Photo credit: Geo TV

“A male friend once asked: why is #AsmaJahangir always so angry? What disturbed him perhaps was why she always spoke up and appeared utterly unafraid in this world dominated by masculinity’s apoplectic id. For me, this is what #AsmaJahangir was: she was brave enough to be angry”

True to her life, her funeral was also a symbolic resistance of immaculate stature with women and minorities participating in huge proportions giving it an egalitarian look. MarviSirmed in a Dailytimes article noted, “Asma Jahangir’s funeral was an emotionally draining yet an energising experience in unique ways. People of all ages, genders, ethnicities, religions, and social classes came to bid adieu to her. Only she could manage to amass such a wide spectrum of the society at such an occasion.”

Trans people, women, men youngsters, older people, people across classes arriving in different vehicles and on foot, destitute women and many others became a part of the funeral. Activists who had spent their lives in struggles for people’s rights, people who ahd benefitted from her mere presence, religious scholars who admired her work and more.Clerics, Mullahs who admitted how courageous she was, all eager to pay their homage.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the funeral prayer was led by Haider Farooq Maudoodi, who opposes Islamists and is considered closer to Marxists. He is known for his views against political Islam, mullahism and exploitation of religion for political power as much as his reputation for revolt, especially from his father MaulanaAbulA’alaMaudoodi.farooq stood by the side of Asma in many of her political battles and supported her family.

But the most striking feature of the funeral was the presence of a large number of women who performed all her last rites, as Marvinoted, “The striking feature of this unique funeral ceremony was the predominant presence of women and the role they played throughout the event. At 11:45am when the body arrived at Asma’s home from the mortuary, women took it from the ambulance to the drawing room, which had been emptied already by removing all furniture. Women of the family and Asma’s comrades from Women’s Action Forum were all clad in identical black dresses with yellow scarves inscribed with women empowerment slogans.After almost three hours, when the body had to be shifted to the ambulance again for the funeral procession, it was these women who carried her to the ambulance.While the close family, her husband, children, and siblings sat in the ambulance, other women escorted the slow moving ambulance to the venue on foot.”

In a truly exhilarating defiance of another regressive tradition, women shouldered Asma’s funeral bed – a practice conventionally considered a strictly male domain.

Unfortunately, the state of Pakistan lost yet another chance to redeem itself by maintaining a stark silence on the appeals made by the citizens’ demands of flying the national flag at half-mast or of arranging a state funeral for her. Asma was much bigger than a state funeral anyway. It was hardly surprising that no eulogy or two words of condolence were expressed in this solemn moment of the departure of the warrior for equality and liberation.

Asma was a fighter against every military regime and struggles for democracy and civilian supremacy. Not only did she struggle within Pakistan at the great cost of constant threats to her life, but also she criticized India for its treatment of the Kashmir issue. This did not go down well under the throats of hyper-nationalists and jingoistic elements of both countries and many concerted hate campaigns were propagated against her, even in her death.

But Asma was not the kind to fear criticism or uncalled hate. She got the kind of love that every human rights activist would consider themselves fortunate to receive. She was many things to many people. Her struggle gave hope to the alienated people of Balochistan of getting justice and civil liberties. A former chief minister of Balochistan, Akhtar Mengal tweeted on her death, “Balochis­tan is forever in your debt.” She had become a symbol of unity across borders. Not only Balochistan but she also supported the struggles against the staged police encounter of NaqeebullahMehsud in Karachi last month. She criticised the indiscriminate actions against the Pakhtuns in other parts of Pakistan. She also opposed the policies of enforced disappearances. Asma had been a strong critic of the disastrous state policy of using militancy as a tool of foreign policy that cost Pakistan massively, both in terms of human lives and the economy.

Asma also campaigned for peace between Pakistan and India which became a major issue for her in Pakistan. They started a campaign showcasing her picture with the Right wing Hindutva extremist Bal Thakeray, despite the fact that she had met him in her capacity as the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of religion investigating violence against Muslims in India.

On the other hand, her haters also spewed venom in the solemn moment of her death. One twitter troll said, “India lost their prime asset today & Pakistan is blessed to get rid of a traitor” Many ran a shameful campaign of trolling. This kind of filth on social media reflected a sickening mind-set of powerful interest groups who were challenged by Asma. These are the same people who ran a vicious campaign when she was alive. During February 2017, when Asma took to twitter to criticize the High Court on the ban on Basant and Valentine’s day, a troll asked for her daughter’s number to wish her Valentine’s. In a style, befitting to her stature, Asma replied saying, “Wish me one first”. Truly, even from the skies, Asma must have been taking on these trolls in such style.

Asma had mentioned in an interview that whatever she did, she never deviated from her core principles; she never sought glory or ever tried to benefit from adversity. In her death, this was proved beyond doubts. Salaams to this courageous liberated woman. May her tribe grow across national boundaries, as also the boundaries of religion, caste and class.

The post An Unusual Funeral in Pakistan appeared first on SabrangIndia.

When common people specially women, minorities, marginalized communities and working class in our sub-continent are being subjected to unparalleled violence inflicted by the state, religious bigots, feudal elites and crony capitalists one of the greatest fighters for the rights of the common people, Asma Jahangir, a dear friend is no more. Pakistan’s well-known human rights activist and senior lawyer Asma Jahangir passed away in Lahore on February 11 (2018). Asma died of cardiac arrest when she was only 66.

She was born in 1952 in a political family which had long tradition of opposing military rulers and religion based politics in Pakistan. Her father was a great supporter of the political rights of people of the East Pakistan.She and her sister Hina Jilani became the most prominent faces of resistance to Islamist politics in Pakistan, faced immense reparation in Zia’s regime but never compromised. Asma Jahangir till her last breath kept on fighting indefatigably for the rights of minorities and women in Pakistan.

She co-founded the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in 1987 and became its Secretary General until 1993 when she was elevated as commission’s chairperson. Later, she also became president of Supreme Court Bar Association. She also co-chaired South Asians for Human Rights. Due to her unwavering commitment against police state and religious persecution of minorities she was appointed United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary or summary executions and later as the United Nations Rapporteur of Freedom of religion or belief.

She with her sister, Hina founded an institution which worked 24×7 to help victims of rape, Hudood Law, religious violence and police repression. She took the issue of ‘disappearances’ of political activists in Baluchistan by the Pakistan army to UN. She was imprisoned many times and was top on hit list of Islam-o-fascists of Pakistan and army intelligence agencies.

She was not only a severe critique of Islamist bigots and state terrorism in Pakistan but she was equally hard hitting against India for human rights excesses, especially in Kashmir. She was never welcome in India, denied visa many times. Even when she was allowed to visit India in2009 her room was raided by the Delhi police suspecting for indulging in anti-national activities. Of course, later the then PM of India, Manmohan Singh apologized. Asma in her typical feisty reaction told the media that it did not trouble her much as she “had gotten used to [this kind of treatment] in Pakistan”.

I interviewed her in August 1995 when there was an attempt on her life within the compound of Lahore High Court. The views she expressed 23 years back are relevant even today. If were warnings were heeded both Pakistan and India would not have been at the mercy of criminals who under the garb of religion are dismantling whatever was civilized and humane in the region. An article based on this interview which appeared in an English daily is reproduced here.

“ACT NOW AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM”—ASMA JAHANGIR
February 16, 1995, Asma Jahangir is attacked and her car set on fire within the premises of the Lahore High Court. Her “crime”: she is pleading the case of 14-year-old Salamat Masih, one of the many blasphemy accused she has been defending. The incident and the case make headlines. But Asma is unmoved. “These are the essential risks of the cause I have chosen to uphold,” she once said. A cause she upholds as the chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. A cause she furthers by running a 24-hour legal aid cell, exclusively for women and members of the minorities victimized by feudal elements and Shariat laws.

It is not surprising, since she belongs to a family which has a tradition of opposing dictatorial regimes. Her father headed the West Pakistan chapter of Sheikh Mujib’s Awami League and spent many years in Ayub Khan’s jails for supporting the Bengali Muslim struggle. Asma and her sister Hina were students when their participation in anti-Ayub agitations landed them in jail, time and again. The dictators are gone but dictatorial laws continue to hold sway in Pakistan. Laws such as 295-C under which the only punishment is death. All you need to do is go to a police post and lodge a complaint that a person has insulted the Prophet. This would become a case of Gustakhi-e-Rasool (blasphemy). A law that can be used to settle personal scores, including land disputes, get rid of lawful wives and browbeat Muslims and minorities alike, according to Asma. In one case, that she has been defending, a Muslim social worker was implicated in a blasphemy case by someone who wanted his job.

Then there are the Shariat laws on rape, the brainchild of General Zia. The rape victim must produce four witnesses—all Muslim males—to prove the crime. If the witnesses happen to be non-Muslims or women, the required number goes up to eight. The result is that the victims often end up in jail themselves after being convicted of adultery, a crime that carries a sentence of seven years. Today, 70 percent of the women languishing in Pakistan’s jails are victims of such laws, according to Asma. All in the name of Islamization, Asma firmly believes that this is a political issue linked essentially to the sense of insecurity among Pakistan’s rulers, most of whom have been military dictators.

“Shariat laws have been their most favourite game. The more they repress and loot, the more they shout about upholding Islam.” The dictators are gone, but little has changed under the Bhutto government. The party had promised a review of Shariat laws, but has preferred to stay neutral, fearing backlash from the mullahs. “They have been given undue importance by dictators in Pakistan. They have intruded into every aspect of life,” says Asma, who feels that their role in education is questionable. “It is worrying to see that the younger generation is turning to fanaticism under the mullahs‟ influence.” But the doughty lawyer is hopeful of the future. “Women in Pakistan are not going to submit to the whims of anybody. They are gearing up for a prolonged battle to save their honour and existence,” says Asma who views the minorities as a “natural ally” in this struggle.

She also alerts the world, including India, to be on guard against religious fundamentalism which threatens to take over the polity. “Act now,” she cautions.

[This article appeared in The Times of India, Delhi on 20-08-1995]

Shamsul Islam is a retired Professor of University of Delhi.Email: notoinjustice@gmail.com

Fearless flame of liberty,
Asma, you had all things
Loaded against you, yet
How, through bulls and
Bullets, hate and calumny,
You steadied in steel
A path of reason and
Freedom, of universal
Oneness in common humanity.
Not once did you blink in the
Face of failure or menace.
Even when caged, the swaggering
Cowards were afraid of how
You might break the cage, and
With lion eyes, smash the edifice
Of their bigoted assertions.
You left a streak of courage,
Ripened in conviction of the
Finest empathies and in the
Resolve to carry on the fight.
There are many who feel the
Might of your legacy, and will
Stand by the light of liberty.

— Badri Raina

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