#RIPKhudiAli :(This pic is your true presentation: working for all,for peace,for #Pakistan twitter.com/usmannrana/sta…
— Usmann Rana (@usmannrana) January 10, 2013
There was devastating news today about the triple bomb blasts today in Quetta, one of them at a snooker club, all targeting Hazara Shia areas. Over 100 killed, including three media men who rushed to cover the blasts. It is hard for the human mind to taken in the mind-numbing numbers, but when someone you know is among the dead it really hits home. Our young friend and comrade Irfan Ali lost his life while helping others when the second blast took place.
Irfan Ali (first left) at a protest in Islamabad against sectarian killings, Sept 2012. Photo: Pakistan Youth Alliance
Known as @khudiAli on twitter, Irfan was an activist for human rights, women’s rights, Hazara rights. His twitter bio reads: “I am born to fight for human rights and peace. My religion is respect and love all the religions”.
“Please trend #RIPKhudiAli to give salute to his courage” urges @qasirroonjha.
I met Irfan in July in Karachi for the first time at the Social Media Mela, but we had been in touch for some time via email. Such a bright, smiling, courageous, committed young man. Barely a couple of months ago, he had written asking if Aman ki Asha could take up the case of a three year old girl with a congenital heart defect; unfortunately she died before the process could be initiated to send her to India.
Ironically, just hours before the blast that took his life, he had tweeted:
#Quetta, was on the way to home nearly escaped from bomb blast 11 ppl dead — irfan (@khudiali) January 10, 2013
His last tweet, an hour later:
#Hazara families of #Machh,Khuzdir finally succumbed to the genocidal pressure&moving out. Sad day for diversity in #Balochistan. — irfan (@khudiali) January 10, 2013
His tweets indicate his clear-sightedness and courage:
#Karachi Asfandyar wali khan in press conference all parties need 2 sit & have a common one point anti #terrorism & anti #extremism agenda — irfan (@khudiali) January 10, 2013
#Baloch & #Pashtoonhijacked on gun point by #Taliban & its splinter group LeJ,traditional harmony 25 #Hazaras families left Mach due 2hate — irfan (@khudiali) January 10, 2013
FC role cant be ignored in ongoing #Hazaras genocide in #Quetta becz it doesn’t stop suspected person or vehicles enter in city Hazara areas — irfan (@khudiali) January 8, 2013
Here are some of the many tributes to Irfan that poured in on twitter:
While we were Tweeting ranting about politics, he was on ground helping the injured in Quetta and paid for it by his own life #RIPKhudiAli — Wahaz (@wahaz) January 10, 2013
I request the Govt to honor him on equal footing as Malala Yousafzai #RIPKhudiAli — Wahaz (@wahaz) January 10, 2013
@beenasarwarRIP a fellow twitterite @khudiali,died in Quetta today,was helping the Injured when 2nd Blast Happened. A Hero 4 Humanity — Wahaz (@wahaz) January 10, 2013
Irfan (@khudiali) was in Quetta to deliver a peace training to young activists. #RIPKhudiAli — Marvi Sirmed(@marvisirmed) January 10, 2013
#Khudiali thankyou for speaking up for the rights of women. U helped in saving 3 minor girls from being given in marriage #Salute — Samar Minallah Khan (@SamarMinallahKh) January 10, 2013
@khudiali was the only male member to #UN Women Civil Society Advisory Group in #Pakistan. Brave soul, amazing activist! #TakeBackTheTech — Bytes for All, PK (@bytesforall) January 10, 2013
Here’s a tweet by Ali Abbas Zaidi of the Pakistan Youth Alliance, which organised the anti-sectarian demonstration in Islamabad in September, 2012, that Irfan traveled to participate in, despite threats. Rough translation of the banner they are holding: “You who are looting my city of my ethnicty, do you know how sons are raised?”
@khudiali with me. “Meray shehr may meri nasal lootnay waloon, pata hai beta kiss tarha jawaan huta hai?” facebook.com/photo.php?fbid… #RIPIrfan — Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi (@Ali_Abbas_Zaidi) January 10, 2013
Irfan was vocal and outspoken on many platforms. His presence will be sorely missed but his legacy of fearless activism remains. The best tribute we can pay him is to continue fighting the very forces that killed him.
Like @khudiali– wont pick up guns. Our microphones, banners and voice is all we have against these terrorists. Not your war? It is ours. — Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi (@Ali_Abbas_Zaidi) January 10, 2013
@khudiali Speaking in a workshop in #Quetta.Theme of the workshop was Giving voice to voiceless. Will som1 speak 4 him twitter.com/roohgulzari/st… — Roohullah Gulzari (@roohgulzari) January 10, 2013
#RIPKhudiAli Khudi Ali holding a Candle Light Vigil for Basheer Bilour. Today he himself is a martyr. twitter.com/wahaz/status/2… — Wahaz (@wahaz) January 10, 2013
@beenasarwar The fact that many of us who never even met him are now mourning his death speaks volumes #RIPKhudiAli — Usmann Rana (@usmannrana) January 10, 2013
Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: #RIPKhudiAli, Hazaras, Irfan Ali, KhudiAli, Quetta blast |
Journeys to democracy 
long live ali irfhan
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[…] a tribute to Mr. Ali on her blog, Beena Sarwar, an activist filmmaker, wrote: “I met Irfan in July in Karachi for […]
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Sir,Quid-e-Azam must be restless even in his grave to see the Pakistan of his dream has after all not been a safe place for people of even his own belief, what to speak they wouls have been otherwise vulnerable to Hindus if he had not insisted on partition. His dreams remain shattered because of the plight of Shias in his country of dream. All the more when theAuthor suggests Pakistan govt. should plead with Shia majority countries to let Pakistani Shias remain in exile in those countries. That is an extreme thinking but forced to do so because of circumstances. The same is true in Iraq where Shias and Sunnis are dying in thousands. Was n’t it a mistake to make Pakistan an Islamic country? In a secular Pakistan what to speak of Shias , Sunnis and Ahmediyas, all the people of every faith would have lived peacefully. It surely calls for introspection.
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[…] Ali was killed, I wrote about how vocal and outspoken he had beenon many platforms. His presence will be sorely missed but […]
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[…] Ali was killed, I wrote about how vocal and outspoken he had beenon many platforms. His presence will be sorely missed but […]
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[…] PM Imran finally announced his decision to visit Quetta on April 18 as the Hazara community sit-in entered its fourth day – to the background of hashtags like #ImranKhanGoToHazara and #WazireAzamQuettaJayain. This is not the first time the Hazara have staged such sit-ins; there was one just last year. Here’s the link to my 2013 post: Bomb blasts in Quetta target Hazaras, claim over 100 lives #RIPKhudiAli. […]
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