Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy wants to get my sister harmed
You got what you wanted, now can you spare my sister's life?
Dear LUBP, I will be eternally grateful if you could please publish the following few lines.
I don’t want to disclose my name due to obvious reasons. A few years ago, my sister (an acid attack victim) was contacted by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy who said she wanted to conduct some confidential research on incidents of acid attack in Pakistan. Sharmeen told my sister that she runs an NGO which wants to provide medical, legal and social support to her and other victims of acid attack. Because of personal security reasons, my sister (and other family members) categorically told Sharmeen that no part of the personal data or video was to be shown to ordinary public. Sharmeen made my sister to sign a document, which she hardly understood, by assuring that this would bring foreign aid for her ongoing care and well being. However, as it subsequently transpired, Sharmeed did not honour her promise and used the miseries of my sister and other poor women to promote her personal socio-economic interests, in order to win an Oscar and earn money, popularity and various prizes. However, this all came at an unbearable price for my sister and other women who were trapped and deceived by Sharmeen and her production team.
My sister’s tragic story, including some private details, were released for public consumption. Her tragedy was sold as a profitable commodity by Sharmeen and her media production team. My sister and other family members have been subject to harassment and ridicule. Sharmeen and her promised medical, legal and social aid is nowhere to be seen!
I want to categorically state that my sister never allowed Sharmeen to show this film in Pakistan or anywhere in the world. This is a disrespect to my sister and our entire family, many of our relatives will make an issue of it. Men in Pakistan gossip all the time if they see a woman in a film, and rich, elite women such as Sharmeen exploit poor women’s miseries to earn a few dollars.
My sister never wanted to show her face to the cinema audience in New York or Karachi. She and other victims were absolutely clear in their mind in not allowing any public screening as that would jeopardise their life in Pakistan and make it difficult for them to continue to live in a relatively peaceful manner. The minuscule peace in our lives have been further shattered by a greedy elite woman from Karachi.
Through this letter, I want to clearly state that my sister’s life may be in more danger and we’re scared that, God forbid, we could face the same type of incident again. If anything untoward happens to my sister or any other family member, Sharmeen and her production team must be charged with intent to harm.
May God be with my sister and other victims of acid attack and Sharmeen Mafia.
(Name Withheld)
Shame on Sharmeen. If she would do such unethical thing in US or UK, she would be in prison by now.
Do not Oscar and Saarc award committees inquire into the ethical conduct of the producers / directors before nominating them for awards?
She should be disgracefully ripped off all the awards, and award money be distributed to her victims.
I am from South Punjab, Seraiki area. I know for sure that Sharmeen promised medical and financial assistance to an acquaintance’s family. They are still waiting for the promised assistance.
Sharmeen is a great philanthropist just like Imran Khan. She never cheated or deceived anyone. Those women who are criticizing Sharmeen Obaid are themselves very greedy and ugly.
Sharmeen is a tool of army generals and Imran Khan. Her topics are very selective.
A girl who couldn’t become even Fakhra Younus – by Ahmed Nawaz
http://criticalppp.com/archives/75060
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and her Oscar do not mean much for Pakistan
http://pakistanblogzine.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/sharmeen-obaid-chinoy-and-her-oscar-do-not-mean-much-for-pakistan/
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: Contradictions of an Oscar win – by Safiya Khan
http://criticalppp.com/archives/73353
An open letter to Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy – by Ravez Junejo
http://criticalppp.com/archives/74016
سیونگ فیس کی نمائش سے جان کا خطرہ‘
آخری وقت اشاعت: بدھ 23 مئ
اس فلم میں ان پاکستانی خواتین کی حالت زار کو بیان کیا تھا جن کے چہروں پر تیزاب پھینکا گیا
آسکر ایوارڈ یافتہ پاکستانی فلم ’سیونگ فیس‘ کی پاکستان میں نمائش رکوانے کے لیے تیزاب سے متاثرہ افراد کے لیے سرگرم غیر سرکاری تنظیم نے فلم کے پروڈیوسرز کو قانونی نوٹس بھیج دیا ہے۔
تنظیم کے مطابق فلم میں کام کرنے والی خواتین کو خدشہ ہے کہ اگر اس کی نمائش پاکستان میں ہوئی تو ان کی جان کو خطرہ لاحق ہو سکتا ہے۔ہ
اس فلم کی تیاری میں ’دی ایسڈ سروائیورز فاؤنڈیشن پاکستان‘ (اے ایس ایف) نے تعاون کیا تھا اور اس خطرے کو ذہن میں رکھتے ہوئے تنظیم نے اپنے وکیل کی وساطت سے فلم ’سیونگ فیس‘ کے پروڈیوسرز شرمین عبید چنائے اور ڈینیئل کو ایک قانونی نوٹس بھیجا ہے۔
اے ایس ایف کے وکیل نوید مظفر خان کا کہنا ہے کہ فلم ’سیونگ فیس‘ کے پروڈیوسرز نے پاکستان میں اس فلم کی نمائش کے حوالے سے فلم میں کام کرنے والے اداکاروں سے اجازت نہیں لی۔ ان کا کہنا ہے فلم کی نمائش سے پہلے فلم میں کام کرنے والی تمام خواتین کی اجازت درکار تھی۔
ان کے مطابق فلم کے پروڈیوسروں کے پاس سات دن کا وقت ہے کہ وہ اس فلم کی پاکستان میں نمائش نہ کرنے پر راضی ہو جائیں بصورتِ دیگر وہ اس فیصلے کے خلاف عدالت جائیں گے۔
بی بی سی کی نامہ نگار نوشین عباس سے بات کرتے ہوئے نوید مظفر خان کا کہنا تھا کہ دستاویزی فلم بنانے سے پہلے شرمین عبید چنائے کے ’دی ایسڈ سروائیورز فاؤنڈیشن پاکستان‘ کے ساتھ کچھ معاہدے ہوئے تھے جن کے مطابق اس فلم میں کام کرنے والے تمام افراد صرف اس شرط پر کام کرنے پر رضا مند ہوئے تھے کہ اس فلم کی پاکستان میں کسی قسم کی پبلک سکریننگ نہیں ہوگی۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ ان کی شرط بالکل واضح ہے کہ اس فلم کی پاکستان میں نمائش سے ان افراد کی زندگیوں کو خطرہ ہو سکتا ہے کیونکہ پاکستان میں کئی افراد کے اس حوالے سے کیس چل رہے ہیں اور اس صورتِ حال سے بچنے اور اپنی جان کو بچانے کےلیے انہوں نے یہ شرط عائد کی تھی۔
“اس فلم میں کام کرنے والے تمام افراد کے شرمین عبید چنائے کے ساتھ معاہدے ہوئے تھے جس کے مطابق وہ صرف اس شرط پر فلم میں کام کرنے پر رضا مند ہوئے تھے کہ اس فلم کے ذریعے پاکستان میں ان کی کسی قسم کی پبلک سکریننگ نہ ہو۔”
وکیل نوید مظفر خان
اس سوال پر کہ کیا وہ جانتے ہیں کہ شرمین چنائے اس فلم کو پاکستان میں کب اور کہاں نمائش کے لیے پیش کرنا چاہتی ہیں تو نوید مظفر خان کہا کہ ان کے پاس اس سلسلے میں معلومات نہیں ہیں تاہم ان کے پاس کچھ خفیہ دستاویزات ہیں جس کے مطابق انہیں اس بات کا پتہ ہے کہ اس فلم کی نمائش کی تیاریاں کی جا رہی ہیں۔
ان کا کہنا تھا کہ اس فلم کی پاکستان میں نمائش کے حوالے لیے شرمین سے پوچھا جائے کہ وہ کب اس فلم کو ریلیز کرنا چاہتی ہیں اگر وہ اس فلم کو نمائش کے لیے پیش کرنا چاہتی ہیں تو پھر میرے پاس قانونی نوٹس ہے اور اگر وہ اس بات کی تردید کرتی ہیں تو ہمیں کوئی اعتراض نہیں ہے۔
دوسری جانب فلم ’سیونگ فیس‘ کی پروڈیوسر شرمین عبید چنائے کی پی آر کمپنی کے ترجمان کا کہنا ہے کہ وہ اس سلسلے میں جلد ہی ایک بیان جاری کریں گی
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/entertainment/2012/05/120523_pak_acid_women_rwa.shtml
Xain Gardezi
7 hours ago
Reply
Perhaps Sharmeen will work for their protection after winning the oscars as well?
By the way how can producers show it in Pakistan without the consent of the people in the story?
I hope same thing does not happen to this documentary’s participants which happened to the poor kids of slum-dog millionaire who remained poor while the producers got all the gold.
Recommend6
Abdul Qayyum Bhatti
5 hours ago
Reply
Question is how can a producer film someone without one their consent especially in these girls cases. And if they have filmed with the girls consents, do you think it was filmed not to shown. Now question arises either the girls were told the audience of the documentary? and most important is that if there was any written agreement? I hope producer didn’t care to have a written consent of these girls.
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Anon
5 hours ago
Reply
Even if they did sign the legal documents it is possible they did it without understand the full meaning of what they were signing. These women were desperate to get access to treatment, and it is possible they agreed to do whatever the filmaker asked of them. I dont care ho wcelebrated the documentary is, these patients were quiet crassly exploited and their privacy openly infringed upon during treatment in the name of a documentary targeted audience.
The above complaints are not surprisingly given these concerns had been raised earlier by a blogger Abira in her review of the film.
Recommend
Abdul Qayyum Bhatti
5 hours ago
Reply
These filing petition against the documentary, could be a stunt to limelight the film. We have witnessed many examples in our past that petition had been filed against many songs to ban them in Pakistan which proved to be stunt for gaining popularity for these songs and the singers. And it might be true even for the documentary to a file petition against it because the after winning the Oscar, the documentary became popular and then forgotten by media. Filing petition against, could revive the name of the producers and will also remind Oscar winning for Pakistan.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/382932/acid-victims-fear-backlash-over-oscar-film/
Wow that was entertaining. Went great with my morning tea. When is the next story time!
I am a man from south punjab,
Shame on sharmeen for portraying such negative light on something that is our right. Women of this land deserve much worse. They are nothing but liars and cheats. And it is our right to deface, through acid or any other way, any woman we please.
Sharmeen, one film will not change this and neither can any of the NGOs fix this. Women will continue to be thrown acid at and thanks to our glorious culture they will never speak out against it.
Thank you to the author for sharing such an important piece of information with the audience. I hope you also give this article to all the newspapers so that women can shut up and stay in homes to our service.
One day Pakistan will be an islamic state where women will speak only when they are allowed to. Inshallah.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is a rank opprtunist. Our govt should not have honoured her with a national award considering her hatred for our martyred leader Benazir Bhutto.
@ravezjunejo competely agree bro, why the hell did she ever make this film. Why can’t she just sit back and enjoy life. After all she has a lot of money of her father. Then why go out and pursue all these stories?
She should take inspiration from the glorious PPP government that is enjoying all the perks while at it. In fact like Mr Zardari, the rag to riches story of his after marrying a powerful woman. What an inspiration 😉
“why the hell did she ever make this film? why go out and pursue all these stories?”
To exploit a sensitive issue that depicts Pakistan in a negative aspect. Did I mention the attainment of cheap fame? Wonder if she would be as enthusiastic to cover the human rights violations taking place in Balochistan! Or the brutality of the MQM in her very own city of Karachi!
@a guy from South Punjab, the issue of acid throwing should be raised and highlighted but not at the cost of compromising the further safety of the victims. They have already suffered tremendously. If Ms. Chinoy did not have the authorization from all these women, then why was she showing the film. And why have these women been abandoned. Acid throwing is a very serious issue and crime but if the person highlighting this has a dual or different motive, it is worse.
@mahjabeen The issue shouldn’t be raised at all I’m saying. What do these filmmakers/journalists think of themselves. Baray aaye dunya hilanay walay!
It’s not their job to provide security just like they aren’t the ones who throw acid on these women. It’s the responsibility of the government which thankfully is very ignorant to the problem of its people. Like I said it’s nobody’s business to show what we do with our women. Let us be, we really don’t want change and yes these women aren’t safe regardless you highlight an issue or not. Aur waisay bhi yeh aurtein apnay oonper khud hee tezab phekti hain, kasam say!
@a guy from South Punjab
You lost me when you twisted my arguements and added your own to make your point. Ofcourse the Govt. should protect and provide not just legislation but hopefully a judiciary that prosecutes such villains. However, using their misery for personal gain and then placing them in more harms way is despicable.
From your comment, it is obvious that you cannot engage in a proper debate. Shame on you for suggesting that I am making “blame-the-victim” arguement. The victims are these women who have suffered acid attacks – it is not Ms.Chinoy just because she has been critisized. Also, please add your comments to the Express Tribune website on this article:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/382932/acid-victims-fear-backlash-over-oscar-film/
@ a guy from southern punjab
Dude stop pretending you hate/ you are against Sharmeen! Its so clear whose side you are on, probably you are someone from her team. this is one opnion given you like it, take it. If you don’t leave it, life goes on!
I’m an anonymous just like all of us, am I not? An anonymous just like the sender of this aforementioned letter. That’s the beauty of the Internet!
Besides, I say it as I see it!
@mahjabeen, I completely agree with what you earlier said and it’s not a debate. I’m just adding on to what you said with a little addition of my point of view. Evil starts when a woman leaves her house all by herself. Trust me this country would be a better place if women could just stay in their homes.
یہ تحریر لبرل انتہاپسندی کا ایک اور نمونہ ہے۔
Responding to accusations by the Acid Survivors Foundation Pakistan (ASF), directors of the Oscar-winning film Saving Face Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daniel Junge said they never promised that the film would not be broadcast in Pakistan.
According to a joint press release, the directors said the subjects of the documentary were told beforehand that Saving Face would be shown in Pakistan.
The ASF, which had cooperated on the film, is taking legal action against the producers as some survivors expressed fears of a backlash.
“It’s completely wrong. We never allowed them to show this film in Pakistan,” said Naila Farhat, 22, who features fleetingly in the documentary.
Chinoy and Junge said that the acid-attack survivors featured in the documentary had signed legal releases. “The legal releases were presented to anyone who was part of the film and these were also made available in Urdu and fully explained to the subjects by the ASF themselves, precisely to ensure that there was no ambiguity and to maintain the highest standard of ethics on our part,” the press statement said.
The directors also said they never made financial commitments to the victims.
————
Comment: Were those poor, disempowered women in a position to understand the legal ramifications of what they were signing particularly when the verbal explanation and false promises presented a different story?
The above news item from this link:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/384102/never-said-saving-face-would-not-be-shown-in-pakistan/
Urgent attention:
Sharmeen Obaid- Chinoy has started bribing innocent women, acid attack victims, so that they keep their mouth shut. One such woman is Zakia whose life is in immediate threat.
Zakia had categorically requested the film not be shown in Pakistan and had refused to sign the document allowing the film to be released for public screening. However, Sharmeen and her co-producer violated the law and ethical conduct and instead showed Zakia in the final version of film shown at Oscar and elsewhere.
In the last few days, when Zakia threatened Sharmeen and Junge with legal consequences, Sharmeen urgently approached Zakia’s family, bribed them with a few thousand rupees (a few hundred dollars) so that they force Zakia to keep her mouth shut. Sharmeen has now made Zakia to sign a full written authority (post date) to show the film in Pakistan. Sharmeen has apologized to Zakia and said she will make slight edits to respect her and her family’s safety.
…………
The above fact has been also acknowledged in twisted manner by Shareem Obaid Chinoy in her press release published on 25 May 2012:
The pair says Rukhsana, one of the principal subjects of the film, signed the release at the ASF with Muhammad and Valerie Khan of the ASF (executive director and chairperson of ASF, respectively) and the contents of the release were fully explained by them to her. “On the same day we also got signatures of a similar release in Urdu from Naila Farhat, who is quoted in the article and appears in our film for less than 30 seconds and unidentified on screen. Similarly the document was fully explained to her as well despite her remaining unidentified (except for her own recent statement to the press),” the film’s directors said, adding, “The sole exception was one of our two primary subjects, namely Zakia, who initially requested the film not be shown in Pakistan, but has since given us full written authority to show the film in Pakistan for which we have committed to make slight edits on her request, to respect the safety of her family.”
Referring to an allegation of unfulfilled financial promises to the victims, the pair said, “As documentary filmmakers, at no point did we ever make any financial commitments to the subjects and the signed releases with each subject states this explicitly. Nonetheless, although we as filmmakers have yet to realise a profit from the film, we have successfully raised money from donors at international screenings to assist our two principal subjects with legal cases and housing which has already been accepted by Zakia.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012%5C05%5C25%5Cstory_25-5-2012_pg7_24
Survivors of acid attacks whose plight became the focus of an Oscar-winning documentary now fear ostracism and reprisals if the film is broadcast in Pakistan — with some taking legal action against the producers.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy made history earlier this year when she won the country’s first Oscar, feted across the country for exposing the horrors endured by women whose faces are obliterated in devastating acid attacks.
The Acid Survivors Foundation Pakistan (ASF) had cooperated on the film but some survivors now fear a backlash from the conservative corners of the country and are taking legal action against the producers.
“We had no idea it would be a hit and win an Oscar. It’s completely wrong. We never allowed them to show this film in Pakistan,” said Naila Farhat, 22, who features fleetingly in the documentary.
She was 13 when the man she refused to marry threw acid on her face as she walked home from Independence Day celebrations. She lost an eye and her attacker was jailed for 12 years.
After a long, painful recovery, she is training as a nurse.
“This is disrespectful to my family, to my relatives and they’ll make an issue of it. You know what it’s like in Pakistan. They gossip all the time if they see a woman in a film,” said Farhat, taut skin where her left eye dissolved.
“We may be in more danger and we’re scared that, God forbid, we could face the same type of incident again. We do not want to show our faces to the world.”
Lawyer Naveed Muzaffar Khan, whom ASF hired to represent the victims, said legal notices were sent to Obaid-Chinoy and fellow producer Daniel Junge. The survivors, he said, “have not consented for it to be publicly released in Pakistan”, adding that such agreement was required for all the women who featured in the film, no matter how fleetingly.
Khan said the producers had seven days to agree not to release the film publicly in the country, or he would go to court to seek a formal injunction.
“They (survivors) were absolutely clear in their mind in not allowing any public screening as that would jeopardise their life in Pakistan and make it difficult for them to continue to live in their villages,” he told AFP.
But Obaid-Chinoy insisted the women signed legal documents allowing the film to be shown anywhere in the world, including Pakistan.
She told AFP that Rukhsana had been edited out of the version to be shown in the country out of respect for her concerns, adding she was “unclear about the allegations” and would respond to the legal complaints “when a court orders us”.
Rukhsana was not reachable for comment.
“The accessibility is so wide scale, the chances are their lives are going to be threatened,” said the lawyer, Khan.
The producers promised that profits from screenings in Pakistan would go to Zakia and Rukhsana, but the row also hints at deeper differences between film-makers trying to tell a story and charity workers on the ground.
The 40-minute film focuses on Zakia and Rukhsana as they fight to rebuild their lives after being attacked by their husbands, and British Pakistani plastic surgeon Mohammad Jawad who tries to help repair their shattered looks.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2012.
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Reader Comments (16)
ALL COMMENTSREADER’S RECOMMENDATIONS
Critique
May 24, 2012 – 7:26AM
Reply
I highly doubt any legal documents were involved. I’m surprised how Ms. Chinoy knew from the start that she’d be airing this documentary outside of Pakistan in the first place.
Recommend7
B.Ally
May 24, 2012 – 7:27AM
Reply
Who knows the rich had out witted the poor victims for personal glory and fame. Some personality traits of truing others misfortunes into personal gain gets sharpened over time when practised abundantly during formative years. It seems MS CHINOY is very good at it and she knows it for a long time how to convert miseries even personal fabricated ones into financial gain ,sympathy and popularity.
Hail the Hero.
Recommend2
Tahira
May 24, 2012 – 2:32PM
Reply
It is so sad to see the acid burnt victims being used for personal gains. Sharmeen has very conveniently walked away with the Oscar leaving behind the core issue. She used these victims for her own glory and fame which should be condemned. She should have had a better vision and should have worked for the eradication of this cause rather than projecting it to the world and showing a grim face of Pakistan and winning the Oscar at the cost of these victims.
Recommend2
Aniya
May 24, 2012 – 3:03PM
Reply
As in her Oscar receiving speech Ms.Chinoy said , the award is for women of Pakistan but correct me if I’m wrong but a few class conscious who share and cat fight over it’s fame and fortune.I’m actually surprised Ms.Chinoy did not give any benefit or financial proceeds to the acid victims themselves or be an activist for the cause. Slumdogmillionaire created so much buzz in the press that the director had to take care of the families esp educaton of the children filmed most were slum dwelling Muslims and they regularly are featured in the press to see their condition. Like an old story Fakhra killed herself out of loneliness and neglect in Italy, the victim remained a victim. Where is the acid victim in all this and real crusaders working, the press has a duty to bring justice and compensation to them.
Recommend6
Farhan
May 24, 2012 – 4:12PM
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It would be bad if Sharmeen put these poor women in trouble.
Recommend3
Eli
May 24, 2012 – 4:27PM
Reply
Thats it? Where is the voice of sanity? Where are the intellectuals? Where is the award winning angel? What did she actually do for the betterment of the acid victims? Another commercial use of poster childs. Shame on those who financed their oscar using the plight of poor Pakistani women. I hope they go through something similar and i hope i be the one to win an oscar. After all, who does not like walking on the red carpet?
Recommend3
Ayesha Ali
May 24, 2012 – 9:41PM
Reply
It is absolutely disgraceful that after all of Sharmeen’s hard work, the people of Pakistan are willing to bash her at the slightest opportunity. Reading the comments it is appalling that the citizens of Pakistan are shallow enough to not give this woman who has bestowed so much pride on our country a fighting chance. She is an Academy award winning documentary producer at least give her the courtesy of making her case before assuming she is guilty. obaid- chinoy did something remarkable the day she put Pakistan on the map again for a good cause and I refuse to let some corrupt organization undo all her hardwork and celebrity. Perhaps people should do their research before taking everything at face value. Be an educated Pakistani.; it is no wonder that we take one step forward two steps bAck if we can’t even appreciate and support the people who work to bring light to issues of social justice. obaid- Chinoy we are behind you, thank you.
Recommend4
Ayesha Ali
May 24, 2012 – 9:45PM
Reply
Oh and aniya and Tahira you women really haven’t done any research at all have you? During her tour, Sharmeen has been raising awareness and money fr these women and have been trying to give these women an opportunity to recreate their lives and start new. But of course you didn’t know that because you probably haven’t seem the film. You seem like educated individuals act like it.
Recommend3
not impressed
May 24, 2012 – 10:15PM
Reply
@Ayesha Ali:
by the way, I know for a fact that these women promised to take part in the film only and if only this was in no way to be aired in Pakistan.
in fact, rukhsana did not even agree to be filmed for the entire first year that the film was shot in pakistan (2010) for this very reason.
Recommend2
not impressed
May 24, 2012 – 10:17PM
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@Critique:
the film is financed by HBO, it was intended for foreign audiences.
Recommend2
Ahmad Pervaiz
May 25, 2012 – 2:09AM
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I have heard SHarmeen speak at conferences and what she is doing is commendable ! This woman is a walking talking example of how all PAkistanis should be! shame on all of you for criticizing her.. You want to criticize then do so on your so called leaders who are leading PAkistan to HELL! she has created awareness in the WHOLE WORLD . People are donating openly to help this cause and instead of praising her and helping her.. You people sitting on your computers are bashing her? Why don’t you get up and get out of your houses and do something positive for a change
Recommend3
Ahmad Pervaiz
May 25, 2012 – 2:11AM
Reply
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is an asset to the history of Pakistan
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Ahmad Pervaiz
May 25, 2012 – 2:17AM
Reply
@Ayesha Ali:
I agree she’s doing such a fantastic job! It’s so sad to see the educated sound so uneducated!
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Aniya
17 hours ago
Reply
Sorry a correction to the number of victims reported it was wrongly typed as 85000 but should have been 8500. Thank you.
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Lubna
17 hours ago
Reply
Trust Pakistanis to turn anything positive to negative. Sharmeen made a documentary on a harsh issue and by this very act she raised awareness for the same. Of course she got fame and recognition as well, whats wrong with that. Some of the comments are saying she should work to eradicate the problem, well she has at least done something, the rest of the people are just sitting on their backside.
As for the issue about the acid burn victims’ desire that this film is not shown in Pakistan, well this can be resolved between the victims and the producers mutually. Whatever the outcome, it doesnt decrease the importance of what Sharmeen has done in the first place.
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Aniya
12 hours ago
Reply
It’s not about research and its not about the pride Ms.Chinoy brought to Pakistan, its about the position of the victim today.More than 8,500 cases of acid attack and violence against women were reported in 2011 and countless go unreported. Its about the cat fight over fame when the real winner should have been the cause and not the person or the Oscar. What has been done for the victims post the Oscar, has the shame of Pakistan got justice, compensation or a just a clause in a law of 14years imprisonment against a lifelong disability of the victim. Like these petitioning victims what dignity or safety or privacy or health do they have.The numbers are not coming own, any campaign to raise at funds nationally or coordination of NGOs working to become a lobby against the govt to pass a Bill against it. It should be campaigned as an unIslamic practice and culturally unacceptable in an Islamic country like Pakistan.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/383505/saving-face-acid-survivors-to-sue-obaid-chinoy/
The full text of the joint statement can be downloaded here.
http://www.newsweekpakistan.com/data/SOC%20&%20Daniel%20Junge%20Statement%2024%20May%202012.doc
Joint Statement: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy & Daniel Junge
(Thursday: May 24, 2012)
As co-directors of the Oscar-winning film SAVING FACE, we would like to publicly respond to false allegations which have come to light in regards to the potential release of our film in Pakistan.
The Acid Survivors Foundation [ASF] has falsely asserted that we filmmakers promised not to show the film in Pakistan. . Here we would like to state emphatically that all subjects were informed of our intention to release the film globally, including Pakistan, and that all subjects signed a release to this effect. Copies of these signed releases are available through our Pakistan-based lawyer, noted below. Furthermore, legal releases were presented to anyone who was part of the film and these were also made available in Urdu and fully explained to the subjects by the ASF themselves, precisely to ensure that there was no ambiguity and to maintain the highest standard of ethics on our part. It is important to mention that Ms Rukhsana, one of the principal subjects of the film, signed the release at the ASF with Mohammad and Valerie Khan of the ASF [Executive Director and Chairperson of the ASF respectively] present and the contents of the release was fully explained by them to her. On the same day we also got signatures of a similar release in Urdu from Ms Naila Farhat who is quoted in the article and appears in our film for less than 30 seconds and unidentified on screen. Similarly the document was fully explained to her as well despite her remaining unidentified (except for her own recent statement to the press).
The sole exception was one of our two primary subjects, namely Ms Zakia, who initially requested the film not be shown in Pakistan, but has since given us full written authority to show the film in Pakistan for which we have committed to make slight edits on her request, to respect the safety of her family.
There has also been an allegation of unfulfilled financial promises to victims. As documentary filmmakers, at no point did we ever make any financial commitments to the subjects and the signed releases with each subject states this explicitly. Nonetheless, although we as filmmakers have yet to realize a profit from the film, we have successfully raised money from donors at international screenings to assist our two principal subjects with legal cases and housing which has already been accepted by Ms Zakia. We have also from the outset offered to give all proceeds from Pakistan broadcasts to the subjects and organizations working on this issue so we have no financial stake in whether it airs in Pakistan. We would like to state that there has been no financial misappropriation on our part and would caution any person alleging the same. We further would like to mention that should anyone make such baseless statements we will not hesitate in pursuing legal action, both civil and criminal in such regards.
Thus although we strongly maintain that we have full legal right to do so, we are currently considering whether we wish to proceed with Pakistan broadcast, following the ASF’s campaign against the release of the film. We believe it will be very unfortunate if Saving Face is not released in its home country. As human rights filmmakers with an established record of change-making films, we believe the media has a role in illuminating human rights abuses, not hide them away. Furthermore we believe the Pakistani public who have shown overwhelming support deserve to see the country’s first Oscar-winning film and that our intentions as filmmakers – to highlight Pakistan’s achievements in tackling this issue – are evident to all audiences who are able to see the film.
Sincerely,
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Co-Director SAVING FACE
Daniel Junge
Co-Director SAVING FACE
Advised through:
Osman A. Hadi,
Partner at Usmani & Iqbal (Law Firm).
May 25, 2012
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‘Saving Face’ directors refute reports of release in Pakistan
LAHORE: Co-directors of the Oscar-winning film ‘Saving Face’, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daniel Junge, have termed as false reports of potential release of their film in Pakistan, saying they were only considering such a step.
The clarification comes in the wake of reports that survivors of acid attacks whose plight became the focus of the film, fear ostracism and reprisals if the documentary is shown in Pakistan. The Acid Survivors Foundation Pakistan (ASF), which had cooperated on the film has sent legal notices to Obaid-Chinoy and Junge. ASF’s lawyer said the survivors “have not consented for it (the documentary) to be publicly released in Pakistan”, adding that such agreement was required for all the women who featured in the film, no matter how fleetingly.
The director duo rebutted this claim, saying, “The Acid Survivors Foundation [ASF] has falsely asserted that we filmmakers promised not to show the film in Pakistan. Here we would like to state emphatically that all subjects were informed of our intention to release the film globally, including Pakistan, and that all subjects signed a release to this effect.” They further said, “Copies of these signed releases are available through our Pakistan-based lawyer. Furthermore, legal releases were presented to anyone who was part of the film and these were also made available in Urdu and fully explained to the subjects by the ASF themselves, precisely to ensure that there was no ambiguity and to maintain the highest standard of ethics on our part.”
The pair says Rukhsana, one of the principal subjects of the film, signed the release at the ASF with Muhammad and Valerie Khan of the ASF (executive director and chairperson of ASF, respectively) and the contents of the release were fully explained by them to her. “On the same day we also got signatures of a similar release in Urdu from Naila Farhat, who is quoted in the article and appears in our film for less than 30 seconds and unidentified on screen. Similarly the document was fully explained to her as well despite her remaining unidentified (except for her own recent statement to the press),” the film’s directors said, adding, “The sole exception was one of our two primary subjects, namely Zakia, who initially requested the film not be shown in Pakistan, but has since given us full written authority to show the film in Pakistan for which we have committed to make slight edits on her request, to respect the safety of her family.”
Referring to an allegation of unfulfilled financial promises to the victims, the pair said, “As documentary filmmakers, at no point did we ever make any financial commitments to the subjects and the signed releases with each subject states this explicitly. Nonetheless, although we as filmmakers have yet to realise a profit from the film, we have successfully raised money from donors at international screenings to assist our two principal subjects with legal cases and housing which has already been accepted by Zakia.
“We have also from the outset offered to give all proceeds from Pakistan broadcasts to the subjects and organisations working on this issue so we have no financial stake in whether it airs in Pakistan.” Obaid-Chinoy and Junge warned “should anyone make such baseless statements we will not hesitate in pursuing legal action, both civil and criminal in such regards. Thus although we strongly maintain that we have full legal right to do so, we are currently considering whether we wish to proceed with Pakistan broadcast, following the ASF’s campaign against the release of the film.”
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012%5C05%5C25%5Cstory_25-5-2012_pg7_24
Shame on Sherry Rehman, Ejaz Haider, Raza Rumi, Beena Sarwar and other members of Jinnah Institute who are still flattering a greedy elite woman Sharmeen Chinoy.
LUBP, your credibility is damaged and rises and falls like the weather in Karachi.
This letter is an eye opener for us that how the elitist woman like sharmeen can use victims of acid attack and jeopardise their lives by showing them in her documentary. The allegations if true are horrendous . THese must be investigated before we shower any more accolades and prizes over Sarmeen’s digusting act of expodsing these poor women to danger. I for one stand by these poorwomen’s cause, and shun sharneen for her deceit. How on earth she can do this to them. She is a greater abuser of human beings. She has done a disbonorable thing and eploited these women by telling their miseries on screen and by profiting from their stories with out giving them any consideration or comensation . Sharmeen is a lovely lady , but she has acted against the iterests of these women victims.
SShe must gcompensate them and come clean on these alarming revealations. I commend this mean whose identity has been kept secret for the safety of his family and above all his sister who has been subjected to danger by Sharmeen.
Javaid Bashir
Attorney at law
Nashua,NH ,USA
S could have spared the victims pf acid attacks, the very segment or class of women that gave her notriety in the public and earned her Oscharmeen earned us an Oscar for the documentary . we all fell in love with her the good looking and kind hearted woman. We are shocked to know the details of this sordid episode. we are observing the fall of a woman who has so much promise to do good for the society we have lost the heroine in the mist of this controversy.
Dear Sharmeen have some mercy on these victims and compensate them from the earnings of the documentary.
avaid Bashir
the angelic , feline, feminine face can have such a depraved soul behind the beaytiful facade.
I am not sure , but i think that our Sharmeen can not act in such a callous manner. But are n’t we after all human beings , and to err is human. if we did not commit mistakes we would be angels.
Sharmeen’ conscience must prick her as she is a decent human being. She was perturbed over these acid victims plight that she under took this project. Affluency sometimes leads us astray. We should admit our follies and own them. We must rectify our mistakes. She can do it.
JAVAID BASHIR
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