off early morning tomorrow to see our kids and attend a memorial for billo apa – asma jahangir – at Asia Society New York. still hard to believe she’s gone.
The Asma Jahangir Foundation, Asia Society, and Open Society Foundations host a memorial in memory of Pakistani human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir (1952-2018). Jahangir was an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan; the founding chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan; the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion; the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions; and the United Nations Special Envoy on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran.
This special event highlights Jahangir’s many contributions to the United Nations, where she served as UN Special Rapporteur on numerous occasions. Human rights activists, journalists, filmmakers, and scholars pay tribute to Jahangir’s legacy, accompanied by a screening of a short film about her life, and a reception. Speakers include: Samina Ahmed, South Asia Project Director, International Crisis Group; Philip Alston, New York University Law School and UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Steve Coll, Columbia Journalism School; Lyse Doucet, BBC Chief International Correspondent; Munizae Jahangir, journalist and documentary filmmaker; Ayesha Jalal, Director of Center for South Asian and Indian Ocean Studies, Tufts University; Hina Jilani, co-founder of AGHS Legal Aid Cell; and Ahmed Rashid, journalist. More here.