User:Loulii/Hind Al-Eryani

Hind Al-Eryani is a journalist, writer activist who is known for opposing issues in the Middle East and lead campaign to fight against them such as women's rights, LGBTQ community, peace in Yemen and pushes for the discontinuation of khat because of its negative consequences.

Hind also advocates for the rights of children. including gender minorities.

Hind not only advocates for general political, cultural topics, but also fought and helped specific individuals in specific situations. The activist took part in the Houthis rebels captivation of the six individuals because of their association with the Bahai's. She also confronted an eight year old child's rapist in Turkey. Fighting against it was challenging, since she received death threats because she demanded for the arrest of the Sheikh that defended the rapist. Moreover, she also accused the Reuter's reporter "Mohammed Saddam" for working privately for the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, urging for his removal.

In 2017, she won the Arab Woman of the Year Award for Achievement in Public Awareness.

Hind also encountered multiple challenges with issues in seeking asylum in Sweden after she was obliged to move from Turkey due to death threats and the issue that occurred with the Sheikh. Her advocacy ensued controversies and oppositions which endangered her's and her daughter's well-being. She also received criticism in defending the LGBTQ community in the Arab world, especially after publishing her article :"Why fear Homosexuals". However, she stays persistent and continues to use her voice to raise awareness on the injustices that the community faces.

Hind studied both in Yemen and Lebanon and has a degree in Computer science from Sana's University and a master's in business administration from the American University for Science and Technology.

Early Life and Education
Jibla was a town in Yemen that had a Muslim queen ruler and it is where Hind Al-Eryani was birthed. The fact that it was the only town that had a woman as ruler inspired Hind's mindset on feminism and women empowerment. Hind pursued her studies first in Yemen and then in Lebanon, where her father held the title of a diplomat at the Yemeni embassy of Beirut. In Yemen, she majored in Computer Science at Sana's University and then she furthered her education by completing a master's in business administration at the American University for Science and Technology.

The activist got married at twenty years old, however her marriage ended in a divorce in 2005 because of the disrespect she experienced from her husband which led to an unhappy marriage. The family parted ways after her father passed away, as they chose different countries to reside in. Hind decided to travel to Turkey while her sister and mother moved to Sweden. One of the reasons she chose to live in Turkey was because of its flexibility in allowing her to participate in campaigns in which she was part of, however she then encountered problem in Turkey which obliged her to move to Sweden with her daughter.

Peace in Yemen
In 2016, Hind advocated for peace in Yemen by leading a campaign for this matter. The talks around the campaign happened in Kuwait due to the country's endorsement for Yemeni people and it was named "Do not return without peace". Despite the campaign receiving attention from Yemeni people across the world as well as its recognition from the UN special Envoy, the politicians did not contribute to the same support. In result, the Kuwait talks fell short and Hind took it as betrayal of the Yemeni community.

Release of the six individuals
In 2020, Hind commenced her attempt to liberate the six individuals who were held captive by the Houthis rebels in Yemen. In order to secure the release, she worked closely with UN special envoy Martin Griffiths and Houthis leaders.

Shame on Reuters
Hind led a campaign called “Shame on Reuters” in aim of a more objective news coverage. She called for the removal of the Reuter's reporter named “Mohammed Saddam” after discovering his close ties with the government. Therefore, she initiated the campaign in recognization of the journalist's connections to the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s by being his personal reporter and translator. Moreover, the activist attempted to not reveal her identity in interviews and kept a low profile while participating in the campaign due to her contribution with the UN and her obligation to keep a neutral political stance.

Against Khat
Khat is a drug like substance that is highly used by the people in Yemen. The drug has many negative consequences on the economy, water and agriculture. Therefore, Hind led a campaign in which it effectively reached a large audience, to fight against its consumption. She confronted the Yemeni parliament in taking necessary actions and adopting a strategy that she proposed. Despite the strategy being rejected two times by the parliament, since some politicians were involved in investing in lands that grew khat, with the help of the national dialogue it was approved and included it in the draft of the new constitution 2015.

Defending LGBTQ in the Arab world
Hind wrote articles on Homosexuality and defended it as she contradicts the automatic judgments associated with it. She is the first activist to talk about the matter and managed to get the UN to write on the Yemeni LGBTQ community. She talks about the abuse and injustices that the community faces and how dangerous it is to be part of the community not only in Yemen but in Arab countries generally, defending their rights as human being and emphasizing on the fact that being part of the community is not a violation. The activist also speak up on the accusations on her sexuality and emphasizes on the fact that it is not a negative accusation, yet a regular claim. She questions the intentions of Arab societies in not treating the community like others and highlights the normality of being homosexual.

Achievements

 * "Why don't men cover their faces?" is the most successful article she wrote, since it was reached by a broad audience. Not only it has been redrafted in five different languages, but it was published in multiple online platforms.
 * In 2017, she won the Arab Woman of the Year Award for Achievement in Public Awareness. On Thursday, November 30th the activist was awarded by the Regent’s University London on behalf of the London Arabia Organization, in cooperation with the Mayor of London during a grand ceremony.

Challenges and Criticism
Hind Al-Eryani's advocacy resulted into menaces from opposers in Turkey which obliged her to travel elsewhere due to the lack of safety in the country. She travelled to Sweden with her daughter where they both received a residency in there. The threats began when she opposed an influential Sheikh for defending a child's rapist. This provoked her decision to move from Turkey, for her safety and the safety of her daughter as the threats were deteriorating. Hind encountered challenges with hers and her daughter's asylum when they weren't granted with it as she emphasizes the fact that she feels unsecured in Sweden.

Hind faced cyber critiques for defending the LGBTQ community and advocating for their rights in Arab countries, especially after the release of her article on homosexuality.