo.”
Hamed is a recent graduate of Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles, while Hamid, who lives in Amherst, sells pacemakers for St. Jude Medical Company. Both are U.S. citizens.
The family has exhausted its savings trying to stay in the country, spending more than $200,000 on attorneys and law firms. For years, their case has moved back and forth between Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
“I have been working in this store day and night for nearly 20 years,” says Norani. “We have only taken two one-week trips to California during this time. One was to be present at our son’s graduation, and the other was to attend a relative’s wedding. We have been working hard and paying our taxes. I opened this business with my own money and never took a penny from the government.”
Arani fears that if his client is forced to return to Iran, he will be accused of being a spy for Israel.
“I want to stay in this country,” says Norani. “I value my freedom, and I like being around my kids and grandson. I’m not asking for much. If I leave, I would never come back. My life will be done.”
Vince Caruso, owner of nearby Caruso Italian Imports, said it would be an injustice for the Noranis to be deported after all these years.
“They are very polite people, good people. A lot of people know them and feel their deportation would be an injustice.”
The couple entered the United States legally and has remained in the country legally, but has been unable to obtain U.S. citizenship. The courts have never issued a final decision and have allowed the case to drag on for years. The community has only recently become aware of the situation, and the Noranis have been interviewed by various newspapers and even appeared on local television, earning the support of many Buffalo residents.
When asked about the situation in her homeland, Mahin says, “The people of Iran don’t agree with their government. In Iran, everyone should have equal rights: Muslim and non-Muslim, men and women. We’re all equal and have the same God.
“The people want freedom, justice, and peace. We don’t want a war. No one in Iran should have the right to impose anything on anyone. As long as I’m not bothering anyone, no one should have the right to bother me.
“The people are powerless to change things, to voice their opinion. If someone protests the system or goes on strike, he won’t receive a paycheck or be able to feed his family.
“Those who are governing Iran and claiming to be Iranian are doing a great disservice to the people of Iran. The Iranian people are not in suitable conditions. No one can hear their voice or understand what they have to say. That’s what the regime wants, and no one can do anything about it.”
Arani, the immigration attorney, hopes the deportation case will finally be resolved.
“I come from Iran, and am familiar with the laws there. This is one of the strongest cases I have had. I will be very disappointed, as an attorney and as a human being, to see these people forced to return to their homeland.”
*This piece was originally written in 2008