Time's Asia's Activist for 2002: Asma Jehangir

[Zakk]

Time Magazine had it’s annual poll for the most influential/inspiring people in all fields in Asia. In the short list of 20 included 3 Pakistani’s Pervaiz Musharraf, Wasim Akram and Edhi. Anyway Asma Jehangir came under the separate lists for activists. My own opinion of her is varies considerably, but each to their own:

http://www.time.com/time/asia/2003/heroes/asma_jahangir.html
Asma Jahangir
The pocket protector
By Tim McGirk Islamabad
At 152 centimeters tall, Asma Jahangir is a mere sparrow of a woman. But she’s got a big voice, which she isn’t afraid to use. Jahangir and her colleagues at the Lahore-based Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent body of lawyers and activists, defend Christians and Muslims sentenced to death by stoning under harsh and capricious blasphemy laws. She shelters women whose families want to murder them—only because they deserted cruel husbands. She investigates the fate of prisoners who vanish in police custody and battles for their release through the courts and in the press. In short, Jahangir rails against the myriad injustices that plague her homeland, a type of cage rattling that doesn’t always get popular support. “People aren’t willing to believe that these injustices happen in our society,” says Jahangir, 51. “But it’s all going on next door.”

Jahangir’s father, Malik Jilani, was a politician who spent years in jail and under house arrest for opposing a string of military dictatorships, so his daughter grew up in Lahore with secret policemen at the garden gate. “Asma was always charging off against bullies,” says Seema Iftikhar, a childhood friend, “or challenging the school’s silly rules.” She earned a law degree in 1978 and managed in the mid-1980s to overturn a death sentence against a blind woman who was gang-raped and then, grotesquely, charged with adultery. Since then, she and I.A. Rehman, director of the Human Rights Commission, have defended thousands of hopeless cases.

Yet many Pakistanis wish Jahangir would just shut up. President Pervez Musharraf occasionally explodes into fury against her, saying she is unpatriotic. Eight years back, five gunmen burst into her house, searching for her and her young son; fortunately, neither were home. Five years ago, a policeman was caught creeping up to her house with a dagger.

Today, in addition to her work for the Human Rights Commission, Jahangir serves as a United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, a job that has taken her to Afghanistan, Central America and Colombia. “There have to be principles, justice,” she insists. “Otherwise, we fall into a cycle of revenge.” And back home, people are starting to recognize that a voice capable of challenging authority is invaluable. Checking in at the Lahore airport recently, she was asked by fellow passengers to confront an immigration official who was harassing passengers for bribes. She did, and the official swiftly backed down. “I couldn’t resist,” Jahangir says with a laugh. She’s a small lady—with a large job.

[tshombe39]

Re: Time’s Asia’s Activist for 2002: Asma Jehangir

*Originally posted by Zakk: *
Time Magazine had it’s annual poll for the most influential/inspiring people in all fields in Asia. In the short list of 20 included 3 Pakistani’s Pervaiz Musharraf, Wasim Akram and Edhi. Anyway Asma Jehangir came under the separate lists for activists. My own opinion of her is varies considerably, but each to their own:

http://www.time.com/time/asia/2003/heroes/asma_jahangir.html
Asma Jahangir
The pocket protector
By Tim McGirk Islamabad
At 152 centimeters tall, Asma Jahangir is a mere sparrow of a woman. But she’s got a big voice, which she isn’t afraid to use. Jahangir and her colleagues at the Lahore-based Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent body of lawyers and activists, defend Christians and Muslims sentenced to death by stoning under harsh and capricious blasphemy laws. She shelters women whose families want to murder them—only because they deserted cruel husbands. She investigates the fate of prisoners who vanish in police custody and battles for their release through the courts and in the press. In short, Jahangir rails against the myriad injustices that plague her homeland, a type of cage rattling that doesn’t always get popular support. “People aren’t willing to believe that these injustices happen in our society,” says Jahangir, 51. “But it’s all going on next door.”

Jahangir’s father, Malik Jilani, was a politician who spent years in jail and under house arrest for opposing a string of military dictatorships, so his daughter grew up in Lahore with secret policemen at the garden gate. “Asma was always charging off against bullies,” says Seema Iftikhar, a childhood friend, “or challenging the school’s silly rules.” She earned a law degree in 1978 and managed in the mid-1980s to overturn a death sentence against a blind woman who was gang-raped and then, grotesquely, charged with adultery. Since then, she and I.A. Rehman, director of the Human Rights Commission, have defended thousands of hopeless cases.

Yet many Pakistanis wish Jahangir would just shut up. President Pervez Musharraf occasionally explodes into fury against her, saying she is unpatriotic. Eight years back, five gunmen burst into her house, searching for her and her young son; fortunately, neither were home. Five years ago, a policeman was caught creeping up to her house with a dagger.

Today, in addition to her work for the Human Rights Commission, Jahangir serves as a United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, a job that has taken her to Afghanistan, Central America and Colombia. “There have to be principles, justice,” she insists. “Otherwise, we fall into a cycle of revenge.” And back home, people are starting to recognize that a voice capable of challenging authority is invaluable. Checking in at the Lahore airport recently, she was asked by fellow passengers to confront an immigration official who was harassing passengers for bribes. She did, and the official swiftly backed down. “I couldn’t resist,” Jahangir says with a laugh. She’s a small lady—with a large job.

[tshombe39]

Re: Time’s Asia’s Activist for 2002: Asma Jehangir

*Originally posted by Zakk: *
Time Magazine had it’s annual poll for the most influential/inspiring people in all fields in Asia. In the short list of 20 included 3 Pakistani’s Pervaiz Musharraf, Wasim Akram and Edhi. Anyway Asma Jehangir came under the separate lists for activists. My own opinion of her is varies considerably, but each to their own:

http://www.time.com/time/asia/2003/heroes/asma_jahangir.html
Asma Jahangir
The pocket protector
By Tim McGirk Islamabad
At 152 centimeters tall, Asma Jahangir is a mere sparrow of a woman. But she’s got a big voice, which she isn’t afraid to use. Jahangir and her colleagues at the Lahore-based Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent body of lawyers and activists, defend Christians and Muslims sentenced to death by stoning under harsh and capricious blasphemy laws. She shelters women whose families want to murder them—only because they deserted cruel husbands. She investigates the fate of prisoners who vanish in police custody and battles for their release through the courts and in the press. In short, Jahangir rails against the myriad injustices that plague her homeland, a type of cage rattling that doesn’t always get popular support. “People aren’t willing to believe that these injustices happen in our society,” says Jahangir, 51. “But it’s all going on next door.”

Jahangir’s father, Malik Jilani, was a politician who spent years in jail and under house arrest for opposing a string of military dictatorships, so his daughter grew up in Lahore with secret policemen at the garden gate. “Asma was always charging off against bullies,” says Seema Iftikhar, a childhood friend, “or challenging the school’s silly rules.” She earned a law degree in 1978 and managed in the mid-1980s to overturn a death sentence against a blind woman who was gang-raped and then, grotesquely, charged with adultery. Since then, she and I.A. Rehman, director of the Human Rights Commission, have defended thousands of hopeless cases.

Yet many Pakistanis wish Jahangir would just shut up. President Pervez Musharraf occasionally explodes into fury against her, saying she is unpatriotic. Eight years back, five gunmen burst into her house, searching for her and her young son; fortunately, neither were home. Five years ago, a policeman was caught creeping up to her house with a dagger.

Today, in addition to her work for the Human Rights Commission, Jahangir serves as a United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, a job that has taken her to Afghanistan, Central America and Colombia. “There have to be principles, justice,” she insists. “Otherwise, we fall into a cycle of revenge.” And back home, people are starting to recognize that a voice capable of challenging authority is invaluable. Checking in at the Lahore airport recently, she was asked by fellow passengers to confront an immigration official who was harassing passengers for bribes. She did, and the official swiftly backed down. “I couldn’t resist,” Jahangir says with a laugh. She’s a small lady—with a large job.

She is a western ‘Pitthu’. Where was her ‘human rights’ when Afghan and Iraqi women and children were being bombed?

[karmicy]

Tshombe 39 "Pitthu"

If you call your crusaders "pitthus" Tshombe than you will never have human rights ever . The general pubic is too lazy or just too busy and your Generals & the Fuedals are only interested in their rights above yours. Stop worshipping false gods Tshombe , or are you too enjoying the fruits of the existing system by being its "pitthu".

[Islamabad]

Not only has she committed blasphemy but is an Indian agent. I think she should go to India and live there like them!

She has nothing to do with the real ideals of Pakistan.

[RajputFury]

Re: Time’s Asia’s Activist for 2002: Asma Jehangir

*Originally posted by Zakk: *
Five years ago, a policeman was caught creeping up to her house with a dagger.

LoL Can you all imagine a PAKISTANI policeman CREEPING up with a dagger…thats got to be the funniest sight ever!

Incidentally, I had a chance to meet the lady in Islamabad, my personal views were very favorable. As the ‘charity’ event progressed, I got the feeling that she was more of a patron saint of the upper class, liberal arts educated women who like to do ‘charity’ work as a hobby. Much to my dismay, there was more lip service than actual actions.

[tshombe39]

Re: Tshombe 39 "Pitthu"

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by karmicy: *
If you call your crusaders "pitthus" Tshombe than you will never have human rights ever . The general pubic is too lazy or just too busy and your Generals & the Fuedals are only interested in their rights above yours. Stop worshipping false gods Tshombe , or are you too enjoying the fruits of the existing system by being its "pitthu".
[/QUOTE]

*"If you call your crusaders" *

Crusaders were soldiers who fought against Islam and Muslims. Obviously you need to look back and study history before making comments on serious subjects. Asma Jahangir is another of your 'crusaders'.

[Zakk]

I don't have a very high opinion of Asma Jehangir's work in some areas she seems fanatically anti relgion, but her stand on some issues took a lot of courage and I respect that.

[ChthonicPowers]

I hate this woman and totally agree with our president. i was very hopful of a breakthrough between india/pakistan when Musharaf went to India. Thing didn’t work out well. I was glued to the TV whole time Musharaf was in india. I remember there was this talk show where she participated with a representative from jang akhbar and some other Pakistanis and a whole bunch of Indians. It was very very unfortunate to hear her yapping against Pakistan. I was hoping she would portray Pakistan in a positive light..but NOOOOO..she must rip Pakistan to shreds and argue with her own countrymen about the pathetic human rights in Pakistan. well..helllo. its not like India is any better in this area??

Now I am not saying there are no human rights violations in Pakistan, but have you ever heard an Indian come to Pakistan and yap abt the gujrat incident?

I’ve hated her ever since then. Some of her talk might have had some truth in it, but there’s a time and place for everything. What good did trashing Pakistan on its arch rival’s teritorry served beats me. What more..she came back and apologised to Pres. Musharaf for her actions in india

[waleed]

put her in jail show her the human rights of pak :p

[Spock]

Even Zia was dead scared of this woman!!! Hats off!!!

[system]

BROTHER KARMICY:

You are right saying where were Asma Jehangir’s human rights when Afghan/Iraqi women and children were being bombed. No photographs or big banners from her appeared because it tantamount criticism of “big brother” who is the biggest donor of NGOs headed by “Begumaats”.

These human rights activist only remember human rights where it suits to their NGOs finance from abroad. A few years back workers of her family factory had been struggling for a bonus due to huge profits to the factory but since it was the matter of giving from her own family pocket to poor hence she did not speak a word and the family terminated services of many workers whereas getting a small percentage out of huge profits is also a “human right” of those workers who’s physical work contributed in this huge profit growth.

Leave Afghan and Iraqi women who are thousands miles away. Just near her two kids of 6 to 8 years of alleged terrorist (probably Khalid Sheikh) were taken out of Pakistan and according to a US newspaper they were taken to USA. For Asma Jehangir and his tribe taking away small kids away from mother for questioning about their father and using as a tool pressurizing father is not a human right for her. Khalid Shaikh if allegedly has committed that acts of terrorism for which he is alleged he does not deserve any sympathy. But a human rights activists and that too who shows her heart for women remains silent for a mother and two small children is more than self speaking.

Some places she has done some work but where it suits her and not on basis of principles.

BROTHER CHTHONIC POWERS

I can not label her as American agent as one reader has. But I quite agree with you people like Asma Jehangir have lot of heart for their mother land “India”. And in fact there are some Pakistani web site forums or newspapers reading of which you will feel as if these are originated from India. For example if you read weekly Friday Times it will appear not merely editor but all its readers having great heart for India. In such publications or forums anything which a little goes against India is hardly allowed to get space and if is given after modification of text.

Collective human rights work? No. The only human right work is which you yourself as a human being do by helping others by your own little finance or even just by word of mouth. Otherwise collective human rights work like that of Asma Jehangir is to get foreign donors finance to enjoy self and dear ones life by employing them on huge salaries in NGO offices and for self popularity eg you can see even people from Jamat-e-Islami when distribute a 20 kgs Atta (flour) to flood hit people they do ensure that a photographer must accompany them.

[kabir]

a overratted woman, publicity savy woman
i dont know how you tolerate such people?