Sponsorship Conflict with Tahir

Tahir wants me to sponsor his Visa to the U.S.  It is hard for Pakistani’s to get a Visa.

I actually looked into the matter without much enthusiasm.  It isn’t that I don’t want to meet Tahir, it’s that I don’t really want to bring in another homophobe into the US, nor into my home.   You see, as a Pakistani, it is normal to invite you into their home and he tells me he would willingly invite me into his home and serve me as a guest.   So I feel sorta guilty.  He seems to want to continue to talk to me.

Actually, sponsorship requires a great deal.  I need to write a letter stating that I want him to visit.  It appears to me that we need a rather strong connection in order to do this – family connection or business reasons.  Secondly, they need an affidavit that justifies that I can financially support this person.  I am not that rich, nor do I really want my financials in his hands.

I have told him about needing a solid reason.  He suggests with a smile that we are to be married.  He’s joking, or so I believe.  I am amused either way.

I do tell him that having someone with his anti-gay feelings is not something I want to sponsor.  He tells me we are friends and that he is not against gay people.  In a funny way, I think this is true.  My statement is more philosophic.  People who make statements like “Allah will punish those who are violating his laws against homosexuality and will be punished in hell forever” are handing violent and ignorant people all they need to victimize gay people.  This concept seems beyond his thinking.  If/when this comes up again, I’ll add to this report.

He views my unwelcoming stance as more proof that Americans and Europeans are reserved and not friendly.  They SEEM friendly, but beyond 10 minutes, they will not talk to you.  I think this is probably right, particularly when you compare this to Pakistani hospitality.  The Koran states several times that one must take in “travelers”.

But I really do like Tahir.  He recently added me as a friend on Facebook.   Morally, I’m in the wrong club; culturally, he has taken me in, at least on Facebook!