Posted on April 21, 2017 by beenasarwar
Like many, I feel shattered and heartbroken by the brutal murder of the university student Mashal Khan. In this op-ed published in The News, April 19, 2017, I try to contextualise the tragedy, share my observations about changes underway and suggest a way forward. Copied below with additional links and visuals. Please also sign and share this online petition: Pakistan Against Extremism: Minimum Common Agenda. Continue reading →
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Filed under: Blasphemy Laws, Violence in the name of religion | Tagged: #MuslimBan, 295-C, blasphemy, cow vigilantism, democratic political process, Gen. Zia, Gojra, justice, Mashal Khan, najeeb zafar, qadri, salmaan taseer, shama shehzad, Trump | 3 Comments »
Posted on April 8, 2016 by beenasarwar
I wrote this for the Huffington Post after the attack on the Lahore park on Easter Sunday.
How Pakistan’s Religious Right Uses ‘Blasphemy’ to (try and) Usurp Political Power
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Filed under: Blasphemy Laws, Freedom of expression, Human rights | Tagged: blasphemy, Easter, Lahore blast, minorities, Pakistan, qadri | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 7, 2011 by beenasarwar
UPDATE from CFD, Feb 6, 2011: The state prosecutor appointed to prosecute Mumtaz Qadri has been provided adequate security by the government and has agreed to conduct the trial, which will not benefit from any reaction or controversy that our letters might cause. We look forward to the trial commencing, and justice being done.
Note: On Feb 14, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) is likely to formally charge-sheet Malik Mumtaz Qadri, who murdered Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer.
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Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: blasphemy, case hearing, Pakistan, qadri, salmaan taseer | 4 Comments »
Posted on February 4, 2011 by beenasarwar
Article published Jan 30, 2011 in The News on Sunday – and in Hardnews, India (‘Blood upon the altar‘)
PERSONAL POLITICAL
Manufacturing a ‘hero’
By Beena Sarwar
The assassination of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer has been termed a ‘watershed moment’ for Pakistan — not just because a sitting governor of the country’s wealthiest and most populous province was murdered in broad daylight by one of his own security guards. Perhaps the greater shock was how the murderer, Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, was allowed to commit this crime and how many hailed him as a hero for having killed someone perceived (falsely) as being guilty of ‘blasphemy’. Continue reading →
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Filed under: Blasphemy Laws | Tagged: agencies, blasphemy, democracy, Media, Pakistan, qadri, salmaan taseer | 9 Comments »
Journeys to democracy 