PukhtunWomen

Samar Minallah

Samar Minallah is a remarkable Pukhtun woman who valiantly fights for humans rights from Islamabad Pakistan. Through various means and mediums she has been fighting and bringing attention to the voiceless and helpless, from girls given away as peace offerings , those displaced by war and those dying from AID's.

Her major focus remains on the young girls (as young as two years of age) who are in a thousand year old barbaric tradition given (and in most cases an unwillingly) to the clan of an enemy in order to end an old rivalry. It is actually more like blood money/price where a girl is substituted for money. In this inhumane custom called Swara or Vani, the criminal goes free, and an innocent girl pays the price.

Though un-Islamic and illegal, this centuries old customs take precedence over local jurisprudence and is backed by corrupt and greedy politicians who do not wish to upset their constituents.

Samar has challenged this custom with live debates and interviews with Islamic scholars, politicians and feudal lords, and taking it all the way to the Supreme Court. With Samar’s continued efforts in June 2006 the Pakistan Supreme Court passed a benchmark decision that amends Article 366-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, seeking to penalize the act of offering and accepting by way of compensation any child, or woman against her free will.

In the case that Samar was fighting (pro bono) for, the girls aged 2,3,5 and 6, it was heart breaking to see the little girls in court who had no clue what was happening to them.Despite the risk of her life she bravely continues to advocate and defend girls who may never even know her. Her documentary “Bridge over Troubled Water” helped to streamline the condition these girls are subjected to once they are handed over. It also brought attention to the fact that the practice is not only illegal but also un-Islamic. Girls who had once been forced to accept such cruelty now have started to come forward for help.

Since most cases of Swara or Vani can be disguised as an arranged marriage, Samar is asking for and collecting all documentation of such cases. Her company Ethno Media also produced under her direction two beautiful music videos Shinwarey Lewangeena and Bibi Shireeney, that encourage female education and respect for women.

The displacement of Afhan refuges is nothing new, but the bombings of recent years have left them in a worse plight while the worlds attention has been else where. Samar’s documentary “Dar pa Dar” highlights the plight of the female Afghan refugees and what they have and are going through.

She is currently working on a documentary about the stigmatized and shunned AID’s victims and their families.