Mom Blog Crusade From The Living Room

Check out this great story in the New York Times. This is a story about a homemaker mom blogger and her fight for a Yemeni journalist's life. Jane Novak who knows (or at least when she started knew) nothing about Arab culture or language. She is a stay at home mom (wish I was) who has become such a popular person in Yemen that the papers sell more copies when her face is on the cover. Her outspoken blog on Yemeni affairs is banned there because the government officials have dubbed and villified her "An American Agent, A Shiite monarchist, a member of Al-Qaeda or "the Zionist Novak." She has been targeted by the Yemeni government largely because of her fight for the life and freedoms of journalist Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani. He is on trial for writing a story about a bloodbath in the northern part of the country and he is a supporter of freedom and democracy. Novak has worked hard in his defense contacting politicians from both the U.S. and Yemen, human rights activists and journalist from around the globe. She has a petition for al-Khaiwani's freedom. The penalty for his crime is usually death and the verdict is expected tomorrow. Novak and Khaiwani have become friends despite the language barrier because he wrote her to thank her for her fight on his behalf and the letter touched her so deeply it prompted her to fight further. He addressed his letter to Jane Novak the American journalist and political analyst. She didn't have the heart to tell him she was just a stay at home mom who agreed with his point of view and supported his freedom until much later because she did not want to make him lose hope. When she finally told him the truth about herself he said he became even prouder of her and her work. The story touched me a bit so perhaps it will touch you too.

New York Times homemaker mom blogger fight Yemeni journalist life Jane Novak Arab culture language outspoken villified freedom Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani writing democracy politicians activists globe petition death verdict friends hope proud