Asylum

My own job has seemed pretty all-consuming to me for a few years now

and even though it gives me a sense of purpose and meaning,

I realised how much of my social network and sense of identity
is also beholden to my career.

Fahd has traveled the world before

but he felt going through the immigration process

was never as heart-racing as he did at Toronto’s Airport in Canada.

That day, he had journeyed to a foreign land about 12,900 kilometers away from home

with the intention of claiming asylum

and would probably spend the rest of his life there.

The reason: Because his orientation so loathed in his home country of Indonesia (dibenci)

that otherwise he faces flagellation (didera)

that could put his life in danger.

He remembered his voice trembling

when he told the officer at the immigration counter:

“I’m claiming asylum.”

Zulfikar, who is open about his being label,

grew up as a middle class person in Jakarta.

He attended law school at a top-notch university in the same city

and later landed a job in a pub...

the community has been subjected to prejudice, hatred and physical attacks.

Adding insult to injury,
public officials and religious leaders have further exacerbnalizing same relations.
the marginalized group is putting up a fight for its rights.ated the situation (diperburuk)

with their politically charged anti- rhetoric.

The latest challenge is the insistence by lawmakers on crimi