[Reader-list] Pakistan: Not quite a 'deathly silence'

[yasir ~يا سر]

Murder of Shahbaz Bhatti, Minister for Minorities
Murder of Salmaan Taseer, Governor Punjab
Blasphemy Laws

From: beena sarwar




Posted to my blog with a photo of one of the rallies in Hyderabad -
Email to Gwynne Dyer, March 10, 2011:

Dear Mr Dyer:

Regarding your article ‘Deathly Silence Prevails in Pakistan’ published in
several newspapers and reproduced by NewAgeIslam website (
http://bit.ly/h3QzeT) where I saw it - you make some valid comments but to
say that there is a deathly silence is untrue and unfair.

Many people in Pakistan have been raising a voice, fighting for their rights
and against vigilante violence and unjust laws even before the murder of
Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer. The murder of Federal Minister Shahbaz
Bhatti was a huge blow, but they are still speaking out. Here are some
instances:

Please visit the Citizens for Democracy (CFD) blog
http://www.citizensfordemocracy.wordpress.com to get an idea of some of the
public statements and rallies that have been made over the last two months.

Also see this moving video of a rally in Lahore after Mr Bhatti’s murder
http://youtu.be/77Rn9Mb9MGI - and this one in Islamabad- (BBC Urdu video
report). There have been several public rallies for Shahbaz Bhatti around
the country (some are mentioned in the CFD blog). A major Reference is being
planned in his honour in Karachi on March 20 (CFD organised one for Salmaan
Taseer also.

The country’s most widely watched television channel, Geo TV broadcast a
tribute to Shahbaz Bhatti - "Na Tera Khuda Koi Aur Hai, Na Mera Khuda Koi
Aur Hai..." (which translates essentially to: ‘we have the same God’) -
http://youtu.be/2mUHvRj87SM

Hundreds of prominent people, as well as students, have endorsed an open
letter about these murders – you can see the list at the CFD blog -
http://bit.ly/gEo6n1. A mass public signature campaign aiming for thousands
of signatures is starting on Saturday March 12 in Karachi (11.00 am-7.00 pm
opposite Park Towers. People are requested to bring some postage stamps and
lots of friends).

To dismiss all these voices, people coming out in public at the risk of
their lives, as 'deathly silence' and to say that Sherry Rehman is the 'last
woman standing' is to do a grave injustice to all those who are coming out
in public and speaking up.

Sincerely

Beena Sarwar

p.s. Forgot to add this: In addition, please see Gawaahi.com (Witness) which
is also compiling voices speaking out; Naveen Naqvi's latest post:Your
silence can mean more murders - http://bit.ly/e9L4AU
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