John Calvin, whose birth name is unknown, hails from the West Bank, the largest of the Palestinian territories presently occupied by Israel. His grandfather is a Hamas official. What makes Calvin unique, however, is two fold: he’s gay and a convert to Christianity (from Islam). Due to apparent threats to his life from his family over his religious beliefs, he fled to Canada and then ultimately the U.S. where he received long-awaited asylum. CNN reported on his fascinating story.
Calvin has known much hardship and detention since his youth. While in the West Bank, he believed his father desired to commit an honor killing against him over his desire to convert to Christianity.
His father denies any plans of an honor killing, but reportedly told CNN “the family has a right to retaliate against him” should he return.
The New York Daily News identified Calvin’s maternal grandfather as Said Bilal, a founding member of Hamas. The Times of Israel claims Bilal worked for the organization in the Palestinian city of Nablus.
According to CNN, Calvin first came to North America by way of Canada in 2011, but by his own account lived under threat of deportation. He converted to Christianity and came out as gay while living in the Canadian city of Edmonton.
Canadian authorities refused his request for asylum in 2014, and gave him a November 2015 deadline to leave the country. Fearing death if he were deported, he fled to the U.S. and was held for seven months by U.S. authorities until his asylum request was approved.
CNN has covered Calvin’s case since 2015, and notes that he is now living freely in New York City, looking for work and hoping to study.
Oddly, he is not the first offspring of a Hamas member to convert to Christianity. Mosab Hassan Yousef converted-son of Hamas leader Sheikh Hassan Yousef-converted to Christianity in the late ‘90s while working as an informant for Shin Bet-the Israeli internal security agency.
Yousef fled to the U.S. in 2007 fearing for his life due to his work for Israel and conversion, receiving asylum in 2010.
He detailed his extraordinary experiences in a book entitled ‘Son of Hamas.’
A version of this article originally appeared in Arabic on www.albawaba.com/ar.
--AL
