#FreeRaif | How We Can Help Raif Badawi
*See this post in video format here*
Imagine being flogged and thrown in prison... for something you wrote... something you blogged about. That's what happened to Raif Badawi. He's currently in prison in Saudi Arabia, serving a ten year sentence... for blogging about free speech & humanist ideas.
Raif is a Saudi Arabian writer, activist, dissident, and the creator of the website Free Saudi Liberals. “He was arrested in 2012 on a charge of insulting Islam through electronic channels and brought to court on several charges including apostasy. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and 600 lashes in 2013, then re-sentenced to 1,000 lashes and ten years in prison plus a fine in 2014. The lashes were to be carried out over 20 weeks. The first 50 lashes were administered on January 9, 2015. The second set has been postponed eight times” for reasons unknown “but in previous weeks the lashes have been delayed due to Raif's poor health... his wife, Ensaf Haider, has asserted that Raif will not be able to survive it.”
Raif has a family, a wife and three children. These kids are growing up without their father.
Amnesty International has said, “Raif simply championed free speech. This is not a crime; Saudi authorities must release him immediately on these grounds. We are asking Saudi Arabia to quash Raif's conviction and overturn his unjust prison sentence, fine, media and travel ban – and stop flogging him immediately...”
How can we help?
1. You Can Directly Tweet Public Officials About Raif.
According to raifbadawi.org “Saudi Arabia is very sensitive about its public image and international standing. If we target officials publicly, they could be forced to respond and publicly shamed into stopping the flogging.
2. You Can Get Your Government to Pressure Saudi Arabia
By tweeting your government's official accounts. Ask them to get Saudi Arabia to stop the flogging and release Raif now.
3. Contact the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Your Country.
Call them and demand that Raif is not flogged again and that they should release him.
Twitter can be used here as well @SaudiEmbassyUSA @SaudiEmbassyUK.
4. Protest
Demonstrate outside the Saudi Arabian embassy. You can find out through your local Amnesty International office if something is already planned, or organize your own demonstration.
5. Send Supportive Messages to Raif's Family.
They need to know we're supporting them and pushing Saudi Arabia to release Raif.
6. Sign A Petition
There are many online petitions - sign as many as possible.
7. You Can Request Influential Support
There are supportive messages for Raif from influential organizations and individuals. If you have direct contact with any of the organizations or individuals, please ask that they submit a message of support to Raif for publication on Raif's website. They can email these to webmaster@raifbadawi.org.
8. Talk with Experts, Media, and PR Firms About Raif Badawi's Case
You can do this by signing up at Movements.org.
9. Download, Share, Print, and Distribute This Poster.
Raif didn't do anything wrong. He shouldn't have ever even been arrested. He's been in prison for 6 years. I think if we can get enough people to take action, we can get him out. He needs to be with his family. Please help.
We can't lose hope. As long as he's in there, we have to fight for him.
-Sarah
