we here in the u.s. don't hear much about or think much of nigeria...sharia islamic law is the legal framework of the state and violence against women is a continued problem, with gender discrimination standard in both law and practice...the most common kinds of violence against women include sexual and familial violence, genital mutilation, and forced marriage...discriminatory laws regarding divorce and employment make it difficult for women to flee such situations...within this context armed men attacked the wife and children of bari-ara kpalap, a staff member of the movement for the survival of the ogoni people (mosop), on 19 may...amnesty international believes that his life and those of his family may be at risk...
at about 2 a.m. on 19 may, four unidentified armed men broke into the home of bari-ara kpalap in the city of port harcourt in southern nigeria, and entered the room where bari-ara kpalap's children were sleeping...while pointing their guns at the children, the men asked them where their father was...when the children responded that their father was not in the house, the men hit them...
that's right, these armed men hit the children...
when bari-ara kpalap's wife came into the children's room, the men took her at gunpoint to another room where they also hit her, leaving her with bruises and an injury to her leg...the men then left the house, warning that they would be back...the attack was reported to the police but no effective action has been taken so far...
mosop is a community organization that campaigns to ensure that oil companies and the nigerian government address environmental pollution linked to oil exploitation and pay adequate compensation to the oil producing regions...in the oil-rich niger delta, populations remain vulnerable to human rights violations by security and law enforcement officials...community members who protest chevron, shell, and their subcontractors risk collective punishment for their actions...
we can take action to protect the human rights of environmental defenders and their families simply by clicking here...
the ogoni ethnic group, based in rivers state, have been subjected to serious human rights violations in the past in its fight to get compensation for the environmental damage caused by oil companies...in 1995, during the military dictatorship of general sani abacha, ken saro-wiwa and eight other ogoni activists were executed for their work in defense of human rights...you may know of the street named after saro-wiwa in washington d.c...
the ogoni ethnic group, based in rivers state, have been subjected to serious human rights violations in the past in its fight to get compensation for the environmental damage caused by oil companies...in 1995, during the military dictatorship of general sani abacha, ken saro-wiwa and eight other ogoni activists were executed for their work in defense of human rights...you may know of the street named after saro-wiwa in washington d.c...
ten years later, in 2005, the federal government appointed an independent mediator, the reverend matthew h. kukah, to assist the reconciliation between the oil company shell nigeria and the ogoni community...disagreement between different groups representing the ogoni community has lead to recent tensions (including previous death threats to the president of mosop) as to how to deal with the reconciliation process...
we will all continue to drive our carbon based fuel burning vehicles but we can stand up and support those people whose lives and livelihood are threatened by the oil conglomerates and have the courage to fight for the rights of their communities...we do not have to accept that the beating of innocent children and women is the price we pay to drive our lincolns, nissans, chevys, kias, dodges and the like...
please take action on-line now by clicking here...
peace out <3
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