August 31st, 1966

Miss Ann Petluck

UNHCR Deputy Regional Representative
United Nations — New York —N.Y. —USA

Miss Barbara Gould

WORLD CHURCH SERVICE
New York — N.Y.- USA

This letter was handed to both ladies separately. One of them read it, but the other one just placed it above Dr. Lind’s Files.

When will they condescend to do something for us? What have they done so far for us? - April 25, 1976.  QUOUSQUE TANDEM?

Having received more news from Prof. OM Lind, I am eager to bring to your attention several quotations from his letters, regarding his Visa case.

“Well, I thought I would add a few more remarks. Inasmuch as I am a refugee, having a rather hard time, like all displaced and exiled people, I AM A LITTLE IN A HURRY and that I DISLIKE ALL DILATORY MEASURES HAVING NO TIME TO LOSE. Please tell Miss Petluck and Miss Gould that I feel discriminated and that after so many questionnaires and insistent details on my life I cannot but feel subject to inquisitional methods. Above all they must realize that I am not an ordinary person, I am a victim of political persecution and without a legal home. That I am a highly cultured person and also a leader in many ways in world affairs. That is why I hold the belief that I should not be treated like any simple emigrant”

“If it is so difficult to admit me into the States. I earnestly believe that in a week time we have ample opportunity to find out if an individual is admissible or not. So why all these months already after having responded to three questionnaires. Are all the political refugees treated with identical slowness and parsimony? ¿Are all the outlaws who land in the States also subject to the same excruciating questionnaires, inquest and demands as to on what they are going to live? I am not exactly a beach roamer or a long haired bum. Or must they be further inquisitional, so as to discover a motive for giving me a flat refusal? If this is the aim, I’d sooner have it straight. We must be human after all”

“Tell the Church World Service that I have endless friends throughout the world, so it is only natural that the UN Refugee Bureau should hear about them, and it will hear more henceforth, as time passes and no real solution is given to this gentleman, a HUMAN BEING, Dr. OM Lind. They begin to believe that there is an obvious discrimination against this one single person”

“Pres. Johnson said that all Cubans have a home in the USA. There is no reason, to keep ONE CUBAN CITIZEN OUT, using lingering motives or pretexts. People who suffer cannot have patience and it is not justice to offer satisfaction and attach strings to all offers, or to delay indefinitely real solution. Justice too little or too late is absolute INJUSTICE”

“Tell Miss Gould and Miss Petluck that I have been always my own employer, and I intend to continue to be the same, that I have a Museum of my own and that no such person can depend on any Church or government for support. That I am a well known and pretty able lecturer, philosopher and world traveler, as well as a religious leader and Spiritual guide, with world status, I am well capable of supporting myself under all circumstances as I have always done throughout my life in all countries”. That if I was able to establish my own university in Cuba I can still do so in America and even in the Poles if needed ....”

“Miss Petluck as well as Miss Gould seems so understanding, although I am in serious doubt whether they read all my letters. May be they have too many and mine are pretty lengthy.  Will write again to Miss Petluck and tell her that I was promised by the Church World Service a Health and Medical Assistance card and that they act now as if they never heard about us. I have met the people from the World Church Service twice and they were very nice, but now they remain silent. May be they did like in Amsterdam in l962 when they classified my case, NOT WANTING TO ASSIST ME EITHER AS A REFUGEE OR AS A HUMAN BEING”

In the last letter from August 22-d, received yesterday, Pr. Lind is writing: “Looks like all is in a bad shape. To say the truth I cannot abandon Spain now with nothing for sure in the future. It would be foolish to sacrifice even a hellish position just to try for a promised land with absolutely no guarantee. This logic of course can be understood only by those who truly suffer exile and persecution”

“This situation is odious. And in fact the world is in such predicament precisely because of the monstrous inhumanism of all those who are boasting most of their humanism, christianism, democracy, etc. How sad that Americans are so inflexible and without heart? “

“If you see Miss Petluck, please ask her to arrange a residence for me SOON ANYWHERE, even if it is in Mexico or Panama or Colombia. I need to live in a peaceful place, where there is just enough freedom to talk aloud and to think about anything I please”

“Well so long. Let it be for sure this year”

Quotation from the letter of Pr. Lind’s secretary, Miss Peurozet:

“I am completely discouraged and depressed by the inhumanity of all the people at the UN and the World Church Service. They are stating that they are helping us. What have they done so far for us? Beautiful words are like wind, which ends by a storm of indignation. If nothing was done in four months, when will they condescend to do something for us?  Mr. Molina has lost his father, but before losing his father he lost a lot of time. We were told that he was under the impression of a great shock, but the least he could do for us was to notify us by a circular of what has been done or not.

“Mr. Molina said that Pr. Lind was not very cooperative, after he spent hours in his home as long as he wanted to stay. We asked him several times if he was satisfied, or if he desired to have more information. It would be so more honest to let us know clearly about his views and decisions. And the worst of all is that he promised us that the latest in a month and a half after his visit, in other words about August l5th, we would have all this case settled. What do we have to think of all this? Everything is so confused and we even are not advised if Mr. Molina forwarded the papers and the application forms that were filled up by Pr. Lind four times and once by myself. -- We were advised to start the visa procedures in the country where the refugee is living. We were here and we started everything more than four months ago. What has happened since?  We have turned around the pot like imbeciles. Why do we have to be made imbeciles? and until when? ... “

Knowing Pr. OM Lind for a great number of years, I can clearly comprehend how discriminated and humiliated he must feel. His whole life was and is a unique and remarquable demonstration of a self effacing dedication to mankind.

It is obvious that our USA Immigration red tape, which in plain English is downright degrading and exasperating, is unconditionally alien to Pr. Lind´s moral integrity and his common sense. Confronting personally this agonizing procedure, he undoubtedly regards it as an affront or an offense in regards to the dignity of a Human Being.

Thanks you for your kindness and whole—hearted desire to assist Prof. OM Lind,

Very sincerity yours

Sophie Berg

Legal President

Universal Religious Alliance and Holy Realm Inc.