As a community, we are considered a village that stands for justice and demands wrongs be righted. Our sister (Seattle, WA resident) has been severely wronged and is calling on us for help. We are a community that supports one another to fulfill human rights and ensure that our families are safe from incidents like these. Please open your hearts to our sister in need and help in any way you know. Below is her story through the vital support of a fellow concerned friend. We urge you to be a part of relieving a person in affliction as our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “If anyone relieves a Muslim believer from one of the hardships of this worldly life, Allah will relieve him of one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection” - Muslim

We are writing this letter on behalf of a Somali-American mother Farhiyo Jama in dire need of us to stand up for her now. Our sister is a recent victim of domestic violence, a traumatized mother-to-be with only a few days left to deliver, and a sole struggling provider of 7 young children under 18. We are writing to advocate for her and her children with a call to bring awareness to her struggle because they mirror so many other women's struggles. We also want to address the impending danger silence has on these kinds of cases in specific communities. Lastly, through our efforts, we hope to gain your support and assistance in coming to the aid of one who has been oppressed.

On July 13th, 2022, our Somali sister and her now ex-husband, who shares four young children and an unborn child, had an argument. The confrontation resulted in him attacking her with a glass bottle. He hammered the bottle into her face multiple times, causing her to faint from the impact, leaving irreversible damage to her left eye, and she is now completely blind in her left eye. After committing the act right before all of her children, he escaped from the scene and sought shelter inside other homes with community members. Some community members granted him refuge for approximately three months while police searched for him. No one spoke up or provided information to the police about his whereabouts. Some believed the crime did not warrant drastic measures such as holding the offender accountable for his actions through the court. The mother's life, the state of her unborn child and the irreparable trauma it has brought to her children were not enough for anyone to call the police and report him. In the end, after living with the terror of his sudden return to their lives, he was thankfully placed into police custody but was quickly released on bond.

Our sister attempted to plead with the community for help when he was missing. She called for everyone to stand up for her. However, astonishingly throughout the days following the attack, she was overewhelmed by the support and help she recieved from the somali community here in Washington State. However, she also found that some people sided with her ex-husband. Demands were made for her to forgive him because he was the father of her children. They implored her to practice patience in the face of the trial and seek reward from God. However, as a people with religion and morals, we can all agree that even Allah teaches us to practice justice. This man's actions are inexcusable. The cultural concept that a man's mistakes need to be overlooked and that a good woman is forgiving will lead many mothers and daughters to place their lives in jeopardy. The scale needs to be balanced, not in favor of one gender over the other. Women should be treated with kindness, respect and dignity. After July 13th, our sister's life changed for the worst, and her children's lives will never be the same.

After sharing her story and raising awareness, we hope to prevent such situations from occurring again. Our other concern is raising enough funds to cover her immediate and extreme expenses. Your generous donations will help her pay for shelter and treatment to address the whole family's trauma and other financial burdens. It will also allow her to pay off her outstanding medical expenses and pay for follow-up treatments for her affected left eye. She is heavily pregnant and due on November 30th, 2022. Her newborn child's expenses will also be covered through your donations.