Peace, like democracy, is a process, not an event

Posted on April 15, 2026 by beenasarwar

Extract from an interview about the Islamabad peace talks — before they ‘collapsed’ — and a visit to ancient archaeological sites in Sindh

I spoke to the eminent Indian journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani on Saturday about the peace talks then taking place in Islamabad. She published the interview on her YouTube channel on Sunday — with several cuts since everything had, as she said, changed overnight. I tried to represent our peace constituency.

Poster for the upcoming PIPFPD National Convention in Delhi. Peacemongers zindabaad

One of the cuts was about a Pakistan India Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) webinar on Friday, which I refer to when mentioning the maturity of the Indians I heard “yesterday“. Here’s a recording of that seminar “Counting the costs of conflict – why peace matters” — most of it is in English. This webinar precedes PIPFPD’s upcoming National Convention, ‘Ishq, Siyasat aur Awam’ (Love, politics and the people), being held in Delhi, 18–19th April.

We need to amplify these voices of wisdom and courage.

A field trip to Chaukandi, Makli, Thatta, Bhambore

On Sunday, I took some 50 students from the Insitute of Business Administration, Karachi University where I’m teaching this semester, on a field trip to ancient archaeological sites in Sindh — the necropolises of Chaukandi and Makli (a UNESCO site) with their stunning stone carvings and tile work; the Shah Jehan Mosque in Thatta – one of the coolest (literally) and possibly most beautiful mosques in the world; and ruins of Bhambore (also known as Bhanbore), Muhammad Bin Qasim is believed to have landed, on the banks of the then mighty River Indus which has since changed its course.

A plaque by the site of a mosque in Bhambore terms it the first mosque in South Asia. I had always heard that the first mosque in the region lies in Kerala. An online search reveals that according to tradition, the Kerala mosque was established in 629 AD, while the Bhambore mosque (727 AD) is the first “archaeologically verified” one.

It was inspiring to see how the Sindh Archaeology Department is managing these sites, and the dedication and passion of the employees. There’s always room for improvement but let’s give credit where it’s due.

Curation of photos on a public instagram page by an IBA student

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXEK0sKioWa/?igsh=OWdvMDRjdjJuNGJ5

(ends)

Filed under: Pakistan-India, Resistance, Southasia, Travel | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

‘Silences within silences’ around 1971. Plus a ‘South Asia Bound’ documentary. And Arundhati Roy

Posted on December 16, 2025 by beenasarwar

It was only as an adult long after 1971 that I learnt about the internment camps where Bengalis in then West Pakistan had been detained. My source was an essay titled ‘Crossing Borders on the Wings of Language’, by Hafiza Nilofar Khan, in Borderlines, Vol. 1 (2014), an anthology published by Voices Breaking Boundaries, my sister Sehba Sarwar’s nonprofit in Houston (now archived at the University of Houston).

Borderlines Vol. 1, Voices Breaking Boundaries, 2014, and Hafiza Nilofar Khan’s essay.

The ten-year-old Hafiza whose father is in the Pakistan Air Force and proud of her prowess in Urdu suddenly finds herself and her family in the situation that Lahore-based historian Ilyas Chatta details in his recently published book Citizens to Traitors: Bengali Internment in Pakistan 1971-1974 (Cambridge University Press, 2025).

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ChanukahForCeasefire; a Jewel in Ivory in Berlin; #SapanforSAARC this Sunday; and the NewsMatch challenge for Sapan News

Posted on December 10, 2023 by beenasarwar

Greetings to those observing Hanukah and salute to those participating in #ChanukahForCeasefire demonstrations around the United States. Thousands of Jews have been lighting candles at #ChanukahForCeasefire gatherings, coming together “to mourn, find hope, and fight on — for ceasefire, freedom for all held captive, and an end to siege on Gaza,” says IfNotNow, a movement of American Jews “organizing for equality, justice, and a thriving future for all: our neighbors, ourselves, Palestinians, and Israelis.” To find one near you, go to: https://innmvmt.org/chanukah.

Such actions, and those of thousands including high school students marching around the world to call for #ceasefirenow, provide hope in a world that feels heavy. It is unbearable to think of the thousands killed, maimed and displaced in conflict areas, especially children.

Public opinion worldwide is clearly for #CeasefireNow, calls being ignored by those who could stop the bombing that continues to claim lives. What can we do? Hold on to ourselves and do what we can, where we can, when we can. Inform ourselves, share information – double-check before sharing so we don’t pass on #fakenews — donate to causes, participate in public actions.

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Filed under: 'Internally Displaced Persons', covid-19, Health, History, Human rights, Interfaith, journalism, Media, Palestine, prisoners, Progressive politics, Resistance, Southasia, Violence in the name of religion | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »