Cartoonist Ali Ferzat's Hands Broken by Assad's Thugs
- by: Care2.com
- recipient: Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
The violence in Syria continues to worsen as President Bashar al-Assad cracks down on anything that remotely resembles dissent. Ali Ferzat, Syria's best known cartoonist, was hospitalized after suffering an attack last Thursday morning. Ferzat was dragged from his car by masked gunmen who beat him severely and broke both of his hands. "We will break your hands so that you'll stop drawing," the gunmen told him, referring to his recent cartoon depicting the Syrian president catching a ride with Gadhafi, suitcase in hand.
This violent episode is only the latest tragedy of Assad's crackdown on his own people, as over 2,000 civilians have been killed and 26,000 detained since protests erupted in January.
Sign this petition to show your support for this brave and battered cartoonist as he continues to heal. We echo Suheir Atassi, the outspoken Syrian activist, who recently wrote, "Ali Ferzat, your innovation will stand in the face of cowardice and hate."
Dear Ms.Clinton:
I am writing to show my support for the embattled Syrian civilians fighting the violence and oppression imposed by President Bashar al-Assad. Faced with mounting international pressure and distancing moves by former allies including Turkey, the Assad regime continues to systematically violate human rights and threaten outside nations with terrorism if they try to intervene.
What remains to be seen is whether protesters have been sufficiently cowed by the last few months of horrific violence, or if they will gain strength from Gadhafi's recent fall and press onward towards regime change.
In a latest example of Assad's brutality, Ali Ferzat, Syria's best known cartoonist, suffered an attack last Thursday morning after drawing a cartoon depicting the Syrian president catching a ride with Gadhafi, suitcase in hand. Ferzat, returning home from a late night hunched over his drawings, was dragged from his car by masked gunmen who beat him severely and broke both of his hands.
Thank you for your efforts to help the Syrian people, and we ask that you would continue to do all within your means to support them in their fight for freedom.
Sincerely,
[your name here]
