Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 6214 Pastor John’s primary concern was his family members, who were in great danger. It was impossible to bring them into the United States without first winning asylum for Pastor John, so Narges and her Mintz Levin team moved swiftly to file his application for asylum and prevent his removal. After many attempts—including numerous calls, letters, and e-mails to the Asylum Office—they also succeeded in expediting the minister’s asylum hearing. Attorneys Rachel Gholston and Dan Bagliebter, senior patent agent Gurneet Singh, and project analyst Reeva Dua worked with Narges to contact witnesses in Pakistan, collect their sworn testimonies, and prepare written affidavits. “As lawyers, so many times we have emergencies, and deal with things that are urgent. But this case was literally a matter of life and death,” Rachel said. Gurneet, who also speaks Urdu, acted as an interpreter when Narges wasn’t available. In addition, he accompanied the minister to medical appointments. The doctors confirmed that the marks on the minister’s body were consistent with torture and that he suffered from post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “The pastor’s story touched me personally,” said Gurneet, who saw many parallels between the minister’s situation and that of his grandfather, who had been forced to leave his home in Pakistan in 1947. At Pastor John’s asylum hearing, the medical and personal affidavits collected by his attorneys supported his articulate account in every detail. Asylum was officially granted in August 2015, and his family joined him in the United States in September 2016. Pastor John is currently studying English and working part-time with a new congregation. “My family and I have received legal status. I see a great future [for us] in this country,” he said. “No nation hiding behind closed doors is free, for it is imprisoned by its own fear.” — Bill Clinton 15