In the film Veer-Zaara, Rani Mukerjee’s character, Saamiya Siddiqui, draws inspiration from an extraordinary real-life figure: Asma Jahangir, a Pakistani human rights warrior.
A story on why the world needs more people like Asma.
Asma Jahangir’s journey as a fighter for justice started early. As a young schoolgirl in Lahore, she led protests, and by the age of 18, she was already challenging the military government to free her father who had been arbitrarily detained.
Throughout her life, Asma courageously fought for the disadvantaged—women, children, bonded laborers, religious minorities, journalists, and the disappeared. She was fearless, standing up to powerful institutions and risking her own safety to protect those with no voice.
Asma Jahangir earned the nickname “little heroine” after she led a protest march in Islamabad against then-President Zia-ul-Haq’s decision to enforce strict religious laws.
As a lawyer, Asma, alongside her sister Hina Jilani, founded Pakistan’s first all-women legal firm in Lahore.
They took on cases others feared to touch: defending Christians facing the death penalty on blasphemy charges, freeing bonded laborers from feudal overlords, and supporting women facing violence at home.
In 1983, when a 13-year-old blind girl was assaulted by her employers and became pregnant, she was sentenced to flogging and 3 years in prison. Asma was the only one brave enough to defend her, standing up for the girl’s rights against all odds.
Asma was a vocal advocate for Pakistan’s persecuted religious minorities and opposed forced conversions. She campaigned tirelessly against human rights abuses, both in government and police custody.
In 1995, despite threats from violent mobs, Asma and her sister successfully defended two Christian teenagers, Salamat Masih and Rehmat Masih, from death sentences for blasphemy. She refused to back down, even as her life was constantly under threat.
In one memorable case, a Japanese woman came to her office, desperate to gain custody of her young son who had been abducted by her husband. But she didn’t have any money.
Unable to afford the surety bond, Asma covered the cost from her own pocket and took up the case. She won it, just one of many cases she fought without charging a fee.
When offered a judgeship in the mid-1990s, Asma Jahangir declined, saying, “It would be hypocrisy to be a judge and to defend a law I don’t believe in.” She chose to defend the rights of the most vulnerable, challenging oppressive blasphemy laws.
During her visit to India to observe religious tolerance for UN, Asma Jahangir didn’t hold back, asking tough questions to both Bal Thackeray and then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi about mob provocation, religious polarization and state of minority.
In her report, she observed, “Organized groups claiming roots in religious ideologies have unleashed an all-pervasive fear of mob violence in many parts of the country.”
“Unless political exploitation of communal distinctions is effectively prevented and advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence is adequately addressed.”
Her words were a stark call to action.
Her path was never easy. Asma and her clients often faced intense intimidation and violent threats. Angry crowds would jeer at her, her car was attacked, and even her family wasn’t spared.
“They have done everything to intimidate me. They have even turned on my two daughters. I have had to send them out of the country.”
“Sometimes you have to pay such an unbearable price for what you believe in.”
Sources:
Amnesty International. (2021, October 7). Pakistan: Asma Jahangir leaves behind a powerful human rights legacy. amnesty.org/en/latest/news C
rossette, B. (2018, February 21). The ‘Incredible Courage’ of Asma Jahangir, Pakistan’s Human-Rights Advocate. PassBlue. passblue.com/2018/02/17/the
Malik, H. (2019, February 11). Heart of gold The Asma Jahangir few knew. The Express Tribune. tribune.com.pk/story/1632424/ T
he Legacy of Asma Jahangir | The Nation. (2018, February 14). The Nation. thenation.com/article/archiv
Ahmad, J. (2021, December 15). In Memory of Asma Jahangir. HRCP. hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/in-mem
Aqil, T. (2020, December 31). Remembering Asma. The Friday Times. thefridaytimes.com/01-Jan-2021/re
Asma. A human rights giant, and more. My tribute in EPW. (2019, February 1). Journeys to Democracy. beenasarwar.com/2018/04/14/asm
