By Doaa Abdelaal
9th November, 2014
Life is so strange most of the time. It is the 9th of November again… for those who can remember, it was on this same 9th day of November, at night, when the Berlin wall started falling. I was 13 years then, watching it on the screen of our TV and it was a cold night warmed by the spirit of those who were hammering the wall. It was a sign then that when people want freedom nothing will stop them. Tonight I am watching many of those videos again, with Yara’s photo in my mind. The session of her appeal was held today for her three year sentence, and the decision was postponed till December 28th. Her birthday is in two weeks and she will spend it behind bars. She is one of the freedom fighters who are taught that although they can be locked up, things don’t stay that way. She is free wherever she is. Freedom will always be our ultimate goal… Yara, I wish that you are warm and have peace of mind tonight and every night!
A long-time women’s rights activist, Doaa Abdelaal works within Egypt and the Middle East and North Africa region with women and youth groups. Her goal is to enhance the leadership capacity of young women to lead democratic transitions. Ms. Abdelaal’s current work focuses on enhancing the accessibility of women working in politics to resources, connections, and experiences from different regions in the world. She is a board member of Women Living Under Muslim Laws, an international solidarity network that focuses on protecting women’s rights.
