What Mastung blast survivors need now

Posted on April 7, 2014 by beenasarwar
Ridha and Ibtihaj

Ridha and Ibtihaj: He bravely faces his staggering loss.

My article for The News on Sunday, shared here with additional links, pix, and tweets:

By Beena Sarwar

Death, destruction, disaster are newsworthy for the mainstream media. What happens to the survivors and how they cope in the long-term are not.

Those who orchestrate bomb blasts thrive on media attention. Those affected by their dastardly acts are left to carry on as best as they can, often with inspiring courage and resilience. Continue reading →

Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Musharraf’s trial and Pakistan

Posted on January 25, 2014 by beenasarwar
Musharraf and the famous fist. Photo T. Mughal/EPA

Musharraf and the famous fist. Photo T. Mughal/EPA

Below, my (un-populist) take on the Musharraf treason trial, in an opinion piece published in International Business Times, London, Jan 23, 2014. N.B. The recent attack on the bus in Mastung, Balochistan, that killed some 30  Hazara Shia Muslims, including women and children returning from pilgrimage in Iran is an example of the result of Musharraf’s policies of letting the home-grown ‘jihadis’ function. Plus I forgot to mention his role in the murder of Akbar Bugti… Continue reading →

Filed under: Pakistan | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Rabid dogs and Shia killings

Posted on February 28, 2013 by beenasarwar

Omar Ali blog screengrabSharing here a screen grab from one of the most horrific videos of cold-blooded killings I’ve come across, that was posted by Dr. Omar Ali to his blog today. The incident probably took place about nine months ago, and those killed were probably Shia Hazaras; the video has been shared on facebook. Here’s an excerpt from Dr. Omar Ali’s post:

It took a lot of work (partition, two nation theory,Punjab holocaust, madressas, CIA, ISI) to get to this level of cold blooded hatred. And of course, the roots go back much further, all the way into our species and its biological evolution (though like Ghataprabha, I too fantasize about the goodness of the folk versus the evil of the elite, but then..)…anyhow, whatever the cause, these particular dogs are now rabid. Continue reading →

Filed under: 'War on terror', Human rights | Tagged: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Campaign against VDay but not against LeJ

Posted on February 17, 2013 by beenasarwar
After the blast: Children's shoes and a doll on the blood-splattered road at Kirani Road, Quetta

After the blast: Children’s shoes and a doll on the blood-splattered road at Kirani Road, Quetta

The latest bomb blast in Quetta, again targeting Hazara Shia Muslims – over 800 kg of explosives packed in a water tanker – has killed over 70 people so far including women and children. The casualties have been mounting, with over 150 injured. The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) has again claimed responsibility, barely a month after the blast at Alamdar Road that claimed over 118 lives, including that of our activist friend Irfan Ali, and the unprecedented ‘coffin protest‘ that led to Governor’s Rule in Balochistan.

Let's campaign against love, let hate flourish

Let’s campaign against love, let hate flourish

The hyper nationalist defenders of Pakistan’s ‘ideology’ can campaign against Valentines Day. Even Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, PEMRA, falls in line, dutifully issuing a letter warning TV channels not to promote Valentine’s Day, as it may “injure” the “morality” of our youth (reproduced below). They can instigate campaigns promoting false accusations of blasphemy, spreading confusion and endangering lives. But catch them saying a word against the ongoing target killing of Shia Muslims –  Continue reading →

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

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