Our Journey
The Catalyst
Farzana Musomi, alongside three other child sexual abuse survivors, was seeking justice against the accused, Mohammad Ali, also known as Akkas Ali in the Hudson Bangladeshi community.
Akkas Ali was accused of sexually abusing and endangering the welfare of children aged 5-11 years. On November 2019 was charged with 2 felony counts of rape and three felony counts of sexual abuse. After posting bail, Akkas Ali was released on his recognizance. In March 2020, he was charged with 7 felony counts of sexual abuse and 2 misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Ali posted bail within hours of being arrested and again released on his recognizance.
Community-wide victim-blaming and protection of abusers
In response to Akkas Ali’s arrests, members of the Hudson Bangladeshi Community organized and signed a petition in support of Akkas Ali. The petition was presented in court to prove Akkas Ali’s reputation and support from the community.
In addition to signing the petition, members of the community, including current community leaders, called to intimidate survivors and they’re families. Survivors were being pressured to take back their statements, and their families were being pressured and shamed in public.
The victim-blaming and community-wide intimidation towards Farzana Musomi and other survivors catapulted us into action. On September 9th, 2020, we, Farzana Musomi, Jabin Ahmed, and Atia Begh, led a community march from the Promenade Hill in Hudson, New York, to the front door of Akkas Ali. There at the doorstep of Akkas Ali’s house, Farzana Musomi gave her victim statement to the entire community. The march led to the founding of Jaago Hudson.
Stand with me, Stand with Survivors
The following statement of Farzana Musomi was recorded to document what she said at the march on September 11th, 2020. Akkas Ali and his supporters had created narratives that degraded and dishonored Farzana and other survivors. Farzana’s statement refocuses the narrative to be survivor-centered. A reminder to everyone that we must believe and uplift the voices of survivors at all costs.
We cannot be bystanders.
It takes a village…
A Collective Dream
Jarin Ahmed, Sumayra Khan, and Krisha Sikka played a crucial role in transforming Jaago into the community resource it is today. They’re generous insight and dedication to our mission as a gender justice resource were essential for our foundation.
The Advisory Committee
The Jaago Advisory committee collectively reframed the values and approach of Jaago to align with our vision for a world where sexual violence does not exist.
A world where we are accountable to our communities and the people Jaago serves.