Articles of the Month

Are you thankful that you can save lives?

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Many of us will be gathering with friends and family to enjoy a meal. We will also be recalling the many things we have to be grateful for - our families, our friends, our good health, and much more. But how many of us will say that we are thankful just to be alive? Probably not many of us.

I would like to tell you now about a Nigerian woman named Amina Lowal. You may have heard about her already. She was convicted of adultery in August of this year for having a baby out of wedlock. In northern Nigeria, this is a crime punishable by death, according to Shari'ah law (laws that are based on the Qu'ran, which is the Islamic holy book). Her lawyer appealed the sentence, but he lost. Even though her sentence "is incompatible with the Nigerian constitution and also with Nigeria's legal obligations under international human rights law and the African Charter for Human and People Rights" according to Amnesty International, she is set to be stoned to death after her daughter has been weaned.

Miss Lowal is still alive, but time is running out. I urge you to put yourself in Miss Lowal's shoes. Imagine being absolutely terrified at the thought of your own execution, and desperate to find someone who would care for your infant daughter. Would you not want someone to reach out to help you?

You CAN help, and all it takes is two minutes, and a few simple mouse clicks. Go to Amnesty USA to join Amnesty International's letter writing campaign to save Amina Lowal. The letter is already written for you; you can personalize it if you wish, and fill in your name and mailing address. That's all it takes. I did it, and you can too. If enough of us all work together, we will save her life. That knowledge alone is one more reason for me to be thankful this year - thankful that I was able to help save a young mother's life. Won't you join me?