India and Pakistan must unite to fight terror…  

Posted on December 19, 2014 by beenasarwar
A student in Chennai prays for those killed in Peshawar. Schools across India held a two-minute silence on Wednesday. Photo: R. Senthil Kumar/ PTI

A student in Chennai prays for those killed in Peshawar. Schools across India held a two-minute silence on Wednesday. Photo: R. Senthil Kumar/ PTI

My op-ed in The Indian Express today, Dec 18, 2014…

Together we can 

By Beena Sarwar

In an unprecedented move, students at schools across India observed a two-minute silence on December 17, 2014 in solidarity with the victims and survivors of the barbaric attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.  

Immensely moved, Pakistanis have responded with gratitude for this humane gesture that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed for. There is also gratitude for the hashtag #IndiaWithPakistan that began trending on the social media a few hours after the attack on the school began on December 16.

A Pakistani friend remarks on the “irony that our so-called arch enemy’s sympathy and voice seems more comforting in this time of need then our pious apologists”. Continue reading →

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Pakistan Must Discard its ‘Good Taliban, Bad Taliban’ Narrative

Posted on December 19, 2014 by beenasarwar
MULLAH MOHAMMED OMAR

Pakistan needs to counter not just those who come out on the street in support of Taliban Inc. but also those who support them tacitly.

Thanks to The Huffington Post for inviting me to write this opinion piece, published on Dec. 17, 2014.

By Beena Sarwar

The world looks on with horror at the Pakistani Taliban’s barbaric murder of 145 children and teachers at a school in Peshawar.

Although Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has termed the Peshawar attack a national tragedy, announced three days of national mourning and promised to eradicate the terrorists, real change won’t occur unless Pakistan discards the “good Taliban, bad Taliban” narrative and moves to decisively uphold the rule of law. Continue reading →

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#Peshawar attack: A former student remembers his teachers, vows to rebuild the school

Posted on December 18, 2014 by beenasarwar
RIP Tahira Qazi, principal of Army Public School who had reportedly been rescued but ran back to help her students and was brutally killed.

RIP Tahira Qazi, principal of Army Public School who had reportedly been rescued but ran back to help her students and was brutally killed.

On BBC World Have your Say this morning one of my fellow guests was a singer in Peshawar, Rahim Khan. He had been a student at the Army Public School on Warsak Road, Peshawar, from 2001-2003, in grades 11 and 12. In this clip he recalls a reunion at the school ten years later with the principal Tahira Qazi, who was so brutally killed in the attack on Dec 16. Rahim remembered singing in the very auditorium where so many were killed. We shared some more thoughts on Twitter later; see below. Continue reading →

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#StandwithPeshawar

Posted on December 16, 2014 by beenasarwar


Devastated at the news from Peshawar. Unless and until Pakistan doesn’t get out of this confusion of ‘good Taliban’ and ‘bad Taliban’ and treat every single criminal act as a criminal act and move to punish those who perpetuate it, whether in the name of religion or for whatever justification, we will not begin to move out of this morass. Sharing a statement from Malala Yousafzai that was just released: “I am heartbroken by this senseless and cold blooded act of terror in Peshawar that is unfolding before us. Innocent children in their school have no place in horror such as this. I condemn these atrocious and cowardly acts and stand united with the government and armed forces of Pakistan whose efforts so far to address this horrific event are commendable. I, along with millions of others around the world, mourn these children, my brothers and sisters – but we will never be defeated.”

 

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Mahesh Bhatt’s “Milne Do” – II

Posted on December 15, 2014 by beenasarwar

A year ago, I wrote about Mahesh Bhatt’s new theatrical project a play titled ‘Milne Do’ aiming to find common ground between India and Pakistan. Here’s an update: He’s going ahead with it in collaboration with Azad Theatre and Laal band in Lahore. My article published in Aman ki Asha below:

imran and mahesh 1

Imran Zahid and Mahesh Bhatt: teamwork for a causMahesh Bhatt, in an attempt to find common ground between India and Pakistan, is all set to produce and present a play titled “Milne Do”.

The veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, in an attempt to find common ground between India and Pakistan, is all set to produce and present a play titled “Milne Do”.

“I have always maintained that a movie or a play can be a greater vehicle of peace than all the lectures we give,” he says. Any message, if communicated through storytelling, touches a chord. We are also trying to do the same. This play will be an emotional transaction between industries on both sides.”

This cross-border collaborative project across borders has been in the making for over a year. Continue reading →

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RPTW International Dance Festival Islamabad 2014

Posted on December 12, 2014 by beenasarwar

Two day International Dance Festival Islamabad 2014, Dec 15th-16th, 2014, at Pakistan National Council of Arts, 7:00 p.m. onwards, organised by the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop.

RPTW International Dance Fest 2014

Flyer for Day 1, Dec 15, 2014

Facebook Event Page here and Artists’ details at this link. Free Invites (on first come first serve basis) can be collected through 0300-0770661-60 | 042-35322290-93. Continue reading →

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Commemorating a giant – Sobho Gianchandani

Posted on December 12, 2014 by beenasarwar
Sobho reference Dec 16 2014

The Society for Secular Pakistan is holding a Reference for Sobho Gianchandani at Jinnah Medical & Dental College on Dec 16 at 4 pm in Karachi. Design: K.B. Abro

Read: Sohho ko bil akhir azadi mil gayi – Wusatullah Khan’s beautiful obituary, and Shahid Hussain’s nostalgic piece on the Death of an intellectual giant

Personal note: Spoke today to Nirmal Das, Sobho Gianchandani’s son who works in Shikarpur. He told me that Sobho ji was weak from the antibiotics he had been taking for a month and a half, but that he was so much better that he was up and about, using his walker. Nirmal had been spending time with him in their house in Larkana. On Monday morning, Dec. 8, after giving Sobho ji his tea he thought he could go back to Shikarpur. Sobho ji encouraged him to go, saying he would go and sit in the winter sun. Continue reading →

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Pakistan’s “three-headed monster” bows out. RIP Comrade Sobho Gianchandani.

Posted on December 10, 2014 by beenasarwar
Babba-Sobho-Jan4-08

Dr Sarwar and Sobho Gianchandani at our house in Karachi, January 2008. It was a cold evening and both were reluctant to be photographed. Babba because he was unwell, and Sobho ji because he didn’t want to remove the muffler wrapped around his head and ears.

Sad to hear that Comrade Sobho Gianchandani is no more. He passed away in Larkana on Dec 8, nearly 95 years old. He lives on as an inspiration to all those seeking a better, more just, humane society. The last time we met was in July 2003, when he came over with his daughter and two of his grandsons to visit us as he often did when visiting Karachi. He made it a point to do so particularly after his close friend, my father Dr Sarwar passed away in 2009.

Below, my brief video profile of him for Geo TV (2003) in which he talks about his lifelong struggle for people’s rights. This, he said was his real struggle, the struggle for social justice by any name, rather than a fight against imperialism or extremism. And a 2002 feature I wrote about him (couldn’t find an online copy). Continue reading →

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A cross-border royal Rajput wedding

Posted on December 8, 2014 by beenasarwar
Bridal couple: at the Roka (ring exchange) ceremony in Jaipur, June, 2014

Bridal couple: at the Roka (ring exchange) ceremony in Jaipur, June, 2014

This is an updated version of the piece I wrote published in Aman ki Asha on December 3, 2014

It’s nice to be able to write about something joyous for a change. This time, it is about the forthcoming marriage of two beautiful, bright, spirited young people, one in Pakistan and one in India.

The Rajput community on either side of the border is particularly excited about the marriage that will join two princely families from either side of the border. Preparations involve the Tikka ceremony that took place in Pakistan on Dec 7, 2014, for the first time since 1947. Continue reading →

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India/Pakistan: #DearNeighbour – a new ‘velfie’ movement

Posted on November 22, 2014 by beenasarwar

A ‘velfie’ movement is sweeping social media as Indians and Pakistanis share video messages for peace as part of the ‪#‎DearNeighbour‬ Peace Challenge. But are the politicians listening? The organisers invite people to send their Peace Velfies to: dearneighbourmovement@gmail.com and/or upload it to the fb page DearNeighbour Movement and nominate two friends to take the challenge. Here’s the piece I wrote about it for Aman ki Asha. Text below.

Continue reading →

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