A Hero’s Story: The Immigrant, the

Legislator and the Attorney General

By Evelio Silvera

There is something about heroes that captures our attention, sparks our imagination and fills us with hope. As children we may have imagined that we possessed super-human abilities to fight the forces of evil and save the day. Even today we seek to be inspired by amazing stories of heroism told through movies and books. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines a hero as, “a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities; one that shows great courage.” While our definition and mental image of a hero may vary, there is no doubt that the courageous actions of ordinary people have had lasting impacts and heroic consequences. Bassel Marshi may not look like Superman, but his heroism is unquestionable.

The story of Bassel Marshi is one of faith and perseverance; it is a story of how God divinely ordered the steps and relationships of a selfless man who would impact the lives of many.

In Lebanon, Bassel had just come of age in 1983 and instead of serving in a militia he decided to serve as a Red Cross volunteer. Working in the U.S. Embassy with the Red Cross he survived the bombing of the embassy in the spring of 1983. While working in the rubble his picture was captured and printed in TIME Magazine. However, a Muslim photographer also captured a picture of his tireless work after the embassy bombing and delivered it to Bassel with a threatening statement that made it known that he was being targeted after helping and working with the Americans. It was later that year that his courage would truly be shown.

In October, a suicide bomber blew up the Marine barracks and our hero quickly leaped into action. “It was chaos, you would not believe it; there was smoke everywhere and pieces of bodies. Ambulances had come from all over, and people were carrying wounded Marines to the ambulances and to the cars and driving away. I realized that this should not be happening,” explained Bassel in an interview. The dilemma faced during the aftermath was that enemy factions not friendly to the American soldiers or those who sought to help them controlled most of the hospitals and time was of the essence. Bassel shared his expertise of the area and worked tirelessly with Captain Barry Ford, who was the Marine’s Mideast Foreign Area Specialist, to lead groups into safe clinics and hospitals. Mr. Marshi risked his life in the hours and days that followed the bombing and helped save the lives of 16 American Marines. When describing the events after the bombing that saved the lives of so many soldiers, Capt. Ford simply stated in an interview, “we could not have done it without Bassel.”

A short while after the barracks bombing took place, Bassel came to the United States and applied for asylum. It was at this point that his faith would be tested, as applications for work permits and citizenship would be denied by the Immigration and Naturalization Service countless times, including a judgment from a Board of Immigration Appeals that denied what seemed to be a final request and ordered him to be deported.

As with most stories of trials and tribulation among the faithful, Bassel sought the Lord’s assistance and guidance in prayer. Facing deportation and in an unmistakably desperate situation, he asked friends and his church family at the Bible Chapel in south county to pray for him and his situation. Through that prayer one member of the congregation would be led to put Mr. Marshi in contact with a gentleman and political operative named Scott Leiendecker who immediately contacted Missouri State Representative Jane Cunningham in order to assist Bassel politically and delay or end his deportation. Upon hearing Bassel’s story and situation Rep. Cunningham explained, “I can’t believe that we would ever dream of deporting this hero out of our country after he saved the lives of 16 American Marines.” Rep. Cunningham committed to assisting Bassel in anyway she could no matter how much of her own personal political capital would need to be expended to assist in righting this obvious wrong. Rep. Cunningham worked to contact and convince U.S. Senator Christopher Bond and then-Senator Jim Talent to join her in assisting Mr. Marshi in his quest to remain in the country. The fight against deportation was literally a fight for Bassel’s life. A forced return to Lebanon would certainly have put his life in danger after his heroic deeds of helping and saving so many American soldiers’ lives.

As Bassel and those around him, now including Mr. Leiendecker and Rep. Cunningham, continued to pray and seek God’s direction in this matter, Jane and her husband Gary Cunningham, who was working at the U.S. Department of Justice at the time, alerted then-U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft of Bassel’s immigration dilemma. The Justice Department thoroughly investigated all the facts and found that Bassel Marshi did meet the standards for political asylum in this country and the Attorney General in a very rare move granted him that asylum.

Its been a few years since Bassel walked into the federal office building in downtown St. Louis with a document no one there had ever seen, a legal opinion from Attorney General John Ashcroft reversing the earlier decision to deport. Since that glorious day, Mr. Marshi has had the opportunity to thank and share in the glory of this answered prayer with Scott Leiendecker and Rep. Jane Cunningham, who were so instrumental in helping Bassel, but a personal moment of thanks with the Attorney General hadn’t been possible…until recently. Bassel and his wife Holly, who have longed to have the opportunity to thank Mr. Ashcroft in person for saving his life made a surprise visit at a recent event in St. Louis, hosted by Rep. Jane Cunningham to honor Missouri's favorite son, John Ashcroft. The event became the perfect setting to bring them together for that opportunity.

That evening wasn’t a meeting of the Justice League between Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, but there stood a group of heroes nonetheless. Bassel Marshi, Rep. Jane Cunningham and Attorney General John Ashcroft were brought together by divine providence and are shining examples of courage and selflessness.

Evelio Silvera is Executive Director of Casino Watch, a Missouri-based organization solely dedicated to exposing the dark side of gambling. Evelio's professional background includes working in government relations for an international nonprofit organization, investigating Medicaid fraud for the Attorney General of Florida, as well as issue research and representation for a law and lobbying firm. An acclaimed speaker and speechwriter with numerous national and international awards, Evelio works with civic groups to educate the public about the dangers of gambling. With political know-how as well as local and statewide campaign experience, Evelio works closely with elected officials to accomplish legislative goals that protect families from the expansion of gambling. A native of Florida, Evelio resides with his wife Lorri in St. Louis, Missouri.