---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Haby mint Rabah with Avaaz <avaaz@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2015 17:56:39 -0400
Subject: My saviour in chains
To: "carjar82@xxxxxxxxx" <carjar82@xxxxxxxxx>
Dear Avaaz members around the world,
I became a slave at age 5. Every day I looked after the herd. Every
night I was raped by my master. I always thought, without
understanding, that this was normal.
In Mauritania, where I’m from, hundreds of thousands of people are
still held this way today. But I was lucky. My brother escaped his
masters and found an organisation working to stop slavery. He asked
them to help free me. But when they came to take me away, at first I
completely refused. I couldn’t imagine a life away from my masters, a
life where you worked no matter what, even if pregnant or giving
birth. This was the only life I had ever known.
The man who came for me, and who has dedicated his life to freeing
others like me, is now behind bars for daring to speak out against
slavery. But in seven days there is a court appeal and he could be
released. If hundreds of thousands of people around the world speak
out for Biram Dah Abeid, we can break his chains so he can continue
helping others break theirs. Join me now:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?blJLibb&v=63397
The slave-owning elites have poured on the pressure to keep the status
quo, but opinions are starting to change. And I believe our President
can be influenced -- under intense pressure, he's released political
prisoners before, including Biram himself. Please join me now to free
him again.
<a
href="https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?blJLibb&v=63397";>https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?blJLibb&v=63397</a>
With thanks and hope,
Haby mint Rabah with the Avaaz team
Note from Avaaz:
Mauritania has the worst slavery problem on the planet. Today, up to
20% of the entire population are slaves. They are born into it or sold
to masters, abused, raped and exploited. And like the historic trade,
this slavery is racist -- almost all slaves are African Haratin.
Mauritania was the last country in the world to abolish slavery, and
it only became a crime in Mauritania in 2007. Despite it being
illegal, and Mauritania having an Anti Slavery Act and a roadmap to
end slavery, just one slave master has been successfully prosecuted.
Those that challenge this illegal cruel practice are detained and
tortured. Biram has fought slavery his whole life -- he’s received
prestigious prizes from the UN and recently ran for president of
Mauritania. But the government has denied the organisation he leads
any legal recognition, and now thrown him in jail for two years just
for speaking publicly.
With just seven days until the appeal, let's answer Haby's call,
demand Biram’s release, and build the largest 21st century call for
abolition by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter -- everywhere:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mauritania_anti_slavery_biram_loc_dn/?blJLibb&v=63397
MORE INFORMATION
Biram Dah Abeid Still Imprisoned: Latest Developments (UNPO)
http://unpo.org/article/17712
Mauritania: Jailed presidential candidate and anti-slavery activists
must be released (Amnesty International)
https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2015/01/mauritania-jailed-presidential-candidate-and-anti-s...
Joint Motion for a Resolution on Mauritania, in particular the case of
Biram Dah Abeid (European Parliament)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+MOTION+P8-RC-2014-0382+0+DOC+XML+V0...
"Pour les maîtres, violer les esclaves est un droit" (Le Nouvel
Observateur - French)
http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/monde/20141214.OBS7863/pour-les-maitres-violer-les-esclaves-est-un-dr...
Le combat contre l'esclavage en Mauritanie récompensé par l'ONU (RFI - French)
http://www.rfi.fr/mfi/20131227-mauritanie-biram-ould-dah-ould-abeid-prix-esclavage-nations-unies-dro...
Mauritanie: quand la question de l’esclavage s’invite à la
présidentielle (Afrique Décryptages, Ifri - French)
https://afriquedecryptages.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/mauritanie-quand-la-question-de-lesclavage-sinvi...
Forty years a slave: women start new lives in Mauritania (IRIN)
http://newirin.irinnews.org/female-slaves-mauritania-photo-feature/Avaaz.org
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