Yesterday I wrote about a protest on behalf of Mukhtaran Bibi; today, over fifty people and half-a-dozen news organizations (including CNN, Dawn and VOA) showed up at the Pakistani embassy. Samia Khan, a Development Manager for MDRI (Mental Disability Rights International) and a NAPAWF (National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum) volunteer who was at the epicenter of today’s event agreed to answer three questions for the Mutiny. You have no idea how sweet this woman is– she had other plans and she shelved them just so you guys could get the latest knowledge on “the movement”. Samia, you’re my heroine.

Samia speaks:

Was it a success?

It was a success in terms of visibility and raising awareness of the issue and involving different organizations. There were at least 6-7 institutions that got involved, it was a multi-ethnic effort, too. It was a strong beginning.

It would be great if Mukhtaran Mai is free, if she gets her passport and can travel thatÂ’s wonderful, but itÂ’s important to remember that sheÂ’s one voice, that there are thousands of cases like her, and that if policies donÂ’t change thereÂ’s going to continue to be lip service to the international communityÂ…but nothing will change things for women.

WhatÂ’s next?

The follow-up to this needs to involve putting more pressure on the government of Pakistan, the international community as well as the administration here. They need to start holding Mushharaf accountable for having respect for humanÂ’s rights, for women. The U.S. is turning a blind eye by giving him aid, but not questioning his policies towards woman and even children.

If someone was moved by this issue, how can they help?

One way to help is to support the schools sheÂ’s built, because thatÂ’s something sheÂ’s invested in as a person. Mercy corps has been handling a lot of her donations. Also, it’s important to follow-up with Amnesty International and other groups who are doing letter writing campaigns.

(Note: Off record, I heard another source say that ANAA is coordinating one of these campaigns)

If you have connections to NGOs in Pakistan, they need to be active as well, in repealing Hudood ordinances that affect women who are accused of zina, that trap them.

:+:

Isn’t she FIERCE? Samia moved to DC in September. She’s 24 and you should know that she wore the baddest shoes ever as I interviewed her at Tryst— it took all my negligible willpower to resist photographing them. 😉 We bonded over the fact that she also knows the sublime blogger Sin and I blushed with an apposite sort of shame when she wished out loud that Adams Morgan weren’t so annoying on the weekends (I’ll try to visit less?). All of that is bliss-inducing enough; the fact that her eyes flash when she talks about her beef with injustice? Well, it’s enough to make this vegetarian rethink her aversion to red meat. Inspired much? I am. NAPAWF membership, here I come.