Support the Duman Family

The Kurdish family of Metin and Sahile Duman and their four children, Mazlum (12), Nazim (10), Ali (6) and Inan (2) are threatened by the Home Office with deportation to Turkey after June 15^th. They came to England in June 1999. Baby Inan was born here in 2000.

The family is settled here in Downham, and the boys have made enormous progress. Mazlum achieved an excellent Level 4 in his SATs and is now at Crofton School. Nazim and Ali are making good progress at Forster Park Primary School, where Nazim was chosen for a Gifted & Talented programme in Maths. Mrs Duman has been an enthusiastic member of the school’s Family Literacy group, and has attended courses at Goldsmiths Community Centre and the Limelight Project.

The family left Turkey because as Kurds they had suffered years of harassment and discrimination. They were denied religious rights as Alevi Muslims. They were not allowed to speak their own language. In 1938 Mrs Duman’s own grandparents were rounded up with other villagers and shot. More recently the Turkish army accused the Duman family and other villagers of providing food and medicine for the PKK, and tried to starve the village with an embargo on food supplies. Mr Duman has suffered arrest many times, and would be in danger if he were returned to Turkey. Since May this year there has been an upsurge in violence against Kurds in Turkey, especially the area the Duman family comes from.

Mr & Mrs Duman do not want their children to suffer like they did. If they are removed from Britain, their educational progress would suffer, and they would be torn from their schools and the many friends they have made here.

Please send a copy to The Duman Family Campaign, c/o Lewisham NUT Office, Ladywell Leisure Centre, 261 Lewisham High Street, London SE13 6NJ.

We, the undersigned, ask that the Home Secretary allow Mr & Mrs Duman and their children Mazlum, Nazim, Ali and Inan to remain in Britain. This Kurdish family came to Britain in June 1999 and is settled here in Downham. The boys have made enormous progress at Forster Park School and Crofton School. If the family is deported to Turkey, the children’s educational progress would suffer, and they would be torn from their schools and their friends. Please support the family’s plea to stay in Britain.

Please return to: Lewisham NUT Office, Ladywell Leisure Centre, 261 Lewisham High Street, London SE13 6NJ.