Restore Medine's Honor, Bring Awareness to the Crime of Honor Killings Across the World & Empower/Embolden Young Women by Providing Educational Scholarships.
The disturbing details of the so called “honor killing” of Medine Memi (16), a young woman from the village of Kahta, Adiyaman in southeast Turkey, that was recently reported in the news, highlight the terrible injustice that young women are exposed to across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. In the case of Medine Memi, she was buried alive by family members after she reported to local police the beatings that her mother, grandmother, and sisters were experiencing. Medine had endured numerous beatings throughout her young life and never received a formal education. In the end, she was killed in a most horrific manner and her family tried to forget she ever existed.
In a recent report on “Ending Violence against Women and Girls” by UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), it was reported that throughout the world, perhaps as many as 5,000 women and girls per year are murdered by members of their own families, many of them for the "dishonor" of having been raped, more often than not by a member of their own extended family. This report states that "honor" killings tend to be more prevalent in, but are not limited to, countries with a majority Muslim population. It adds, however, that Islamic leaders have condemned the practice and say it has no religious basis.
Inspired by the demonstrated belief of “educate a girl, and you educate a community” and by Medine’s courage, Bridge to Türkiye Fund (BTF) has launched a campaign by establishing a MEMORIAL FUND to honor MEDINE's MEMORY and to provide scholarships for young deserving women from her region. The intent of this special fund is to keep her name alive, continually serve as a reminder of the terrible cost of ignorance, and provide educational opportunities for deserving young women. More specifically, our goal for 2010 is to provide scholarships for 20 high school students in need of financial support in Medine’s region.
There will be fundraiser events planned for Medine Memi Memorial Fund, some of which are as follows:
• Fundraiser event in Northern Virginia (February 27, 2010)
• Dunya Kadinlar Gunu in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania (March 19, 2010)
• Facebook Causes - Birthday Fundraiser (March 16, 2010)
• Sunday Turkish Tea-Time in Washington, DC (April 26, 2010)
We invite you to join us in this important campaign and help invest in the lives of these young women. 100% tax-deductible donations can be submitted using the following means:
(1) By submitting a payment directly on this cause page.
(2) By mailing a check with a note in the memo “Medine Memi Memorial Fund” to:
BTF
100 Fox Briar Lane
Cary, NC 27518
(3) By clicking on the “Donate Here” button on the BTF’s homepage: http://bridgetoturkiye.org/modules/donations.
For more information about this project or if you like to organize a fundraiser event for this cause, please send an e-mail to medine@bridgetoturkiye.org OR contact one of the following individuals in your regions:
• Sevda Aleckson – Orange County, CA
• Iffet Ballak - Raleigh, NC
• Michelle Deniz Drousé – London, UK
• Zehra Tuzun Guvener – Seattle, WA
• Sibel Karakus – Leesville, VA
• Necla Sarikaya – Bozeman, MT
We greatly appreciate your support, generosity, and contributions to this worthy cause.
Sincerely,
BTF Medine Memi Memorial Fund Team
Invest in Change...
Bridge to Turkiye Fund
http://www.bridgetoturkiye.org
Note: Source of photo: Hurriyet Gazetesi (Newspaper)
Other Relevant News Sources:
In Turkish:
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/13713441.asp?gid=229
http://www.haberx.com/medine_memi_cinayeti_meclis_gundeminde(17,n,10305678,928).aspx
In English:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8501181.stm
1. Empower and Embolden Rural Girls Through Education!
2. Promote Positive Customs Globally!
3. Fight for Change in Violence Against Women!
4. Promote the Equality of Women!
Discuss the fundraiser