Activists have a responsibility to be well-informed about the facts and nuances surrounding a chosen cause or action. Likewise, it is the responsibility of individuals, who add their signature to a document, to be informed of what that signature supports. The petition being signed in front of the Marvin Center last Monday (“Uneducated petitioning,” Oct. 7, p. 4) called on the secular government of Nigeria to deem Shari’ah Law, which is calling for the stoning of Amina Lawal, unconstitutional, as it has in the past. The petition also reminded the Nigerian government that Shari’ah law is inconsistent with the African Charter for Human and People Rights. The Nigerian government is clearly fighting an uphill battle. Amnesty International is requiring that the Nigerian government not give up that fight.

The nature of petitioning is chaotic and rushed, often with individuals concerned only with a brief synopsis of the cause. Though the ability to translate the case effectively may have been marred last Monday by the (thankfully!) busy petitioning table, the information surrounding the details of the case were available on hand, I welcome the opportunity to discuss Amina Lawal’s case with anyone who desires further explanation or conversation. Further, I encourage anyone with questions or concerns to attend an Amnesty meeting or to e-mail [email protected].

-Katie Marts, president, GW Amnesty International
senior