Indian Supreme Court acquits Pakistani prisoner Dr Chishty

Posted on December 13, 2012 by beenasarwar
After the acquittal: Dr Chishty and Mrs Chishty with Justice Katju at the judge's residence, New Delhi, Dec 12, 2012

After the acquittal: Dr Chishty and Mrs Chishty with Justice Katju at the judge’s residence, New Delhi, Dec 12, 2012

At last! On 12-12-12, the Indian Supreme Court acquitted Dr Chishty. Earlier, an unprecedented Indian SC verdict had granted him bail to return to Pakistan, the first time ever that a Pakistani prisoner in India was given such permission. The retired virologist, now over 80 years old, had gone back to India quietly in November for the court hearing seeking to dismiss the murder charges against him. It’s been a long struggle since we first started campaigning for this, and there’s a great feeling of satisfaction that it has finally ended well.

Tehelka did a podcast with me this morning. I made a mistake in the chronology of how the process to free Dr Chishty began. In fact, Amna Chishty (Dr Chisthy’s daughter) had written to the Indian SC and Law Ministry, after which the trial was finally held (after 19 years); Justice Katju came into the picture a bit later – but his role in freeing Dr Chishty was, as I said, essential.

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Local Opposition Rises Against Fracking Infrastructure Proposal

Posted on December 1, 2012 by beenasarwar
Tom Salamone of Minisink, New York addresses a rally in front of the Federal Energy Regulation Commission on Nov 15, opposing a natural gas compressor station being built in Minisink. Credit: Asha Canalos

Tom Salamone of Minisink, New York addresses a rally in front of the Federal Energy Regulation Commission on Nov 15, opposing a natural gas compressor station being built in Minisink. Credit: Asha Canalos

My article for InterPress Service a couple of days ago:  Local Opposition Rises Against Fracking Proposal

By Beena Sarwar 

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov 27 2012 (IPS) – Efforts to promote the use of hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method of obtaining oil and natural gas, face stiff opposition from researchers and citizens who say that in its present form, the technology’s risks far outweigh its worth. Continue reading →

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Facebook support sucks (thanks for restoring my account – but with ‘sifarish’)

Posted on November 29, 2012 by beenasarwar

Further update: It all depends on who you know… I am grateful to Shahzad Ahmad of Bytes for All for appealing on my behalf via email to Sir Richard Allen, Facebook’s Director of Policy in Europe. Sir Richard forwarded the sifarish to an internal team at Facebook, and my account was restored within hours. I would like to thank both of them – but the issue still remains for so many Facebook users who don’t have recourse to such resources. That’s something Facebook still needs to work on.

UPDATE. As I finished writing this post, I checked facebook again, and it seems the block on me has been lifted. But I’m posting my rant anyway.

Since November 22, when I made a password error, Facebook has restricted me from certain features for 30 days.

  • I can’t ‘like’ statuses (mine or anyone else’s)
  • I can’t comment on wall posts (even my own)
  • I can’t reply to or send messages (though I can see them).

Continue reading →

Filed under: Media | Tagged: | 7 Comments »

The dangers of ignoring ‘malicious intent’ in allegations of ‘injuring religious sentiments’

Posted on November 26, 2012 by beenasarwar
Shaheen Dhada, left, and Renu Srinivasan, who were arrested for their Facebook posts, leave a court in Mumbai on Nov 20, 2012. AP photo

Shaheen Dada (left) and Renu Srinivasan were arrested last Monday, seen here leaving a court in Mumbai on Nov 20, 2012. AP photo

Some thoughts on ‘blasphemy’ and the issue of ‘injuring religious sentiments’, in this blog post, which includes ‘Malicious Intent’, an article I wrote for The New Humanist on the blasphemy issue (original article below including references deleted from the published piece for reasons of space). Since then, in a move that was widely welcomed, the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court quashed the First Information Report (FIR) of the “blasphemy” case registered against the minor Christian girl Rimsha Masih. Here is the link to a downloadable PDF copy of the judgment, dated Nov 14, 2012 – IHC verdict on the Rimsha case.  Continue reading →

Filed under: Blasphemy Laws | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments »

Iqbal Haider, we’ll miss your ‘groove’

Posted on November 19, 2012 by beenasarwar

Iqbal Haider: A firm believer in secular values.

 My article for The News on Sunday, Nov 18, 2012 – in which I forgot to mention the resolution Iqbal Haider tried to get the Senate to pass against the cold-blooded murder of young Saima Sarwar in the office of Hina Jillani at the behest of her own parents, simply because she wanted a divorce from her abusive husband. Some senators from FATA physically attacked him for it (See my article ‘There is no ‘honour’ in killing).

 Beena Sarwar

The protests outside Karachi Press Club will be all the poorer without Senator Syed Iqbal Haider’s energising presence. Activists promoting any good cause could count on him to be there — whether it was justice for Mukhtaran Mai, protest against Shia killings, or a call for peace between India and Pakistan. Continue reading →

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

Nov 10: Malala Day – and poems for Malala (and her father)

Posted on November 10, 2012 by beenasarwar

“I am Malala” – see UN Education Envoy website for details on this campaign and how you can get involved – http://educationenvoy.org/

With the world commemorating November 10 as ‘Malala Day’ (see the inspiring video at this link) in honour of Pakistani child activist Malala Yousafzai, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon extended his support to the young girl and her fight for education, describing her as the “global symbol” of every girl’s right to an education. This is a good occasion to share three poems (Persian and Hindi) I received recently: 1. ‘The Street of the Teenager of Fourteen”, by Nahid Kabiri, 2. “Who is this Ziauddin Yusufzai” by Pratap Somvanshi, 3. “Nanhe Haath Malala” by Pankaj Nigam, with translations,  in addition to the Urdu poem earlier shared on this blog, Malala’s Response: Dekh Zinda HooN Mein. Continue reading →

Filed under: Education, Gender | Tagged: , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Petition for Peace and De-weaponisation of Karachi sent to CJP

Posted on November 1, 2012 by beenasarwar

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Just received this via email today – the text of a petition for Peace and  De-weaponisation of Karachi that has been sent to the Chief Justice of Pakistan. Naeem Sadiq who sent the email says that anyone who agrees with its contents and wants to be a co-petitioner, is welcome to copy/amend the petition text (minus the petitioners) and add their own name and signature (there can be more than one signatory), designation or profession, postal address and phone number (NIC optional), and  mail the petition directly to the SC at the address provided. Interestingly, the MQM last year introduced a bill seeking this aim as well. See Dilawar Asghar’s article critiquing the move at this link, pointing out that the long term solution lies in ensuring the “supremacy of the law. If the law is implemented, without any distinction and applicable to everyone, regardless of their status or affiliation that would be the first step.” Here’s the citizen’s petition: Continue reading →

Filed under: Pakistan | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

One Billion Rising: Global campaign against violence against women

Posted on October 30, 2012 by beenasarwar

Eve Ensler, founder of the One Billion Rising movement. Photograph: Martin Argles for the Guardian.

The well known feminist activist, playwright and actor Eve Ensler has given a call for One Billion Rising campaign that aims to mobilise and bring out one billion people on streets across the world on February 14th, 2013 against violence against women, and in celebration of women’s power (One Billion Rising on Facebook).

Noted women activists from all over South Asia, including Kamla Bhasin of Sangat, OBR’s South Asian coordinator, were at the launch in Nepal. (Photo: WFS)

This, writes Ensler, “is a call to the billion women who have been violated and the men who love them, to the women who have been beaten and raped and mutilated and burned and sold and who know the destruction of the female species heralds the end of human kind. A call to walk out of your homes, your jobs, your schools and find your friends, your group, your place and music and dance” (‘One Billion Rising: Together we can end violence against women’, op-ed in The Guardian). Continue reading →

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Dekh zinda hoon mein – Malala’s response – A poem

Posted on October 30, 2012 by beenasarwar

malalah-ka-jawab-e1515555118701.pngA poem for Malala by Shariq Ali, received via email, transliterated below, with English translation, by S. Ali Jafari, son of the well known satirical poet S. M. Jafari.

TRANSLITERATION OF THE URDU SCRIPT

Dekh zinda hoon main
Humla awar mere
Dekh zinda hoon main!
Meray Rab ki raza
waqt ka faisla
Dekh zinda hooan main!

Ik teri soch hai
teergi ki makeen
Korh main mubtila
Haath main aslaha
Munh chhupaaey huay
Begunaahon pay tu
chhup kay hamla karay
Ye tera hausla!

Continue reading →

Filed under: Gender | Tagged: , | 4 Comments »

Malala’s plight is “related to the potential for world peace”

Posted on October 25, 2012 by beenasarwar

Vigil for Malala, Charlestown, Boston

My report on the vigil for Malala Yousufzai in Charlestown, Boston, last Sunday, an event that local families are holding on a weekly basis to show their support for her and for the right of children, especially girls, worldwide to get an education. Please also see the I am Malala campaign initiated by the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, aiming to get every child in the world to school. Continue reading →

Filed under: Education | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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