- Former Pakistani UN Rapporteur And Respected Human Rights Activist Asma Jahangir Says Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Behind Plot To Assassinate Her
- Human Rights Commission Of Pakistan (HRCP) 2011 Report: '943 Women Were Killed In The Name Of Honor, Of Which 93 Were Minors'; 'The Murderers Were Mostly Brothers And Husbands'
Special Dispatch No. 4777
Former Pakistani UN Rapporteur And Respected Human Rights Activist Asma Jahangir Says Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Behind Plot To Assassinate Her
Former UN rapporteur Asma Jahangir
In early June 2012, renowned Pakistani human rights activist and lawyer Asma Jahangir announced that she had become aware of a plot against her life. At a June 5 press conference, she urged the Pakistani journalists present not to confuse the public about the identity of those who sought to have her killed, stressing that the threat to her life originated in the upper echelon of the Pakistani military's intelligence agencies, such as the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The latter agency, known for supporting militants, nurturing political leaders, and influencing elections, has in the past assassinated a number of political activists and journalists, such as renowned investigative journalist Saleem Shehzad. It has also been implicated in abducting and killing secessionist Baluchi rebels. These incidents are on the records of various Pakistani courts and are publicly known.
Asma Jahangir, an outspoken activist who has led public protests against the status enjoyed by extremist religious groups within Pakistani society, has supported and participated in the holding of mixed-gender marathon events in Pakistan amid threats from hardline Islamic organizations, questioned the "judicial dictatorship" of Pakistan's Supreme Court, and, pressing ahead with that message, run for and won the post of president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. She also served as UN rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions from 1998 to 2004. She is Pakistan's best known liberal face in the international community.
Following are statements by Jahangir herself, and various reports supporting her allegations that the Pakistani intelligence agencies, particularly the ISI, are involved in abductions and assassinations, including an assassination plot against her.
To read the full report, visit Former Pakistani UN Rapporteur And Respected Human Rights Activist Asma Jahangir Says Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Behind Plot To Assassinate Her.
Special Dispatch No. 4775
Leading Indian Clerics: U.S. Plans To Blow Up Mosques In Mecca, Medina With Atomic Bombs; U.S., Israeli Agents Are Sowing Seeds Of Hatred In India; Arab Kings Are Operating Under Tutelage Of Jews And Christians
A copy of a report in Roznama Sahafat
In India, U.S. outreach to Indian Muslims has been rejected by leading Islamic clerics, who have accused the U.S. and Israel of working in tandem to weaken Muslim countries. In recent meetings with officials of the U.S. Embassy in India, clerics of leading Islamic seminaries – Darul Uloom Deoband and Jamia Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur – questioned the American role in the Islamic world and accused the U.S. of conspiring to blow up the two holiest mosques of Islam, in Mecca and Medina. In recent sermons and protest meetings, Sunni and Shi'ite clerics also questioned U.S. and Israeli policies towards Palestinians and the Arab countries, and went on to allege American-Jewish conspiracies against the Islamic world.
According to a report in the Urdu-language daily Roznama Sahafat, prominent Islamic cleric Mufti Abul Irfan Mian Firangi Mahali, who is the qazi (Islamic shari'a judge) for Lucknow, capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, strongly condemned the U.S. and Israel in his sermon before Friday prayers, urging Muslims to be ready to defend the sacred places of Islam.
According to another Roznama Sahafat report, Shi'ite cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad told an anti-U.S. protest meeting that U.S. and Israeli agents are conspiring against him because he is the only Shi'ite cleric at the forefront of protest against the U.S. and Israel.
Another report, in Dnaindia.com, stated that U.S. outreach to Muslims was rejected by leading Islamic seminaries Darul Uloom Deoband and Jamia Mazahir Uloom Saharanpur, with the clerics calling U.S. policy towards Muslims and Islam unjust. It also noted that James Plasman, an official of the U.S. Embassy in India, visited the seminaries as part of a goodwill exercise launched by U.S. Ambassador Nancy Powell, but encountered severe criticism.
Below are excerpts of Indian media reports on statements by Sunni and Shi'ite clerics in India with regard to their positions on the U.S. role in the Islamic world, as well as antisemitic allegations that the Jews and Christians are working to spread hatred among Muslims in India, and coverage of the U.S. officials' visits. The reports were published by Roznama Sahafat and dnaindia.com.
To read the full report, visit Leading Indian Clerics: U.S. Plans To Blow Up Mosques In Mecca, Medina With Atomic Bombs; U.S., Israeli Agents Are Sowing Seeds Of Hatred In India; Arab Kings Are Operating Under Tutelage Of Jews And Christians.
Special Dispatch No. 4766
Human Rights Commission Of Pakistan (HRCP) 2011 Report: '943 Women Were Killed In The Name Of Honor, Of Which 93 Were Minors'; 'The Murderers Were Mostly Brothers And Husbands'
The "State of Human Rights in 2011," the annual report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), a non-governmental organization, examines, among other issues, various problems affecting women in Pakistan. The report noted the increase in cases of domestic violence against women, honor killings, and atrocities against women at police stations, work places, and educational institutions. It also noted the rising suicide rate among young Pakistan women aged 15-30.
Following are excerpts from the report:
"At Least 943 Women Have Been Killed In The Name Of Honor"; "Nearly 4,500 Cases Of Domestic Violence Against Women Were Reported"
Some main points:
"* At least 943 women were killed in the name of honor, of whom 93 were minors. Among the victims were seven Christian and two Hindu women.
"* 701 women committed suicide and 428 tried to end their lives.
"* Nearly 4,500 cases of domestic violence against women were reported.
"* The country's first woman ombudsperson was appointed to receive and examine complaints of sexual harassment and other grievances….
"Not all women suffer social vulnerability in quite the same manner or extent, and their situations may differ in accordance with their social positioning in terms of class, religion, education, economic independence, geographical location – inclusive of distance from urban centers – caste, educational profile, marital status, number of children, and so on.
"So, while all women continue to do poorly in terms of their status as citizens of the state, a fact reflected in the poorer statistics for women's education and health, for instance, and discriminatory laws that make them socially vulnerable, their vulnerability is experientially different according to their social position and their access to avenues of empowerment.
"Over the year 2011, the social indices of development such as educational opportunities, employment, and health pertaining to women remained dismal, with 65 percent of the workforce engaged in low paid and unrepresented home-based work.
"The floods continued to affect women and children adversely, with 120,000 pregnant women suffering from trauma, fatigue, malnutrition, and poor hygiene. The health indicators for women, particularly in rural areas, remained abysmal, with breast cancer being amongst the highest in South Asia and 40,000 deaths recorded annually."
To read the full report, visit Human Rights Commission Of Pakistan (HRCP) 2011 Report: '943 Women Were Killed In The Name Of Honor, Of Which 93 Were Minors'; 'The Murderers Were Mostly Brothers And Husbands'.
