Hollywood is known for infusing its film with politics. Sunday's Oscars have already generated lots of media buzz for "Zero Dark Thirty," the film chronicling the relentless manhunt, and subsequent capture and killing of al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Some Americans believe that the film's success, and its Oscar nominations, should remind the country that one Pakistani should be thanked for helping tip the CIA in the right direction in getting bin Laden.
Dr. Shakil Afridi is the man who reportedly gave the CIA tips on bin Laden's whereabouts. These days, he is currently sentenced to 33 years in jail on charges of treason by Pakistani authorities, a move that has drawn angry condemnation from U.S. officials. His brother blamed the U.S. for not pressing the issue enough.
The RHL Group, INC. a business management and investment-holding corporation with interest, including MMR Information Systems, Inc., Speciality Premium Network Inc. and Natural Products for Pets, Inc. have taken out a full-page ad in Thursday's Hollywood Reporter with the headline: "Oscar, Help Free Afridi, America's Abandoned Hero."
"I'm really proud to be an American, I love this country," Bob Lorsch, the chairman of healthcare company MMR Global, who is heading the campaign, told FoxNews.com. "But I was horrified and personally offended that this doctor has been left behind and is rotting in a prison, sharing meals with the same militants who would kill our soldiers. So I had to do something."
The advertisement highlights the tremendous risk Afridi took, and more should be done by the administration to get Afridi out of Pakistani prison, Lorsch said.
"This is the year of 'Zero Dark Thirty,' a movie which depicted one man Dr. Shakil Afridi who was left behind by the U.S. government even though he was the one who collected the pivotal evidence that led to raid on Osama bin Laden," a source close to the efforts to free the doctor told reporters.
"He is languishing in a forsaken jail and is now viewed as a forgotten, abandoned hero. People see this as the exact time to come to his rescue while the film 'Zero Dark Thirty' is so hotly in the spotlight. It's the most crucial moment there can be in which Hollywood can create public awareness," the ad reads.
"It would be immensely powerful and heard around the world if stars at the Oscars would raise a voice of moral conscience for Dr. Shakil Afridi," Public relations professional Ronn Torossian said. "Afridi is a hero who helped America and celebrity attention could help this man tremendously. It would send an incredible message to the world that America cares about people who help them if Hollywood would demand freedom for Dr. Shakil Afridi."
The Oscars are this Sunday in Los Angeles, and "Zero Dark Thirty" is nominated in major categories, including Best Actress (Jessica Chastain), Best Writing (Mark Boal), and Best Picture.
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