‘An honest Pakistan is a better Pakistan’: the ‘unsilencing’ idea and the ongoing intellecticide

Posted on May 18, 2015 by beenasarwar |

I wrote this piece last week for EPW – Economic and Political Weekly, India; reproduced below with photos and additional links. “Unsilencing Pakistan” was an idea first articulated in 2011. It has been revived following the recent murder of Sabeen Mahmud, who had attempted to create a space where Pakistanis could discuss contentious issues–like the human rights violations […]

Filed under: Balochistan, Freedom of expression | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

“Unsilencing Pakistan” and the ongoing “intellecticide”

Posted on May 2, 2015 by beenasarwar |

In the summer of 2011, young academic Nosheen Ali, and journalists Sahar Habib Ghazi and Malik Siraj Akbar approached me to work on a new initiative they called “Unsilencing Pakistan” that aimed to make an online record of all the journalists, activists, and thinkers in Pakistan who have been harassed, tortured, and/or executed. I had […]

Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Pakistan #Intellecticide: Vigils for Sabeen – who was she and why was she killed?

Posted on April 28, 2015 by beenasarwar |

Vigils and protests for our slain comrade and friend Sabeen Mahmud are taking place in different cities of Pakistan and around the world. Anyone is welcome to submit online responses to the blog Sabeen Mahmud: A Tribute. In Boston, students have organized a vigil for Sabeen on Tuesday, April 28, 7.30 pm at the John Harvard statue in […]

Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Targeting of Marvi Sirmed latest in attacks on human rights activists, journalists, in Pakistan

Posted on June 22, 2018 by beenasarwar |

Journalists in Pakistan are under increasing pressure, besides severe, ongoing censorship. The break in to columnist and activist Marvi Sirmed’s house and its ransacking is the latest in the series of intimidation, threats and violence to those who uphold democratic values and are critical of the security establishment.

Filed under: enforced disappearances, Freedom of expression, Gender, journalism, Media | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Behind criminal acts motivated by religion, bigotry, misogyny, lies fear of change

Posted on September 16, 2017 by beenasarwar |

My piece for The Wire on the assassination of journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru, that reminded me of the target-killing of my friend, activist Sabeen Mahmud in Karachi. I traced the patterns and similarity behind these murders. A spoke in the wheel of this “intellecticide” is the ‘anti-intellectual’ nature of the vote for Donald Trump […]

Filed under: Balochistan, Blasphemy Laws, Communalism, Human rights, Pakistan-India, Violence in the name of religion | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Sabeen Mahmud: Inclusive spaces and #tree4Sabeen

Posted on May 3, 2016 by beenasarwar |

In Karachi last week, I wrote about Sabeen Mahmud and the Creative Karachi Festival held to commemorate her life and work. PRI published it with the title Remembering a Pakistani woman who died because she wanted everyone to have a space to speak freely along with my radio interview with Marco Werman of PRI’s The World. Below […]

Filed under: Balochistan, Freedom of expression, Pakistan, Peace, Progressive politics, Resistance | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Please, not Sabeen. And no, that won’t shut us up.

Posted on April 24, 2015 by beenasarwar |

In shock and grieved beyond words at this horrible news that our dear friend and comrade Sabeen Mahmud has been shot dead, her mother in critical condition in hospital. They were returning from the event Unsilencing Balochistan (Take 2) held at The Second Floor (T2F) [NOTE: the facebook event link posted above mysteriously disappeared then reappeared]. It was tremendously […]

Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Pakistan’s ‘enlightenment’ martyrs

Posted on June 9, 2011 by beenasarwar |

Below is the original, unabridged version of the article published in The News, Jun 9, 2011, with the somewhat misleading heading Pakistan’s secular martyrs (not all those killed for defending the values discussed in the article were ‘secular’). Pakistan’s ‘enlightenment’ martyrs Beena Sarwar The murder of professor Saba Dashtiyari in Quetta last week, coming on the heels […]

Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Communist Party member Latifullah Khan murdered

Posted on November 28, 2010 by beenasarwar |

Comrade Latifullah Khan, 36, belonged to District Dir upper. He was an educationist and the one enlightened person in the education department consisting mostly of obscurantists. Comrade Latifullah was an active progressive student leader and a member of the district cell of the Progressive Pukhtoonkhwa Front (linked to the Communist Party of Pakistan).

Filed under: Pakistan northern areas | Tagged: , , , , , , | 7 Comments »