Pakistan
Pakistan’s two-time Oscar-winner launches first digital platform for minorities
She is the only Pakistani who has received two Academy Awards. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a filmmaker, journalist, and activist, who has to her credit six Emmy Awards and a Knight International Journalism Award, has launched Pakistan's first digital platform for minorities.
Called the White in the Flag, the platform takes the form of an interactive website which aims to highlight issues surrounding the minorities living in Pakistan.
It attempts to create a discourse around their experiences through documenting their history, present, and future in various forms, according to a press statement quoted by The Express Tribune.
On her Instagram page, Chinoy, who has been honoured with the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, the second-highest civilian honour of the country, said the website aims to serve as a platform for students, activists, and legislators to come together and be able to discuss possible solutions to the various problems religious minorities in Pakistan face while providing a detailed record of the past, present, and future.
“Between forced conversions, abductions, terrorism at their places of worship, and target killings, Pakistan’s minorities face an uphill battle just to exist.
“With White in the Flag, we want to ensure that citizens experiencing religious discrimination in our society are able to have their voices heard on issues that are important to them, protect and promote their rights, have their views and wishes genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives and communities,” said Chinoy, who in 2012 was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
The website has an entire section dedicated to the narratives of minorities, featuring films and podcasts.
White in the Flag also has a section featuring articles on human right defenders like Asma Jehangir, Jogendra Nath Mandal, John Joseph, Rashid Rehman, Salman Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti, Arafat Mazhar, Jibran Nasir, IA Rehman, Peter Jacob, Hina Jilani, Veerji Kohli, Paul Bhatti, Haroon Sarab Diyal, Saif ul Malook, Romana Bashir and Jalila Haider.
The issues such as forced conversions and marriages, land grabbing, target killings, neighbourhood arsonry and mob attacks, media representation, and the blasphemy law are also highlighted on the website.
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