Marvi Sirmed and her biography

Marvi Sirmed and her biography 

Marvi Sirmed 

Bold at her stance, irresistent in her arguments, and unapologitic in nature, is what Marvi  Sarmid is known for across the country. Marvi sirmed, an outspoken feminist, advocate for human rights, especially women's freedom and secular democracy, social issues including the blasphemy law, was born on 11 jun 1970, in sialkot, Pakistan. She is now 51.

Marvi Sarmid belongs to an agriculturalist family of Bahawalpur. Her grandfather joined hands with the Nawab of Bahawalpur for the growth of farming. Whereas her father, chaudhry Anwarul Haq, is bureaucrat and retired as Directorate General of Public Relations Punjab. She has two brothers who are said to be active supporter of the current government led by Imran Khan.

She got married to Sirmad Manzoor in 1990s, who is a freelance journalist, at the age of 20. After marriage, Marvi Sarmid did master degree in science and education from the uni of Punjab. Later started teaching subjects like English and Chemistry at secondary school in Lahore. In his childhood she took part in women's protest with her mother. As she was strong advocate of political secularism and women's rights, soon came under the limelight for her slogan, My Body, My Choice.

Initially, she was journalist and  article writer in various newspapers including The News. Along with her professional duty, she was social worker and began to talk about norms values and laws, which she thinks are against women freedom. Besides journalistic responsibility, she began to take part in NGO activities. Marvi joined Aurat Foundation's Legislative Watch Programme in 2002. In 4004, she worked for the United Nations Development Programme in Pakistan. Simultaneously, Marvi Sarmid worked with National Commission on Status of Women in federal minisrtry. At present,she performs as a special correspondent for the Daily Times. 

Because of her services, the government of Pakistan awarded her the National Human Rights Award in 2010 by president Asif Ali Zardari and  Friend of the parliament Award in 2012. She has remained a member of the executive council of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

The moment brought him in the limelight was her bold stance against Hudood Ordinance 1979 and amendments in the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan. Her secularism got him controversy from conservatives. 

She has remained a victim of physical and verbal harassment. Her support for LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) stirred controversy across social media specially youtube. 

As she had protested the 2007 Emergency declared by military dictator Pervez Musharraf, she had been to jail for some time. But it had left no impact on her behavior.

Her candid views on enforced disappearances in Balochistan colored as blasphemy by religious extremists which got him mean and indecent behavior from public. on August 22, 2020, Ms. Marvi Sirmad posted a satirical tweet referring to the many enforced disappearances of human rights defenders and government critics in Balochistan Province, Pakistan. Since then, social media users have launched a series of online attacks against her with threats to kill and rape, deploring the agnostic nature of her comment and demanding her arrest for "blasphemy" under Article 295(c) of the Pakistan Penal Code

Her criticism against politicians to bring religion into politics was also met wit sexual and verbal abuses and slurs and she was called as "barking bitch".

She is believed to be working for foreign companies or for India that is why her hose was broken in two times. First in 2011, a few unknown persons broked into her house, stealing all her important documents and information. Second time her house was ranesKed by unidentified persons taking away her laptop, passport, documents and mobile. 

She received threats frequently from unknown people through text messages and emails. She was met two two murder attacks. First, when she was with her husband, some unknown persons attacked them with murder but escaped unhurt. Another, when a gunman opened a fire to kill her but again had a narrow escape.

From time to time she was subject to online harassment in different ways. She was called as  misogynist, non-Muslim, and foreign agent. Her controversial argumentation at different platforms especially at social, electronic and print media, awaken the like-minded women across the country. For this reason, The campaign #AttacksWontSilenceUs  by Pakistani women journalists against online violence designed to silence women.

She is anxious at the  conditions in Afghanistan, saying that " she was worried about Afghanistan in general and the state of women in particular".

Her tweet for PM Imran khan ," One of those moments where PM was not at top, and first lady wasn't in the room" stirred a storm across the country, providing the citizens an opportunity to abuse her at their will. Just after her tweet, a Hashtag-Tuje thokta kaun he- became trending.

Another provocative tweet by her on 4,9, 2012 that 'Hijab is still a shit' caused the citizens to take to streets against her and to demand her arrest.

As a feminist, she strongly believes in the slogan 'Mera Jism Mere Marzi'. During a debate on live channel, Neo News, on 3rd March 2020, between Khalil ur Rehman Qamar, a well-known television writer, and Marvi Sarmid over Azadi March became too hot to be controlled. The debate turned ugly when khalil ur Rehman abused her and talked ill about her body, ending the programme at the exchange of abusive and uncivilized words & sentences. Thus, the debate divided the whole nation into two groups-one pro Khalil ur Rehman side and the other, against him. Though Khalil ur Rehman apologized Marvi for his behavior, this apology couldn't  bring the situation to normalcy. While  claryfying the slogan, Marvi said, it simply meant My body, My choice. However, the ambiguous nature of the slogan once again brought pro-and anti-groups face to face.

Further, her controversy with senator, Hafiz Hamdullah on live tv channel was also widely criticized. 

During a live show on Television in 2016, Marvi and Hazif Hamdullah got into verbal confrontation. Argumentation became so fierce that Hafiz Hamdullah tried to hit her but a member from the panel hold him back. Marvi Sarmid filed an FIR based on threats of harassment. She went a step further and traced her originality from Afghanistan, critising the government not to take away his Pakistani citizenship.

People have tried their best to malign her and expose her as a bad-character women. In this connection, the video in which she was seen having physical relationship with her servant, puting her credibility on question.

Despite unexpected response from public that include physical, verbal and online harassment and torture,

she still continues to fight for women's rights and social issues with courage. However, her extra-liberal explanation of religion and cross the parameters within which a women in Pakistani society is expected to live pushed her in a web of controversies. In addition, her irresponsible tweets, misinterpretation of blasphemy law and a push to Muslim women into culture put her the nature of work into question.

For mere reading: Khuwaja Nazimuddin