Posted on June 27, 2016 by beenasarwar
My article in PRI’s The World, June 25, 2016
Thousands of people attend the funeral procession of Amjad Sabri. Photo: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters
“They’ve shot dead Amjad Sabri” — the first words I heard on Wednesday morning marked news of yet another assassination in my beloved Karachi, still “home” despite living in the Boston area since 2011.
Sabri was one of the world’s most famous exponents of the devotional music known as Qawwali. On Wednesday, two gunmen intercepted his car and shot him dead at close range in the crowded locality near his house. Continue reading →
Filed under: Freedom of expression, Human rights, Music | Tagged: AFSC, Amjad Sabri, Fasadi, Hebrew qawwali, Israeli sufi, Jo Cox, karachi, qawwali, Sabeen, Sufi | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 10, 2014 by beenasarwar
The Pakistan government is trying to hold talks with the Taliban, who should really be referred to as Fasadis*. There are no women in the government committee, and of course none on the Taliban side. One of the Taliban negotiators pulled out, refusing to participate until the agenda includes the imposition of Sharia law. Here’s a note posted by The Traitors of Pakistan and Pakistan Votes on Facebook, ’10 reasons why I do not want Shariah in Pakistan’. I have an additional question to the reasons they listed: 11. Whose Sharia? Each religious sect has its own version. Many of us reject the one propagated by the Fasadis and the Saudi-patronised Takfiris**. Here’s the note, for your information please, as desis say:
Continue reading →
Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: Fasadi, Human rights, Pakistan, peace talks, Sharia, Takfiri, TTP, women | 3 Comments »
Journeys to democracy 