Survivors Motivate Local Students

March 12, 2013


Three women from around the world are telling their stories of persecution, in hopes of motivating students to take a stand in their own lives.

NorthwesternHigh School hosted an assembly to shed light on intolerance and injustice.

There is a student organization called "I Remember" and they bring awareness to the community and school when it comes to standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

Megan Thorpe and Jessie King are two of the students who stand up for those who suffer. They attentively listened as each of the three women spoke.

Three women from three countries, and all are fighting very real battles of survival in different ways.

Marina Nemat is from Iran. At the very age of the crowd she spoke to, she was taken from her home by armed guards, and was sentenced to death, but it was later changed to life in prison because she has participated in protests, and wrote for her school paper about the changed in government.

She was questioned, tortured, and even forced to marry one of her captors and convert to Islam.

That was in two decades ago. She served two years and was finally freed. She now speaks publicly as a free woman, who has turned recurring pain, into motivation. She later converted back to Christianity, which means if she were back in Iran, she would be sentenced to death.

Tanya Khan is an educator from Canada, who is also a practicing Muslim.

She faces discrimination on a regular basis, so she's encouraging students to be proavtive.

She likes to see teens get involved in social justice and humanitarian efforts.

And then there's Antonella Mega from Italy. Her husband is currently jailed in the same prison Marina was in decades ago. He was sentenced to death after a 4 minute trial. His sentence is now life in prison. She's trying her best to have him freed, but the process has been an expensive one. She encourages people to send post cards to the head of judiciary in Iran.

The students from NorthwesternHigh School presented Antonella with a check to help bring her husband home.

If you'd like to hear more, the women will be speaking again tonight at 7 at NorthwesternHigh School.