ISSUE #19 CONTENTS:
- $10,000 for Dreams: Essay Contest Deadline Looms
- Reading MLK in Cairo: New Comic Book Edition
- Jailed Blogger's Child: “When Will You Come Home?”
- QUIZ: What illegal act is this woman doing on YouTube?
- Become a Partner in CRIME
SPOTLIGHT CASES:
$10,000 for Dreams: Deadline for Civil Rights Essay Contest
Yes, the UN may call the Middle East the "world's least-free region." But what about the dreams of young people who hope for a future of freedom?
The Dream Deferred Essay Contest challenges young people to express and explain their dreams: Why are civil rights important? What can you do to help advance the Mideast's civil rights movement? What could the future look like if this movement is successful?
To encourage young dreamers to answer those questions, there are $10,000 and 50 book prizes waiting to be awarded to outstanding essays. And essays will be reviewed by a panel of celebrity judges, including best-selling authors, veteran activists, and even an MTV star.
But if you want to participate, you have to act fast. This year's deadline is quickly approaching: This Sunday, March 30. To learn more and to submit your essay today, go to http://www.hamsaweb.org/essay. And good luck!
Reading MLK in Cairo: New Comic Book Edition Printed
HAMSA, in conjunction with our parent organization AIC, is proud to announce the release of a groundbreaking Arabic edition of a 50-year-old comic book on Martin Luther King and the power of nonviolence. Several thousand copies were printed just in Cairo, as part of an effort spearheaded by AIC-Egypt Director Dalia Ziada. Copies are now being distributed across the Middle East.
Called "The Montgomery Story," the comic book was published in 1958 and helped inspire the American civil-rights movement in the 1960s. Fifty years later, it has been translated and re-designed by young reformers in the Middle East. It features full-color panels depicting the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a campaign to end segregation on buses in Alabama. The comic book ends with a section on "how the Montgomery Method works," outlining essential techniques of nonviolence.
"Nonviolent activism is needed in the Middle East more than ever," says Ziada, director of AIC-Egypt. Ziada was profiled last Thursday by BBC World Report as a champion of nonviolent reform speaking out against female genital mutilation. "A colorful comic book about a campaign that happened years ago in a far-off country is actually a great way to teach about nonviolence," Ziada explains. "The struggle of Martin Luther King in Montgomery, when he was not even thirty years old, has lessons for young people today in the Middle East."
“Dad, When Will You Come Home?”: Daughter of Jailed Saudi Blogger Speaks
A young Saudi girl is playing a staring role on blogs across the Middle East. Raghad al-Farhan, a 10-year-old from Jeddah, has released a YouTube video message to her father, Fouad, the godfather of Saudi blogging, who has been detained for over 100 days without being charged.
Fouad was arrested in December for criticizing Saudi officials on his blog. After refusing to apologize for what he wrote, Fouad was taken into custody and is being held in solitary confinement. (The Saudi government has the right to detain people for up to six months without trial.) To this day, Fouad’s exact crime has not been released. There is no timeline on his case, no clear charges, and no trial date.
In her video, Raghad speaks to her father directly, explaining how she misses him and wonders when he will be home. Her appeal is interspersed with family home-videos, and the compelling result is being widely circulated on blogs around the world. Indeed, Fouad described his own blog as a way to advocate for a better future in Saudi Arabia for his children, especially his young daughter. To help Raghad’s wish come true, join over 1,600 people in sending a letter to Saudi officials calling for Fouad’s release.
QUIZ: What illegal act is this woman doing on YouTube?
Answer: Driving. In celebration of International Women’s Day, activist Wajehada al-Huwaider hopped behind the wheel of a car in 
Saudi Arabia, the only country on earth where women are not allowed to drive. To document her illegal act, al-Huwaider filmed the crime and posted video on YouTube (click the image of Huwaider to watch the video, which has been viewed over 100,000 times). “I hope that next year, on the next International Women's Day, this ban will have been lifted,” says al-Huwaider.
BECOME A PARTNER IN CRIME:
Here is a list of four quick ways you contribute to the Middle East civil rights movement:
- Forward this alert to friends & encourage them to subscribe.
- Write a letter to help free jailed blogger Fouad Al-Farhan.
- Enter the Dream Deferred Essay Contest on civil rights.
- Apply to participate in HAMSA’s civil rights fellowship program.