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A homeschooling father and mother from Germany have fled to Iran for the educational freedom found there, and now apparently are being sought by authorities for the offense of child kidnapping for taking their son with them, according to WND sources.And a new campaign has been launched by lawmakers to approve a provision in Germany that would allow authorities to simply take legal custody of children whose parents are trying to avoid the problems associated with the public school system there.The two situations are the latest developments as parental rights in Germany are under attack, especially regarding the right to direct the education of their own children, homeschool advocates say.WND just weeks ago reported on an "open season," on homeschoolers in Germany, when a government letter to school officials revealed that when parents refuse to send their children to a state-approved school, it is now considered "a misuse of parental custody rights, which violates the well-being of the child."Now word has surfaced about a couple whose concern for their gifted son prompted their flight to Iran."As a family with a gifted and talented child, we fled Germany...with two suitcases and with the last of our money being spent on our flight to Iran," a letter from the Mahjoubi Assil family to "supporting friends" said.The family includes the father, Khosrow Mahjoubi Assil, the mother, Lydia Keller-Mahjoubi Assil, and the son, Marian Mahjoubi Assil. It was written by the mother on behalf of the family."As things stand now, Germany is unworthy of membership in the European Community, or to speak on Human Rights in the international arena. The shadows of the Third Reich and the ideology of Adolf Hitler – if not worse – still drift over Germany," the letter said.The family's dispute arose because of a decision in the Family Court of Wiesbaden, "with corresponding threats of violent compulsory measures against us," the family's letter said.The family son, Marian, has been homeschooled since 2006, taking theater, "gifted and talented courses," foreign languages, gymnastics, horseback riding and music. He obtained a certificate from the Children's College of Rheinland-Pfalz – Gifted and Talented Center last summer stating that he "integrates himself very quickly into the groups … and has made some friendships here." It describes the student as "a friendly, highly motivated child, achieving very good results…"But local school officials objected to the program of education for Marian, the family letter said."Because the public school authority of Wiesbaden has no suitable schools for a highly gifted and talented child such as our Marian, they, along with Child Protective Services, wanted to force him to attend the Special Education branch Friedrich-von-Schiller School for children with behavioral problems and for low performing children," the letter said.Marian already had experience at that school, because it was there when he was 6 that he was struck by a teacher who later faced a criminal complaint making accusations of Willful Aggravated Battery in Office, the family said."Because we resisted the educational poverty, the boredom and the violence in the schools, Child Protective Services moved in Family Court to strip us of custody of our son and place him in a foster home, in an illegitimate trial without our being present or having an opportunity to present the circumstances from our perspective, so that the state could destroy and make pliable the mind of a gifted and talented child who intellectually stood in their way," the letter said.[[[[["Our situation in Iran is an emergency situation, because we are living off of support from our parents. Marian suffers from an asthma-like illness, and has health problems due to the extreme air pollution, as well as insurance and medical insurance coverage and other support services not being available here," the family wrote. "Our social benefits in Germany have been completely cut off … ""Father has told me that he has received calls that we are being sought for child kidnapping," said the mother."I come from a Frankfurt civil servant family, and am a certified biologist, while my husband comes from an Iranian family of doctors (civil servants) and is a scientific colleague in pharmaceutical security. For this reason Marian and I both hold dual citizenship (Germany/Iran)," the mother wrote.She said an attorney has begun submitting paperwork to pursue the family's case in Germany.]]]]]{{{{{{{Iran has been described by Christian Solidarity Worldwide as having "earned" what was described as "an appaling reputation on the subject of human rights. Arbitrary detention, torture, disappearance, summary trial and execution are not uncommon."The organization reported even the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has a special representative submitting ongoing reports on the situation. The nation's constitution official allows "minority religions" including Christianity and Judaism, but the right to practice a religion of choice often is crippled by the nation's laws providing for "the need to safeguard the interests of the state."Iran provides for the death penalty for "apostasy" and bans proselytism.Such provisions, however, may play a less significant role in this family's case, since family members did not base their desire for homeschooling on the German school system's anti-Christian bias, as a multitude of families have, but instead on a need for a higher quality of education than available.}}}}}}}The second new development was reported by Jan Edel, of the "Schulbildung in Familieninitiative" organization that seeks alternative methods of education. It is associated with Netzwerk Bildungsfreitheit, a homeschool advocacy organization working on behalf of families in Germany."The devil appears to be loose in Germany educational bureaucracy," the note from Edel said. "A large-scale campaign is being aimed at parents who are not able to come to terms with the available educational provisions and 'exit' seeking the alternative model of homeschooling."A high-ranking politician from Hessen confirmed a new law would target parents "who are convinced of the inadequacy of public education and 'make themselves a nuisance,'" the report assembled by Edel said."After all, parents cannot be allowed to begin to think independently about their children's failure in school and cause a sensation and riot through choosing alternatives to school attendance," it said.The report cited a telephone call with a representative for a legislator who is pushing for a law that would take custody away from parents if their children aren't in public schools."She also mentioned that up to now, it has only been possible to restrict the parents' custody (i.e. in matters of schooling and in the choice of the children's residence) but now the state will be able to take full custody away from the parents when the law was passed…," the report said.The letter from governmental officials to school leaders recently revealed that not only did the bureaucracy consider homeschooling a violation of children's well-being, local officials were expected to act if they had knowledge of such cases."We ask for acknowledgment and compliance," the letter, signed by N. Hauf., director of school affairs, said in the letter.Numerous homeschooling families in Germany have run afoul of that nation's Nazi-era law banning homeschooling, and being fined or otherwise penalized.In recent days, however, the threats against homeschooling parents frequently have included loss of custody of their children, and several families already have fled.Even advocates for homeschooling have begun to fear for their safety of their families....
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