“I applied for refugee status because my life is in danger in Bangladesh. But I still have to wait for 8 months to a year to get final confirmation. If I get denied then I can always appeal. I fled after receiving death threats for being an atheist. And three of my friends have already been killed. There’s so much corruption, murder, rape, kidnapping, and drugs in my small country of over 180 million people. Radical groups commit heinous acts in the name of religion while the government turns a blind eye. So I’ve been in hiding since I renounced my Islamic beliefs. I even distanced myself from my family. It’s so much better here in Japan. People respect human rights and you have freedom of speech.”

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