Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy launches Pakistan's first digital platform for minorities

Two-time Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has launched Pakistan’s first digital platform for minorities.

Called the White in the Flag, the platform takes the form of an interactive website which aims to highlight issues surrounding the minorities living in Pakistan. It attempts to create a discourse around their experiences through documenting their history, present and future in various forms stated a press release.

With the White in the Flag, Obaid-Chinoy also aims to provide a major tool to students, activists and legislators when confronting issues of minority groups.

“Approximately 3.8% of Pakistan’s population is its minorities, yet the voices of these communities are often suppressed – between forced conversions, abductions, terrorism at their places of worship and target killings – Pakistan’s minorities face an uphill battle just to exist,” said Obaid-Chinoy.

“With White in the Flag, we want to ensure that citizens experiencing religious discrimination in our society are able to have their voices heard on issues that are important to them, protect and promote their rights, have their views and wishes genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives and communities” Obaid-Chinoy added on account of the platform’s launch.

The website has an entire section dedicated to the narratives of minorities, featuring films and podcasts such as Representations of Minorities in the Media: Ahmadis, Representations of Minorities in the Media: The Mandir, the Defender, Minorities and Social Pariahism, Minorities and Section 295-C, The Story of Abdul Sattar Edhi and Kulsoom Hazara, the Karate Wonder.

White in the Flag also has a section featuring articles on Asma Jehangir, Jogendra Nath Mandal, John Joseph, Rashid Rehman, Salman Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti, Arafat Mazhar, Jibran Nasir, IA Rehman, Peter Jacob, Hina Jilani, Veerji Kohli, Paul Bhatti, Haroon Sarab Diyal, Saif ul Malook, Romana Bashir and Jalila Haider.

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