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Association of Eritrean Americans Association of Eritrean Americans July 30, 2019 RE: Open Letter to Tiffany Haddish Dear Ms. Tiffany Haddish: The Eritrean-American community has been following your career with great pride! To see one of our own shining in Hollywood after overcoming unmentionable obstacles gives us hope and countless life lessons. Eritrea is a young country and the positive image you show of it is admirable. However, the fact that we celebrate our country, our culture and our diverse community doesn’t mean we should support the brutal dictator, Isaias Afwerki, who has been in power for 28 years. During his reign, he has imprisoned thousands of citizens including journalists, students, artists, politicians, religious leaders, the youth and the elderly. Any Eritrean who voices their concerns about the human rights abuses in the country or who asks for the thousands of Eritreans in prison for over 20 years to have their day in court is thrown into prison indefinitely and never to be heard from again. Consequently, Eritrea is now the only African country without a constitution, a parliament, or a private press. Eritrea is the only country that has experienced mass exodus due to indefinite conscription of youth into national service, also known as the “national slavery.” According to the Global Slavery Index, there are 451,000 Eritreans living in Eritrea under modern slavery. An estimated 10,000 people remain unjustly imprisoned, and the government continues to enforce coercive conscription policies. The full list of abuses is so horrific (including widespread and systematic enslavement and sexual abuse of girls as young as 17 years old) that a UN Commission of Inquiry, which documented the testimonies of hundreds of Eritreans, accused senior government officials at the highest level of committing crimes against humanity. These reasons are why we are appalled by recent reports that you will be attending an event for the few supporters of the Eritrean dictator in the San Francisco Bay Area from August 9 – 11th. These supporters go by the name of PFDJ. They are members of the same group the UN has accused of committing crimes against humanity in Eritrea. We can only assume that you are not aware of the brutal nature of the Eritrean government. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Now that you are aware of the horrors the government inflicts on the people, we urge you not to gather with those who terrorize the Eritrean people and to cancel your attendance. Because you are in a position of power, you have likely gotten the red carpet treatment when you visit Eritrea. The few PFDJ supporters who live in the West also get similar preferential treatment when they visit Eritrea. However, for the majority, life in Eritrea is cruel; particularly for youth who are subject to indefinite national service and young women who receive no protection from the frequent reports of rape and sexual harassment perpetrated by people in positions of power. Ms. Haddish, recently you made a moral decision to cancel your show in Georgia over the state’s abortion law saying “I need to stand with women… I cannot in good faith perform there.” The sexual abuse and enslavement of young girls and women in Eritrea under military officials are well documented. We, Eritreans, urge you to take a similar stand to protect the lives of women and young girls in Eritrea. We urge you to understand and support your people and not be swayed by the deliberate disinformation spread by the dictator. As fellow Eritrean-Americans, we stand ready and willing to provide any information you need that will help you reach an informed decision. We understand the need to connect with your homeland and roots. However, we firmly believe that this cannot be done by cheering for the government that enslaves, disappears, and exiles its citizens. Thank you and we look forward to working with you. Association of Eritrean Americans Bayto Yiakl North America (35 US & Canadian cities) Free Ciham Eritreans Community for Justice – DC Metro Area One Day Seyoum EritreaDigest.com Reclaim Eritrea Bay Area Eritreans for Democratic Change ERISAT – Independent Satellite TV Eritrean Sinit Study Group (ESSG) Network of Eritrean Women .
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