Edward Snowden's Beautiful Letter to Girl With Albinism: ‘Your Differences … Are Strengths’

Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who leaked top secret information about U.S. surveillance activities, sent a sympathetic letter to Annie Alfred, a 10-year-old in Malawi who has albinism — an inherited disorder in which the body produces little to no melanin, resulting in white or pink hair, skin, and eyes.

Alfred is one of 7,000 – 10,000 people in Malawi who have the condition, according to Amnesty International, which shared Snowden’s letter on Twitter on Dec. 10. Many people with albinism are marginalized, but that’s not the worst of what some of them have endured. Having albinism in Malawi and some other countries in Africa can also be dangerous, since those with the condition have been attacked, mutilated, and even killed. According to an Amnesty International report, they are “targeted for their body parts by those who believe that they contain magical powers and bring good luck.” The report also states that some erroneously believe that “having sex with a person with albinism will cure HIV/AIDS.”

Women and children with albinism are particularly vulnerable: They are targeted not only by criminals but also, in some cases, by their own family members. So it’s no surprise that many people with the condition often fear for their lives. According to CNN, at least 18 albinos in Malawi have been killed since 2014, while another five were kidnapped and are still missing. The Canadian albinism advocacy group Under the Same Sun reports that there have been 187 killings and 317 attacks, which include attempted abductions, mutilation, and rape, across 26 countries in Africa. But the organization also notes that many albinism-related attacks and murders are not reported.

“It is shameful that people are being persecuted for being different,” wrote Snowden, who has been living in exile since 2013. “Your differences are not weaknesses, they are strengths.”

“No child should fear that her liberty to participate and live as she desires is subject to the superstition and prejudice of others,” he continued. “Embrace the things that separate you from the crowd of the ordinary, and never stop defending the right to be different, no matter how difficult the times.”

He concluded: “Each of us is a treasure of the earth, and perhaps you most of all.”

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