3 Days Left To Help Maryland Trafficking Victims

Two weeks ago, Maryland police entered a Baltimore hotel room to find a 19-year-old woman held against her will and violently forced into prostitution by East Coast pimp Edward Perkins.

Who knows how much money Perkins made forcing this teenager to have sex with paying customers, but thanks to a glaring loophole in Maryland law, the victim won't see a dime of it.

In this case, an asset forfeiture law would mean that the money Perkins earned from selling his victim on Backpage.com – even if he used it to buy cars, jewelry, or other assets – can be used to help his victims seek counseling, pay legal fees, and find housing.

In addition to being left without financial help, the young woman won't have any prostitution convictions removed from her record, despite being a victim of sex trafficking. That's because Maryland doesn't expunge convictions for trafficked people.

Two proposed bills in the Maryland legislature would address these serious issues, and the first committee vote is scheduled for this week -- if it fails, the bills likely won't pass until 2012 at the earliest.

HB 418 would allow Maryland to seize the profits from human traffickers and use that money to aid law enforcement and victim service providers, thus removing the financial burden of fighting human trafficking from Maryland taxpayers. SB 327 would allow the courts to order traffickers to pay their victims restitution and reverse commercial sex convictions for all human trafficking victims.

Tell the Maryland legislature to pass HB 418 and SB 327 before Friday's vote comes and goes. Victims of trafficking are depending on us:

http://www.change.org/petitions/marylanders-please-help-bring-human-trafficking-to-an-end-in-maryland?alert_id=aTMKFNKkTW_JoiZaZGCVC&me=aa

Angelina Feels Uncomfortable on her Visit to Pakistan

I just got an email from a friend...It is an article, which is as follows:

Angelina Jolie Not Happy With Her Visit to Pakistan 

By Z.Rehman - Bangkok Post

The philanthropist, soft-hearted world’s number one female actress, Angelina Julie is not at all happy with her visit to Pakistan to see the flood victims. She came here, held the hands of the victims, made donations, stood up with the miseries of the people, denied any photo sessions, met with the aid agencies, but then she talks about the darker side of the things.

 

She is not happy with the attitude of the authorities and the government, who were more interested in toeing her line, watching her make movements, trying to please her while pushing the flood victims. She was also perturbed at the Prime Minister’s wish that his family wanted to meet her. Prime Minster’s family was especially flown down all the way from Multan to Islamabad and they presented expensive gifts to Jolie and had a sumptuous meal with her.

 

She said that she was feeling awful at that time to see so much food at the table, suffice for hundreds of flood victims who were fighting like crazy to get a small bag of flour and a small bottle of water. She was ill at ease when she saw the interior of lavish Premier house and some of the government buildings and the chartered planes and other such luxuries, when there was so much misery outside.

 

In her report to the United Nations, she has recommended UN to ask Pakistani government to first cut down on their expenses and to first cut down their luxuries before asking the aid from the world.

Lamhai-e-Fikria

To begin with I am glad that the two boys Muneeb and Mugheez were declared as innocent by the court. At least, the boys are given back their respect and honor, which influential thugs and liars with no principles or character tried to dishonor. And now I look forward to some just justice. May the demented barbarians get the punishment. Perhaps, in this case God is truly with His innocent two humans who were brutally murdered. Otherwise, in a country where everything is going wrong from top to bottom, it is rare and surprising to see such a thing.

My friend said, he goes to PAF Base often after Iftari to help. Volunteers are few and the numbers are shrinking. However, he himself who helps and goes out of the way as a true Pakistani and Muslim to help the flood victims says the IDPs are behaving in a weird way. They don't move their ass to help themselves and want everything to be done for them. I understand they lost everything. They don't want to do anything for themselves. I don't want to be too harsh here...I just see a very fixed mindset from top to the bottom. And we tend to be indifferent to these things. We ignore it all. But this has all led to this mess.

Similarly, I was hearing this show on radio. The host taking live calls and talking to people about their views on Pakistan and what is happening these days. Even last night, Lahore witnessed bomb blasts at a religious procession and firing in Karachi. Again people died. Some more lives lost, many left behind in pain and hopelessness. The host was down and upset. He said rightly that it seems like we are running in a tunnel and we can see the light at the end of it but we are not sure how long is this tunnel. Besides, it is true we don't know when will it all stop. Many callers said, it is our fault as humans. We need to mind our business and correct ourselves but we focus more on disturbing others. Some people blamed the authorities, which is typical, but then again it was pointed out that true we don't know what the authorities want...but do we know what we want? The host was Saher Lodhi :) Many people hate him...but I agree with many things he say at times when he is serious.

USA has stopped giving student visas to Pakistanis now in light of everything that's happening or because they can't help being biased and typical.

People are loving how beautiful Angelina Jolie is helping flood victims and not doing much themselves. I have seen many actors tweet about helping Pakistan and the victims, which is kind of them. They don't really have to do this.

However, it is our battle and we need to fight it. Yeh hai Lamhai-e-Fikria!