Testimonial letter from Robert T Oskam
This letter is one of a remarkable series of over 2650 letters amassed in 1983 to support Osho's attempt to get permanent resident status in the US at the time of the Oregon ranch. The image is reproduced here with the kind permission of The Oregon Historical Society. Information about their collection of these letters and other supporting material -- the "Jeffrey Noles Rajneesh Collection", named for Osho's immigration lawyer Jeffrey Noles, who compiled them in 1983 and donated them to the OHS -- can be found at this page. The wiki is grateful to the OHS for making access available for these documents. For more information and links to all the letters, see Testimonial letters.
This letter is from Robert T Oskam. It is "Exhibit A-363" in the Noles collection.
The text version below has been created by optical character recognition (OCR), from the images supplied by OHS. It has not been checked for errors but this process usually results in over 99% correct transcription. Most apparent "errors" are correct transcriptions of typos already in the original. The image on the right in the text box links to a pdf file of the original letter, it has 3 pages.
 BOB OSKAM To Whom It May Concern: I wish hereby to add my whole-hearted support to the petition presented the United States Inmigration and Naturalization Service on behalf of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, requesting that he be accorded permanent resident status in this country. I have known of and admired Bhagwan for more than seven years. Indeed, I can honestly say that he has exerted a strong influence in my life during that period - through his teachings recorded on videotape, audio-cassettes, and in books, and through the love and gentle grace of his sannyasins, among whan I count dear friends. I am astonished that the INS entertains any doubt as to the genuine nature of Bhagwan’s work as a teacher and inspiration to thousands in this country, as well as abroad. The devotion of those who follow him is undeniable; their testimony of the changes he has wrought in their lives is eloquent in its simplicity. He exhorts all to a deeper understanding of themselves and an acceptance of others as brothers and sisters to live with in peace. As one seeking to promulgate a message of love and brotherhood, he is in the mainstream of a flow of leaders and visionaries who have placed the stamp of their dreams upon this country - people such as Anne Hutchinson, William Penn, and Roger Williams, to name but a few. HOw can that self-same vision of mutual love and tolerance that spurred those early settlers on these shores have came to represent a threat to governmental order in this century? Does America no longer honor its own historical traditions? Through the influence of Bhagwan, I have became a more happily productive contributor to this society. I have learned from him the courage to trust my own abilities. I have learned from him once again the old lesson taught by Christ, to love my neighbor as myself, which comes only after I have learned to love and accept myself. I am troubled to think that so powerful a teacher of so important a message to all should be in risk of deportation as unsuited for permanent residence in the United States. I urge those who have the disposition of this case in their hands to see the truth and to respond to it with open hearts. For I know that not only am I richer for the experience of Bhagwan in my life, America is richer because he is here. I enclose herewith a copy of my curriculum vitae for reference in the event of any question about my professional qualifications or achievements. [signed] |
(Please note: We assume that the above letter is still copyrighted, but we regard its historical interest to constitute a Fair Use exception for publication in this wiki.)
