Nine months pregnant and in chains, Haben’s* torturers beat her ruthlessly demanding a $35,000 ransom from her husband. She gave birth in shackles, beside other terrified captives, with only rusty metal to cut the umbilical cord. It’s unbelievable that this is happening in 2014!
Amazingly Haben survived — but she is one of thousands of East Africans who have been abducted by criminal trafficking rings, and tortured in Egypt’s Sinai until their desperate families pay huge ransoms for their freedom. If we can show Egypt’s leaders that this dirty secret is out and damaging the Sinai’s tourism reputation as the ‘Red Sea Riviera’, they could break the trafficking rings, and free these slaves.
Every hour these men, women and children are in captivity is an hour too long. Sign the urgent petition now and forward it to everyone. When we reach 1 million signers, Avaaz will raise a massive media storm to pressure Egypt to act.
*Haben is a pseudonym, but her story is real.
This is Islam where Slavery is allowed and now they have gone as far as asking for ransom from already poor.
NLander,
you may be right but what about these East Africans who are still flocking to this desperate region known as the Middle East like a flock of sheep too dumb to be aware of the coming slaughter! I just don't get it! Why are people not minding the warnings! Call it cold-hearted and a lack of sympathy for my fellow East Africans, but I really think that those who choose themselves to come by this way taking such a risk with their lives bear the primary responsibility for what is happening to them! Already pregnant and still taking to the desert where barbaric Arab moslems lie in wait for you,please!
I think they look at it as a calculated risk. Either you stay in a 3rd world african crap shoot or take your chances of going thru desert or sea with the chance of dying, rape, murder so that maybe you might reach europe or North America or anywhere better. Its the same reason humanity in the beginning left Africa and set out across the globe. In search of a better life.
Although, I will say that its better to make a difference where you are if its possible. But certain cultures/religions are so far gone that reform seems far off to people who would like to try for it. Some people given our already short life spans would rather see some happiness now rather than suffer for something perhaps they or their grandchildren might not even see but perhaps maybe their great grandchildren would.