Dear fellow lawyer:
The sight of brave Pakistani lawyers fighting for the rule of law has stirred us all. In recent days, lawyers and judges across America have declared our solidarity with our Pakistani counterparts.
Today, I request your help in continuing to champion their cause. The American Bar Association has posted a solidarity petition online. I ask you to sign this petition, at www.abavideonews.org/ABA495/sign.php, and then send the link to other lawyers.
Why a petition?
Since the crisis unfolded in Pakistan, bar groups around the country have issued statements of concern and held solidarity rallies. On November 14, an estimated 600 to 700 lawyers and judges, all dressed in black, marched in an ABA rally past the U.S. Supreme Court. You can learn more about these efforts at www.abanet.org.
Our Pakistani colleagues have expressed their deep gratitude for our show of solidarity. They urge us to continue voicing our support for them, and for the rule of law.
We will present the online petition to the Pakistani Embassy. By signing it, you show that American lawyers care. You continue to bring moral pressure on Gen. Pervez Musharraf to restore constitutional law in Pakistan. The more lawyers and judges who sign, the greater the attention and pressure that we bring.
Ironically, Gen. Musharraf has demonstrated the importance of a fair, impartial judiciary through his bold attack on lawyers and judges. When the Supreme Court appeared likely to impede his reelection as president, he fired and jailed the justices—appointing replacements who this week gave him the ruling he wanted.
When the rule of law is attacked, silence is deafening. I ask you, as a fellow lawyer, not to stay silent now. I urge you to keep the cause of our Pakistani colleagues alive, by signing the ABA online petition, and passing it along to other lawyers who care.
Thank you for your help and support.
Sincerely,
William H. Neukom
President, American Bar Association
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