In 24 hours, honour
killings will have the global spotlight at the Oscars! Over 900,000
have already joined the call to end this crime -- sign now -- let's
get to one million.
For marrying the man
she loved, Saba’s father shot her in the head,
stuffed her in a bag and dumped her in a river, and
Pakistani law on "honour killings" allowed him to walk
away free! But Saba survived, and her story is now an
Oscar-nominated documentary. With the Oscars 24
hours away, the Pakistani Prime Minister has
promised to change the law, but activists fear it
won't happen without a massive surge of global pressure.
Sign the petition to end this hideous law and share
now before we lose this moment:
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Dear friends across the world, For
marrying the man she loved, Saba’s own father shot her in
the head, stuffed her in a bag, and dumped her in a river.
Then he walked free because of a loophole in Pakistani law
that allows men to commit so-called "honour killings". But,
incredibly, Saba survived and she has created a ray of hope to
finally stop these outrages! We have 24 hours days to
help her.
Saba’s story
is now an Oscar-nominated documentary, and it’s all over the
news. In response, the Pakistani PM just promised to end
these heinous crimes, and sources say he's
instructed his daughter Maryam to be part of
the reform process. But activists fear that the bill will
only be passed if the Oscar buzz is massive and public
pressure is sustained.
Let’s urgently get 1 million of
us behind a reform
bill before the Oscars
tomorrow to ensure Saba’s story has the global
spotlight, and then deliver it directly to the Prime Minister
to help him push for a strong law. Sign and share with
everyone, before we lose this moment:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/pakistan_end_honour_killing_loc_rb/?bUSymfb&v=73395&cl=9563168058Around
the world a woman is killed every 90 minutes in an honour
crime. Although Pakistan passed a law in 2004 against
these murders, 70% of perpetrators in Pakistan walk free
because of a “forgiveness” loophole in the law. If a
woman is seen to bring “shame” on her family by refusing to
enter an arranged marriage, looking too long at a boy, or even
being raped, a man is free to kill her as long as another
family member forgives him! There is a nobility in
communities that value and protect their honour. But these
killings are not about honour, they are about seeing women as
property. And the forgiveness loophole protects that right
to own and kill women and girls.
A bill was tabled to eliminate this
"forgiveness" clause, but it died without a powerful member of
the ruling party to champion it. The Prime Minister, who
has never before acted on this, has promised legal reforms to
stop these crimes and involved his daughter, who
is considered the heir to her father’s political party.
But there will be push-back and experts say only global
attention can give Saba, Maryam, and women’s rights activists
across Pakistan the backing they need to change the system.
We
have 24 hours to make
sure the Pakistani Parliament feels the world is
watching and we won’t go away until "forgiveness"
for honour killings is finally removed from Pakistan’s
law. Let's make sure attention to Saba’s story at the
Oscars is massive, and then take our call to
Pakistan. Sign and share now to get the word out
everywhere: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/pakistan_end_honour_killing_loc_rb/?bUSymfb&v=73395&cl=9563168058
We can make it happen. When teenager Malala
Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban, the world was outraged. In
response, nearly 1 million of us called on the Pakistani
government to fulfill her dream of education for all. After
our petition was delivered directly to the Pakistani
President, he launched a stipend programme for 3 million
children. This is what happens when we come together! Let’s
stand with the brave women of Pakistan now to help them create
laws that protect them, cultures that defend their dignity,
and communities that support their right to choose their own
destinies. With hope and
determination,
Nell,
Alaphia, Ari, Dalia, Ricken, Luis, Ben and the rest of the
Avaaz team
MORE INFORMATION: Human
rights group reports rise in 'honour killings' in Pakistan
(UPI) http://www.upi.com/UPI-Next/2015/06/25/Human-rights-group-reports-rise-in-honor-killings-in-Pakistan/51429857038598/ Her
father shot her in the head as an 'honour' killing (New York
Times) http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/opinion/sunday/her-father-shot-her-in-the-head-as-an-honor-killing.html?_r=0&referer=https://www.google.com/Crime
and punishment in Pakistan (Vice News) https://news.vice.com/video/crime-and-punishment-in-pakistan-extra-scene-from-the-kohistan-story-killing-for-honorPakistan
PM Nawaz Sharif terms honour killing a 'stain on country'
(NDTV) http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pakistan-pm-nawaz-sharif-terms-honour-killing-a-stain-on-country-1277658PM
Nawaz Sharif vows to eradicate honour killings after Oscar nod
(The Express Tribune) http://tribune.com.pk/story/1027967/pm-nawaz-vows-to-eradicate-honour-killings-after-oscar-nod/Senate
unanimously passes 3 rights bills (The Nation) http://nation.com.pk/national/03-Mar-2015/senate-unanimously-passes-3-rights-billsThe
case of Saba Qaiser and the film-maker determined to put an
end to 'honour' killings (Guardian) http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/feb/14/sharmeen-obaid-chinoy-interview-saba-qaiser-honour-killing-documentary-girl-river-oscar-nomination
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