Zahra speaks

Every picture narrates a story and this picture is one of the most special pictures of my life. It is clicked in front of the Governor's house, Lahore. I went to meet the Governor and convey some of my suggestions regarding rehabilitation and accessible education for the PWD's. This meeting did not happen magically nor I had a connection with any politician. One of my good uncles read my blogs and shared it with the human rights advisor for the Governor. She organized the meeting and was very supportive throughout the procedure. It was one of those events when I felt empowered. In the room that had the Governor of Punjab, his team, and the Human Rights advisor, I felt that I found my voice. Although I was very nervous about the meeting, after all, it was an important personality that I was going to meet and who might have an influence in bringing the change that I am working towards. When I entered that room and I started talking, I felt that much more confident than ever. Even...

PC: MALTA TODAY Rape, this word triggers everybody, but nobody is ready to address this issue in this country. 3881 rape cases were reported in 2019, this figure includes the child sexual abuse as well. The recent case of a woman being gang-raped in front of her children is horrifying but this inhumane act is not something new. The nation has much lately witnessed another act of brutality when a 5-year-old girl’s torched dead body was recovered. The cases would go on and on but the government and officials would still not act. Pakistan has become a banana republic. Women, children, animals, and even transgenders are not safe anymore. This year, two mind-blowing cases were reported, a cat was sexually assaulted by a few teenagers and some policemen molested five-six transgender, they were forced to strip. I watched the video of the latter incident and it cringed me to death. This week, a trans-activist Gul Panra was shot dead by anonymous people. This issue is much neglected and not tak...

Imam Hussain AS is the ray that leads me to Allah. Karbala is University that illustrates something to everyone if you have the eye to see and the heart to feel. PC: Hajij.com I have been looking for words to write about Ashura and Imam Hussain AS but I couldn't gather the right words that could describe my feelings about Karbala and the family of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. The event of Karbala marks a very important point in the history of Islam. If we look at it from a broader perspective, the uprising of Imam Husain AS was not only a religious obligation but a humanitarian act. It was significant because the event of Karbala distinguishes right from wrong, justice from injustice, and the word of God from the greed of power. Karbala dates back over 1400 years but the impact is still as strong as ever. The voice of the oppressed has echoed over the centuries and the oppressor has been silenced by the predomination of truth. Many people don't understand the concept of ...