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<DIV>Dear friends, </DIV>
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<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><A
href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Somalia_No_Authority_to_Rape/?bACwhbb&v=22218"><IMG
border=0 src="http://avaazimages.s3.amazonaws.com/somalirefugees.jpg"
width=200></A></DIV><BR>I wrote a story about <B>a young Somali woman
brutally gang-raped by government soldiers</B>, hoping that her bravery in
telling such a painful story would bring attention to the awful rape
problem there. Instead, the government used my article to <B>jail a rape
victim for ‘insulting the state’!</B> Now I'm asking all of us to stand
together to <B>end the epidemic of rape by security forces. Click below to
join me:</B> <BR>
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href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Somalia_No_Authority_to_Rape/?bACwhbb&v=22218"><IMG
border=0 alt="Sign the petition"
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<DIV><BR><BR>My name is Laila and I'm a journalist. <B>I recently wrote a story
about a young woman brutally gang-raped by government soldiers in Somalia</B>,
hoping that her bravery in telling such a painful story would bring attention to
the awful rape problem there. Instead, <B>the government used my article to jail
a rape victim</B> and another journalist covering the story for ‘insulting the
state’! <BR><BR>Rape is horrific, but to be raped when the only authorities you
can turn to for justice are your rapists -- it's the most crushing
powerlessness. <B>But together I think we can bring her hope</B>. That's why I
started a global petition on the Avaaz site, because <B>Somalia's government
depends heavily on financing from other governments, so the international
community can press them</B> to stop the cover up and bring real reforms to end
the epidemic of rape by security forces. <BR><BR>Our call for change could
really work, but it needs to be big. <B>UN envoy Zainab Bangura has told us that
she will directly deliver our petition to donor countries and Somalia's
President</B>. Help by signing and forwarding this email -- let's show these
women that they're not alone, and that no one has the authority to rape them:
<BR><BR><A
href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Somalia_No_Authority_to_Rape/?bACwhbb&v=22218">http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Somalia_No_Authority_to_Rape/?bACwhbb&v=22218</A>
<BR><BR>The brave young woman was <B>accused of fabricating her own rape</B> by
government officials before she even got a trial. Then, the judge refused to
hear witnesses or accept medical evidence proving that she was raped. And
<B>she’s not alone: I’ve interviewed too many women who live in constant fear of
getting shot or raped, often by the very people charged with protecting
them.</B> <BR><BR>But <B>there is hope for Somalia like never before</B>. In
just 18 months, it has approved a new constitution, selected a new president,
and is finally winning its war against extremists. <B>President Hassan Sheikh
Mohamoud is in a position to act to protect women from his own armed forces, if
we together give him a big reason to crack down on this state violence.</B>
<BR><BR>This innocent rape survivor and Abdiaziz Abdinur, the journalist who
spoke to her, are facing a year in jail! Funders hold the key to changing the
way Somalia's own soldiers and security forces treat women. <B>Sign now and
forward this email to help grow a call big enough to change Somalia forever:</B>
<BR><BR><A
href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Somalia_No_Authority_to_Rape/?bACwhbb&v=22218">http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Somalia_No_Authority_to_Rape/?bACwhbb&v=22218</A>
<BR><BR>The Avaaz community has fought courageously to stop the war on women
across the world. Last month, more than 1 million of us signed a petition
calling for justice and real change in India after the tragic death of a rape
victim in Delhi, and received encouraging signs from top government ministers
that they were heeding our call. Now, we can bring that people power to Somalia
and set the country on a new course. <BR><BR>WIth hope and determination,
<BR><BR>Laila Ali, with the Avaaz team <BR><BR><I>*Laila is a British-Somali
journalist based in Nairobi</I> <BR><BR>PS: This petition was started on Avaaz's
new Community Petitions Site. It's quick and easy to start a petition on any
issue you care about, click here: <A
href="http://avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?22218">http://avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?22218</A>
<BR><BR>MORE INFORMATION: <BR><BR>I'm shocked that my reporting on rape in
Somalia has led to the jailing of an alleged victim and a journalist (The
Guardian)<BR><A
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/05/jailing-somali-women-rape-affront-justice">http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/05/jailing-somali-women-rape-affront-justice</A>
<BR><BR>Somalia: Woman Alleging Rape, Journalist Convicted (HRW)<BR><A
href="http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/05/somalia-woman-alleging-rape-journalist-convicted">http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/05/somalia-woman-alleging-rape-journalist-convicted</A>
<BR><BR>Journalist arrested for interviewing reported rape victim (CPJ)<BR><A
href="http://www.cpj.org/2013/01/journalist-arrested-for-interviewing-reported-rape.php">http://www.cpj.org/2013/01/journalist-arrested-for-interviewing-reported-rape.php</A>
<BR><BR>Somalia: Free journalist, others linked to rape allegation (HRW)<BR><A
href="http://www.hrw.org/node/112472">http://www.hrw.org/node/112472</A>
<BR><BR>In meeting with Somali President, Clinton should stand up for rape
victims (New York Times Blog)<BR><A
href="http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/in-meeting-with-somali-president-clinton-should-stand-up-for-rape-victims/">http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/in-meeting-with-somali-president-clinton-should-stand-up-for-rape-victims/</A><BR><BR>Somali
government to tackle rape cases (Al Jazeera)<BR><A
href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/02/20132315946687205.html">http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/02/20132315946687205.html</A><BR><BR><BR><BR><IMG
border=0 src="http://open.avaaz.org/act/open/2533557877.gif"><BR></DIV>
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