[Reader-list] TODAY: Press Conference - Vandalism @ ArtsCouncil - Press Club 4:30pm

[yasir ~يا سر]

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*
* *Culture SOS** !*

TODAY (Mon 13 April 09):

Press Conference - Vandalism @ ArtsCouncil
Karachi Press Club, 4:30pm

BE THERE !


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You need to do ALL of the following:

1. Come to the *Press Conference* at Karachi Press Club (KPC) at 4:30 pm,
sit in the audience and watch the panel reading out the
*Statement*(petition below) and explaining: what is wrong with
*attacking a public space*, to journalists and the public.

1. Sign petition, and ask people to sign petition:
Inquiry into Vandalism at Arts Council Khi 08Apr'09
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Vandalism_at_Arts_Council_Karach/

2. *Join, and Ask People to Join* the googlegroup CultureSOS at:
http://groups.google.com/group/culturesos
(if you haven't joined already)

Other groups are welcome to take up the petition on their own.

To send messages to the whole group write to:
culturesos [at] googlegroups [dot] com

Please forward to friends.
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*       STATEMENT
    ON BEHALF OF     *
*    THE CONCERNED CITIZENS OF PAKISTAN*

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Vandalism_at_Arts_Council_Karach/

This great city of Karachi was the venue of the 2nd Shanaakht Festival held
at the Arts Council, Karachi. Over 1000 exhibits of Art were received and
featured at this Festival and it was open to the general public. On the
first day [i.e. 8-4-2009] of the 2nd Shanaakht Festival, a small group of
individuals entered the Arts Council, Karachi, disrupted the Festival and
vandalized the exhibition at the Festival. The disruption and vandalism of
the Exhibition was done on the ground that one of the exhibits was
objectionable and disrespectful of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. It is important
to note that these people never approached the organizers to launch a
complaint or for the removal of the exhibit that they found objectionable.
It is also been reported in the ‘The News’ on 10-4-2009 that a F.I.R. has
also been initiated against the organizer of the Festival and artist of the
objectionable exhibit.


Without defending the said exhibit of art and without deliberating on the
issue as to whether the exhibit of art was objectionable and disrespectful
or not, we respect the point of view of all persons who found the exhibit
objectionable and disrespectable and we sympathize with them for their
emotional distress. We also respect the right of all persons to peacefully
protest and criticize any exhibit or piece of art which they deem
objectionable. What we are concerned and disturbed about are the actions of
some people, whatsoever the grounds maybe, who disrupted and vandalized the
exhibition and endangered the life and security of the citizens present.
What we are further perturbed about is the use of the criminal law against
persons who have a different point of view.


Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and the Pakistan People’s Party have waged a historic
struggle for tolerance and freedom of expression, which includes the freedom
of artistic expression, in this country. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto gave her
life for these principles. Surely, it is our expectation from a democratic
government of the PPP that the freedom of artistic expression will be upheld
and protected by this government and any act of vandalism or suppression of
this freedom will not be condoned by this government.


We, as concerned citizens, will resist any attempt to suppress our freedom
of expression by acts of vandalism and violence and by malafide initiation
of criminal cases to suppress the voices of dissent.

*
We demand that the government should hold an inquiry into the acts of
vandalism and violence on April 8th, 2009, at the arts council, Karachi, and
we urge the government to protect the life and liberty of the persons
against whom a malafide criminal case has been initiated.   *

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