A MESSAGE "As darkness falls over the skies of Arabia, innocence is shattered when children lie next to their deceased parents. Life for them is wandering the streets--dodging the bullets as they pick food out of the garbage. "

WHEN I WAS APPROACHED
with this project and asked if I would be interested in helping out, I realized that it was exactly what I needed to finally lift me out of the oblivious and uncomfortable blur that had become my life. I had always meant to inform myself of the events of the world and concern myself with the suffering of fellow Muslims from one expanse of the globe to the next, but somehow it always remained at the end of my priority list. I would have sudden revelations concerning my level of ignorance and would also make attempts to rectify it, but when faced with endless massacres and general acts of persecution, I found it easier to abandon the attempt and retreat back into my suburban life. It has finally dawned on me that denying reality is simply a cowardly, pathetic and criminal way of advancing through life.

All of us have heard and probably even used that statement whose gist is that being a silent witness to a crime is comparable to being the actual criminal, but how many of us actually apply this to our lives? If we take a moment to seriously ponder this thought, it becomes blazingly obvious that we are a society composed mostly of educated criminals. I say educated in order to include those that do take the time to inform themselves, for what good is knowledge or awareness if it is merely passive? It only allows you to proclaim, "I was fully aware that this heinous act occurred". What is necessary is for this to evolve into, "I was aware and took the time to care".

Oppression.org has been designed as a means of directing desperately needed attention to a variety of stories. Our goal is to raise awareness on issues that are often times ignored because they concern a people and place that, to some, seem so foreign. This is necessary because to limit sympathy to only those who share a common language or culture only breathes life into the cycle of oppression. With this thought in mind, Oppression.org gives voice to people across the world that must fear daily for both their lives and those of their families. For the sake of humanity, we have a duty to make their suffering known.

Hina A.
Co-Founder
hina@oppression.org