“My first motivation is the people and the love I feel for them”

Maryam Kanwer

Maryam Kanwer is a human rights activist from Pakistan with a focus on oppressed ethnic and religious communities. She is also a co-founder of Pakistan Youth Alliance, a not-for-profit youth organisation working on democracy, human rights, youth development and countering radicalisation in Pakistan. She now lives in the UK, sharing her experiences and the plight of oppressed communities.

How did you become a human rights activist?

I grew up in a feudal setup though my parents were politically progressive. My mother tried her best to keep us away from politics as she believed that Pakistani political environment is not suitable especially for the women. I was a bookworm since I was a child and that made me mature and aware about the society and the injustices around at an early age.  

In 2007 General Musharraf [who was then the president] imposed [a state of] emergency. I was a student at that time and then I decided to break all the taboos attached to me and to initiate a movement against the dictatorship. 

I started with my own set of friends, then started meeting different student groups, visited campuses and that’s how I turned into an activist.

What do you see as the main problems facing Pakistan's minority communities today?

The problems minorities face are manifold and it’s difficult to encapsulate them in few words due to their complex nature because not every minority faces the same problem. It depends on their faith, colour and geographical location. 

For example, Ahmadis are targeted particularly for their belief and understanding on the issue of the finality of the Prophet Mohammed. Similarly, economic conditions of Christians are miserable, therefore, they are bound to do such jobs i.e. janitors which are considered ‘dirty’ or ‘disrespectful’ for Muslims; as a result, the human dignity element in Christians becomes lesser in the eyes of Muslims. Perpetrators (mostly belonging to Barelvi and Deobandi sects) use the blasphemy laws as a tool to satisfy their bigotry and prejudice against Christians.

In case of Hindus, there is a general perception that Hindus are the ‘other’ or the ‘enemy’ of Muslims. As a result, Hindus experience forced conversions because being Muslim became the synonym of what it means to be Pakistani. 

Similarly, Shi’as, although a minority within Muslims, face discrimination leading to targeted killings on the basis of being different from Sunni, mainly Deobandi/Wahhabi, Islam.

There are a few things common among all minorities. First, they face discrimination at school and societal level. Second, most importantly, all those terrorist groups who victimise and target these minorities enjoy the state’s patronage or tacit support. All minorities have been secluded (ghettoised) due to the state’s inability to protect them.

What story has touched you the most?

Although there are many stories, I remember I was a kid when a new helper came to our house to help in the household. She was a young, decent and clean girl. I and my sister were quite happy as she was a decent person. Two days later, we came to know that she was dismissed from the house. 

On enquiring, we were told that since she was from a Christian background she could not do the dishing or cook the food, she could only clean the toilets, as she was not ‘clean’. I was deeply shocked over this discrimination although at that time, I didn’t even know these terminologies. Simply my argument was that this girl was more decent and clean than the previous helping ladies from Muslim background.

Secondly, I remember reading about the Gojra incident where Christians were targeted and killed over alleged burning of the Qur’an. The incident that shook me the most was the Joseph Colony incident in 2013, when a Christian neighbourhood of around 200 homes in Punjab was burnt down over the issue of alleged blasphemy. 

My understanding of Islam is peace for others, and my understanding of the Prophet is a prophet of mercy who shows respect for a funeral of a Jewish woman and stands up when it passes him. I decided to be more vocal about these persecuted groups.

What inspires you to keep going when the work feels difficult?

My first motivation is the people and the love I feel for them. 

My second motivation is the people who have dedicated their lives to working on the causes of equality, justice and humanity, from leaders like Nelson Mandela to people I meet often while working locally, students and kids who are full of passion. 

My third motivation is the appreciation I get from these persecuted groups, and my last motivation is that feeling of injustice and inequality that keeps me conscious.