Pakistan: #JusticeForZainab

aljazeera, Parents of raped and murdered girl, 7, seek justice 

Background on the awful circumstances linked to #JusticeForZainab.

The JusticeForZainab hashtag is trending.

Social media brings Pakistan's persecuted women rare justice after the violence

Guardian, Social media brings Pakistan's persecuted women rare justice after the violence "Together, Gill, Ali and Siddiqi represent a growing movement of Pakistani women using the internet to demand justice for the crimes they have suffered. This month, the #MeToo campaign – in which women globally have used social media to condemn sexual harassment and assault – has also trended in Pakistan, with one media commentator noting that, unlike previous popular campaigns against patriarchal violence, the #MeToo movement has gained “alarmingly high traction” in the country." Must-read.

'Blasphemous' content and Facebook

Dawn, Facebook to send delegation for investigating blasphemous content: Interior ministry, 16 Mar 2017 "Popular social networking website Facebook will send a delegation to Pakistan for investigating content which the government considers to be blasphemous, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Interior said. "

Pakistan Human Rights Commission Pressures Police To Find Missing Activists

rferl.org, Pakistan Human Rights Commission Pressures Police To Find Missing Activists "The National Commission for Human Rights of Pakistan (NCHRP) has urged the Interior Ministry to locate five rights activists and bloggers who have been missing since last week."

Pakistan Internet censorship

Open Society, Internet censorship in Pakistan is reaching new heights, threatening the rights to privacy and free speech.

Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf : The Alt-Right in Pakistan

Kunwar Khuldune Shahid, The Nation, PTI: The Alt-Right in Pakistan, 21 Nov 2016 "The Alt-Right flourishes in online forums like 4chan or Reddit and has snowballed on Twitter. The movement’s archetypal adherent relishes online anonymity to engage in social media meme warfare, exhibiting supremacism, populism, conspiracism and masculinism – basically the sketch of the infamous PTI troll."

The model and the mullah: Pakistan's 'Kim Kardashian'

BBC News, The model and the mullah: Pakistan's 'Kim Kardashian'

Pakistan 'honour' killing: Why clerics' call may fall on deaf ears

BBC News, Pakistan 'honour' killing: Why clerics' call may fall on deaf ears, 15 June 2016 "The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) in Pakistan has declared that killing in the name of family honour is un-Islamic and against the law. The group, which advises the government on religious aspects of law and society, issued its statement after a recent spate of killings shocked many in Pakistan and around the world. Will anyone listen?" Article refers to the internet and female 'empowerment'

Qur'an teaching online

Tim Craig, Washington Post/ndtv, 'Read It Correctly!' Via Skype, Islamic Teaching Flows Out Of Pakistan, 1 Feb 2016, "With lax telecommunications laws, a large pool of potential teachers and relatively new technologies such as Skype, Pakistan has become a global hub for computerized training courses on how to become a properly observant Muslim."

Pakistan: Mobile shutdown

Dawn, Mobile service suspension: A cause of panic and massive socio-economic loss "As mobile services across the country are suspended for two days in the wake of security concerns on Ashura, a report launched by digital rights group Bytes For All argues that such shutdowns "threaten the very right these practices seek to preserve: the right to life.""

Facebook blocks rock band page at Pakistan govt request

PM News Nigeria, Facebook blocks rock band page at Pakistan govt request "Facebook has blocked the popular page of a liberal rock band in Pakistan at the request of the government, angering activists campaigning against censorship in the Islamic country."

Pakistan: YouTube Ban Resolution

Tribune, YouTube Ban Resolution Unanimously Passed in National Assembly "Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Shazia Mari presented the resolution in the session of the National Assembly today."

Fatwas against suicide bombing

Mohammad Jamil, Pakistan Observer, Fatwas against suicide bombing "On 12th December 2013, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti had condemned suicide bombings as grave crimes, reiterating his stance in very strong words. “Killing oneself is a grave crime and a grave sin. Those who kill themselves with explosives are criminals and are hastening their way to hell” Sheikh Abdulaziz was quoted as saying by the pan-Arab, Saudi-owned Al Hayat newspaper. Unfortunately, his fatwa was not given wide publicity; perhaps this was the reason that militants continued with suicide attacks destroying life and property of innocent people."

'Officials blame Skype for Karachi's chaos'

Irfan Ahmed, Inter Press/Asia Times, Officials blame Skype for Karachi's chaos, 21 Oct 2013

"First, it was YouTube. Now, if the government of Sindh has its way, it could well be goodbye to Skype, Whatsapp, Viber and Tango for the people of this province in southeastern Pakistan. At least for the next three months."

QueerPK blocked

CNN, Pakistan's gays in dark after Muslim nation's first gay website blocked, 26 Sep 2013 "Queer Pakistan, which just went online in July, confirmed it had been blocked September 24 with a Twitter post saying, "It's official! QueerPK is banned from viewership in Pakistan.""

Also see  alarabiya.net, Pakistan blocks ‘un-Islamic’ gay website 

Pakistan YouTube Filtering Plan

Mahesh Sharma, techcrunch.com, Pakistani Activists Smell A Mole In Government’s Proposed YouTube Filtering Plan "After ignoring repeated requests to appear in a court case challenging the Pakistan government’s year-long YouTube blackout, the country’s elusive IT minister is expected to appear at a hearing later this month to outline plans to drop the blanket ban — and instead selectively restrict “blasphemous” and “offensive” material on the video-sharing site. However, activists have decried the move as a Trojan Filter that will precipitate a far-reaching internet surveillance regime."

Pakistani sisters killed for dancing in the rain

alarabiya.net, Pakistani sisters killed for dancing in the rain "Two teenage sisters blamed for damaging their family's reputation have been killed in Pakistan after they made a video of themselves dancing in the rain, according to media reports."

Concerns over online Qur'an teaching as ex-Pakistan militants instruct pupils

Guardian, Concerns over online Qur'an teaching as ex-Pakistan militants instruct pupils, 17 June 2013 "Religious websites and instructors enjoy mini-boom reading Qur'an online as British Muslims tap into distance teaching."

"Pak Islamic varsity head sacks staff for speaking to women"

Press Trust of India, Pak Islamic varsity head sacks staff for speaking to women These are allegations via the Press Trust of India (other opinions may be available): "The Saudi Arabian head of Pakistan's International Islamic University has stirred up a controversy by firing employees who spoke to women colleagues and taking action against an official for allegedly watching a movie on the Internet. "

TakeBackTheTech.net

Marcus Michaelsen, qantara.de, Hostility on the Internet "Women in Pakistan are being harassed and are encountering hostility via social networks on the Internet. At the same time, many women's rights activists see the web as a new way to further their work." Also check out: