Samar Minallah

Samar Minallah
Samar Minallah (in the middle) Filming in Rahimyar Khan for a documentary on Human Trafficking.JPG
Samar Minallah filming in Rahimyar Khan for a documentary on Human Trafficking
Native name ثمر من اللہ
Nationality Pakistani
Education MPhil
Occupation documentary filmmaker, and human rights activist
Religion Islam

Samar Minallah (Urdu: ثمر من اللہ‎ ALA-LC: S̱amar min Allāh IPA: [ˈsəmər mɪn əlˈlɑːh]), born 1968, is a documentary filmmaker, and human rights activist from Pakistan.


Background and education

Samar was born in 1968 . She has an MPhil in Anthropology and Development.

Fight Against 'Swara' 'Vanni' or Compensation Marriages in Pakistan

'Swara' or 'Vanni' are marriages where girls, often minors, are given as compensation to an enemy family to end disputes, often murders. The murderer gets away with his crime and his daughter, sister or niece pay the price for his crime for the rest of their lives.[1][2][3][4]

Samar filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the custom. As a result, the Supreme Court directed the Inspectors General of Police (IGPs) of the four provinces of Pakistan to stop marriages to settle family feuds, declaring the customs of Vanni and Swara un-Islamic.

Samar was awarded the "Perdita Houston Human Rights Activist Award" for her contribution in advocating change on this issue. The award was presented by well-renowned feminist and author Gloria Steinem.[5]


Other work

Other works include ‘Bibi Shireenay: Where Honour Comes From’ and ‘Shinwaray Lawangeena: Where the Waters Meet’.

Samar has also won a UNESCO-sponsored regional documentary-making competition, addressing the issue of HIV and AIDS. Other countries participating were Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Samar was selected as one of the "Young Leaders of Asia" by Asia Society New York in 2007.

Some of her more recent documentaries are ‘Allaho: A Lullaby for You my Daughter!’ ‘Warawae-e-Lasoona: The Song of Unity,’ ‘The Missing Link,’'Da Bajaur Gooloona', ‘The Hidden Colours of the Northwest Frontier Province,’ 'Land of a Thousand Colors' and ‘The Dark Side of Migration.[6][7]


References

  1. ↑ Intikhab Amir. "Documentaries make social change happen". Beta.dawn.com. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  2. ↑ Archived 25 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Declan Walsh. "15 child brides used to settle Pakistan feud". the Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ "Steps ordered against anti-women jirgas". Beta.dawn.com. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "Documentary screening: There is a way out of forced marriages says activist". Tribune.com.pk. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  7. ↑ "Touching film on Bajaur homeless screened". Beta.dawn.com. Retrieved 24 November 2014.

External Links


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