Young rights activist honoured

PESHAWAR: The Mafkoora, a private research institute arranged an event at its centre on Friday to confer a commendation shield on a noted social activist Wagma Feroz for being the recipient of $3,000 grand prize on making a short film on religious freedom by an international organisation ‘Empower Women Media (EWM) for the year -2021.

Rights activists, members of minority groups and writers attended the ceremony. Sahib Singh, Maulana Khanzeb, Aroon Sarab, Noorul Amin Yousafzai and Faisal Faran were also among the participants.

Speakers said that fanning terrorism under the garb of religion would no longer prevail unless encountered with national spirit and interfaith harmony should be promoted at all costs to forge national integrity and national unity.

Addressing the event, Wagma Feroz, rights activist and CEO of ‘ Da Torsaro Saadar’ in Peshawar said that she received the award for producing a short film titled ‘She makes everything beautiful’ based on a multi -faith salon in Swat where women from Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Sikh faiths worked together.

. The international cash award was a great honour for all Pakistani women and minority groups raising voice for equal rights and opportunities to ensure national cohesion and religious freedom, she said adding that terrorists were exploiting the name of religion to achieve their evil designs.

Prof Samiuddin Arman, a noted writer pointed out that some undemocratic and anti-society forces were creating hurdles in the way of building a pluralistic society and disturbed interfaith harmony but such efforts could be averted only through promoting positive values .

Hayat Roghani CEO of the Mafkoora on the occasion said that young rights activist, Wagma Feroz should be credited for her great work and if women like her were encouraged, they would bring a real change to the fabric of our society arguing that young women had potential but had no space for quality work.

Ali Sajid, Dr Durwaish Afridi,Mala Akhtari, Subash Chander and Usman Khattak also spoke at the event.