[That is right. We got an okay to the
following letter from the office of Oliver Stone. We may be up to seeing
art serving the cause of liberty.]
September 24, 1997
Mr. Oliver Stone
201 Santa Monica Blvd., #601
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Dear Mr. Stone,
I am writing to you as part of our
effort to free Leyla Zana, the first Kurdish woman ever elected to the Turkish
Parliament, from Ankara Central Prison in Turkey. Mrs. Zana was arrested in
March of 1994 and sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment in December of that
same year. Her adversaries lobbied for the death penalty.
We at the American Kurdish
Information Network humbly propose that you consider using the story of Leyla
Zana for a film. Her life is filled with inspiring and poignant events, from
the imprisonment of her husband, who she married -- arranged -- at age 15, to
her work organizing the wives of men in prison, to her swearing in ceremony at
the Turkish Parliament, where she dared to utter the Parliament's oath in Turkish
and Kurdish, the second which is an illegal but indigenous language in Turkey
and her native tongue.
Leyla Zana's struggles are
reminiscent of such universal themes as colonialism, fundamentalism, and
women's liberation. Thrice nominated for the Nobel Peace prize, Mrs. Zana,
through messages smuggled out of prison and through her steadfast example of
dignity and idealism, continues to serve as a beacon of hope to the oppressed
Kurdish people of Turkey and to supporters of human rights worldwide. If you should
decide to take action to support Leyla Zana you will find yourself among the
likes of Noam Chomsky, Arthur Miller, the Dalai Lama, and Elie Wiesel.
From your sympathetic portrayal of
the corruption of the Turkish penal system in Midnight Express, it is clear
that you are familiar with the brutality of the Turkish authorities. Recently,
we have received word that Leyla Zana has become ill in jail. One can only
speculate about the cause of her sickness. Our office is working to raise
awareness about the unfair and illegal imprisonment of Leyla Zana in an attempt
to secure her release before it is too late. I realize that there are great
demands placed on your time, but given the seriousness of Mrs. Zana's case
please allow me to invite you again to take a stand for Leyla Zana and help us
to put a stop to the oppression of the people of Turkey.
I trust that the enclosed text will
help to inform you of the details of Leyla Zana's history. If you would like to
discuss Leyla Zana's case, or have any questions about AKIN, I would welcome
the opportunity to meet with you in person or by phone. Thank you very much for
your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jennifer L. Carnahan
Outreach Coordinator