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| tags: | #Anti-Slavery International, #Biram Dah Abeid, #human rights, #IRA-Mauritania, #mauritania, #Modern slaves |
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| by: | Deniz Zehra Tavli |
In Mauritania slavery was officially outlawed in 1981 but human rights groups claim it is still widespread. About 4 % out of a total population of 3.8 Million people in Mauritania are enslaved. Slavery in Mauritania is not only a side-effect of general poverty, but basically institutionalized by the society and the authorities. Slaves are tied to their masters not only by tradition and economic necessity, but also by "a misinterpretation of Islam" teaching that slavery is governed by religious law and thus legal.
The greatest anti-slavery activist of Mauritania, Biram Dah Abeid, is imprisoned since November 2014. His believe is that if you raise enslaved people's awareness of the possibility of a life outside servitude, the root problem of slavery is tackled: The freedom of mind is the most basic necessity for a free life.
It is not the first time for Biram Dah Abeid to be imprisoned for his believes and actions. His fight against modern slavery is a thorn in the side of Mauritanian authorities since 13 years, when he started as an active member of NGO "SOS Slaves". Later he founded the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA-Mauritania) and became the initiative's president. He was the Senior Adviser to to the President of The National Commission for Human Rights for continuously voicing slavery issues and won the UN Human Right's Price.
To this day Biram Dah Abeid stands as a symbol for Human Right and their establishment for a just and and free world. Sign this petition and spread it through your channels to support Abeid's mission to end slavery!
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