Redstate

By bamapachyderm Posted in Foreign Affairs — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Many of us frequently lament what often seems to be the relative impotence of the blogosphere. In some cases, though, one person can change the world and save lives from her living room.

You can help fight for freedom and democracy in the Middle East in two clicks of the mouse.

Jane Novak, a 46-year-old stay-at-home mother of two in New Jersey, has never been to Yemen. She speaks no Arabic, and freely admits that until a few years ago, she knew nothing about that strife-torn south Arabian country.

And yet Ms. Novak has become so well known in Yemen that newspaper editors say they sell more copies if her photograph — blond and smiling — is on the cover. Her blog, an outspoken news bulletin on Yemeni affairs, is banned there. The government’s allies routinely vilify her in print as an American agent, a Shiite monarchist, a member of Al Qaeda, or “the Zionist Novak.”

The worst of her many offenses is her dogged campaign on behalf of a Yemeni journalist, Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani, who incurred his government’s wrath by writing about a bloody rebellion in the far north of the country. He is on trial on sedition charges that could bring the death penalty, with a verdict expected Wednesday.

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In 2004, she started her blog, www.armiesofliberation.com, adorned with a Stars and Stripes logo, and soon wrote an article defending Mr. Khaiwani, who was in prison. He wrote her a letter of thanks, addressing it to “Jane Novak, the American journalist and political analyst.”

“Leaders in our region transform into gods,” he wrote. “They even come to believe in their fake holiness, which we aim to shatter, as they know they are humans just like us. Democracy and freedom are not granted by a leader of a regime. It is a worldwide human achievement of all the free people on earth.”

Many bloggers have joined in the current fight for al-Khaiwani's (and other pro-democracy Yemenis') liberation in the last couple of weeks. Mr. al-Khaiwani was arrested in 2007 for "sedition," specifically, "insulting the president." (Yes, you read that right.) He is due for sentencing TOMORROW (Wednesday), so time is quickly running out. Background information is here.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Since the Yemenis have given freedom to the Al Qaeda terrorists responsible for the USS Cole bombing (!), then we should demand they afford the same freedom for people who support democracy.

All we ask is for you to sign a letter that will be sent to Yemen's Ambassador to the US, Yemen's Minister of Human Rights, the Human Rights Officer at the US State Department, the EU Representative to Yemen, and the British Ambassador to Yemen. The text of the letter is as follows and is already written - you are only asked to sign it and stand up for freedom.

I write to protest Yemen's prosecution of journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani, who will be sentenced on May 21 for allegedly "insulting the president."

Al-Khaiwani is an outspoken independent journalist repeatedly targeted by authorities. His newspaper has been closed, his website blocked, and his children threatened. Yemeni and international human rights groups have observed that the charges are simply political retribution and pose a serious threat to Yemen's emerging free press.

Please intervene to ensure Al-Khaiwani goes free and that freedom of expression for all Yemeni journalists is protected.

Go here to sign, PLEASE. Every signature sends a message to the Yemeni government that "the whole world is watching." Put them on notice that America expects better.