National Black –
I am writing urgently to ask for your help to save my mother, Souad Al-Shammary, who was thrown in Saudi Arabian prison on October 28 for speaking out for women's rights in our country.
My mother is my role model and my hero, the bravest person I've ever known. She was the first female lawyer in Saudi Arabia to present a case in court. In Saudi Arabia, women aren't even allowed to drive. My mother continues to speak out against the government even though religious militants have threatened to kill her.
Now that they have her in prison, I'm terrified they'll make good on that threat.
There are widespread reports of activists like my mother being beaten or even killed in Saudi prisons, so time is of the essence – we must build tremendous international pressure to free her, and we must do so right now.
My mother was not always an activist. When I was 7 years old, my father took me away from my mother and sent me to live with my grandmother 100 km away. This was totally legal for him to do. My mother was angry and devastated, and she swore she would do anything to bring me home. Her fight to regain custody of me was what opened the door in her life to fighting for freedom for all Saudi people.
So you see, this is why I can never stop fighting to free my mother – because she never stopped fighting for me. She's been fighting for all of our Saudi brothers and sisters who suffer in terror and silence ever since. None of us will abandon her now. But we need your help to save her.
Petitions on Change.org have helped my country before – a few years ago, a petition even convinced Hillary Clinton to speak out for Saudi women's right to drive.
Thank you, and assalamu alaikum. Peace be with you.
Sarah Al-Shammary
Saudi Arabia
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