Shajar-e-Ilm Congratulates Samar Minallah

Samar Minallah, a prominent Pakistani film-maker, anthropologist, and human rights activist has been awarded the prestigious "International Roberto Rossellini Award 2009’ and the ‘Cannon Award 2009’ at the International Film Festival held in Italy (The News). Samar received the award in recognition of her use of powerful documentary film to advocate for the rights of women and other disadvantaged groups in Pakistani society.

Samar has her own NGO, Ethnomedia and Development, which promotes culturally sensitive development. Samar has pursued her struggle for women's rights in the face of insurmountable obstacles and grave threats. The issues she has taken on include the age-0ld custom of Swara in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province wherein women are given as compensation for crime, the plight of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, human trafficking in South Aisa, and the general victimization of women in Pashtun society. In the face of death threats and intimidation, Samar highlighted a video where a 17-year-old girl was being publicly flogged by Taliban, to raise awareness on the inhumane treatment of women by the Taliban.

Samar has been a patron of Shajar-e-Ilm, a source of support and encouragement during all of Shajar-e-Ilm's work. Shajar-e-Ilm would like to extend its heartiest to congratulations to Samar Minallah for a much-deserved award.