Dear United States authorities,

Let me start off by telling you a little bit about me. I am a jewish woman living in
Russia. I have a husband, three children and we live in a small house in Irkutsk. I dont
make much money and that isnt even the worst of my problems. I am terrified of the
people who live in my country. People have been vandalizing synagogues and other
things with swastikas and I assume you could understand how scary seeing that is. One
was on a St. Petersburg synagogues fence in May 2012, and in July 2012, on a
synagogue wall in Irkutsk. All I can think of is our peoples history in this country and
what they could do to us again. Its a stretch, but Russification could happen again; Its
not impossible. Alexander III made my people walk hundreds of miles with their families
to ghettos and herded them together like animals. Even some were imprisoned. I have a
family of my own how could we survive if we had to go through all that again? Its not
fair that Russia can get away with antisemitic because, according to the Religious
Freedom Act of 1998, you are supposed to impose sanctions on any country who are
engaged in religious persecution. Obviously if you are doing that, its not working very
well. Its not only Jews who are being discriminated against; Its muslims too. Russia just
wants everyone to be Russian and thats it, no other ethnic background or culture. It
seems that Russification never actually stopped, just no one notices it or even cares
anymore.
It really makes me sick that Putin has Jews in his inner circle and also, plenty of
Jews were on the list of over 500 cultural and artistic figures who signed a letter
supporting Putins course of action in Crimea. Why would they go against their own
people and let this stuff happen? Do they not have any pride in being Jewish at all? If
Putins Russia continues on the same nationalistic, xenophobic, insular and imperial
course in other words, moving away from the 21st century and back to the 19th it
will inevitably end up accusing Jews of disloyalty and perfidy, which is ridiculous.
I am just absolutely terrified of what might happen to me and my family if these
actions persist in Russia. It seems horrible to say, but I wish I would have never started
a family in this country. I have absolute hatred towards Russia, however I couldnt say
that in the public eye, and I dont understand how people dont see right through Putin
like I can. This is not a free country and my goal is to live free in a democracy.
Therefore, I am requesting asylum from my country because I cannot continue to live in
these conditions. Please consider this compassionately and keep in mind what my
people have gone through for years and years. Dont let Russia do to us what they did
many years ago. Thank you for your time.
From,
A Russian Jew