Romana Bashir
{{Short description|Pakistani activist}}
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| citizenship = Pakistani
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| occupation = Activist
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| employer = Peace and Development Foundation, Rawalpindi
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| known_for = Promoting interfaith harmony and women's education
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| boards = Vatican Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims
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Romana Bashir is a Pakistani community activist for women and minority rights and religious tolerance. Bashir is a past executive director of the Peace and Development Foundation in Rawalpindi and was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as a consultor for the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims.
Activism
Bashir, a Catholic woman, began working in 1997 at the grassroots level, working with the community to promote interfaith harmony and women's education.{{Cite book|title=Asian handbook for theological education and ecumenism|date=2013|publisher=Wipf & Stock|others=Antone, Hope S.|isbn=9781625643551|location=Eugene, Or.|oclc=859046163}} She was a member of the Christian Study Centre, which promotes freedom of expression, justice, dignity and equality.{{cite web|url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Pakistani-(and-Christian)-women-lead-the-defence-of-minority-rights-26454.html|title=Pakistani (and Christian) women lead the defence of minority rights|last=|first=|date=26 November 2012|website=AsiaNews.it|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=6 February 2018}} In Rawalpindi, Bashir joined the Christian Study Centre as a trainee and was later promoted to head of programs in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.salem-news.com/articles/november252012/romana-bashir-sm.php|title=Pakistani Woman in the Front Line to Defend Rights of Minorities, Romana Bashir - Salem-News.Com|last=|first=|date=|website=Salem-News.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}
In 2012, she was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as a consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims within the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue of the Vatican.{{cite web|url=http://www.news.va/en/news/other-pontifical-acts-222|title=News from the Vatican - News about the Church - Vatican News|website=www.news.va}} She is the first Pakistani Christian lay woman appointed to such a position.
In 2013, she was Executive Director, Peace and Development Foundation in Rawalpindi.{{cite web|url=http://dawn.com/2013/04/16/minorities-we-want-elections-not-selections/|title=Minorities: "We want elections, not selections"|last=Ahmad|first=Mahvish|date=16 April 2013|website=Dawn|publisher=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=6 February 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://lahoreworld.com/2015/07/11/civil-society-organisations-demands-the-government-punishment-for-only-those-involved-in-lynching/|title=Civil Society Organisations demands the government punishment for only those, involved in lynching|last=|first=|date=10 July 2015|website=Lahore World|publisher=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=6 February 2018}}
In 2021 she was listed in Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's White In The Flag project as a human rights defender.[https://images.dawn.com/news/1186879/sharmeen-obaid-chinoys-white-in-the-flag-highlights-the-stories-of-pakistans-minorities Dawn March 30, 2021]
Speaker
In 2012 she was a member of a panel of five speakers at a press conference by Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS). The panel called for the blasphemy law be revised to prevent its misuse, abuse and exploitation.{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/434089/blasphemy-law-protection-to-christians-law-amendment-demanded/|title=Blasphemy law: Protection to Christians, law amendment demanded|last=|first=|date=10 September 2012|website=The Express Tribune|publisher=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=6 February 2018}} In November 2012, she spoke at a workshop organised by Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies for young religious scholars representing all sects of Islam and members of the Sikh, Baháʼí, and Christian communities.{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/894031/fear-of-the-other-dispelling-misconceptions-must-for-social-harmony/|title=Fear of the other: 'Dispelling misconceptions must for social harmony'|last=|first=|date=29 May 2015|website=The Express Tribune|publisher=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}} In 2013, she was a speaker at a seminar on “Tolerance in Pakistan” held at Quaid-e-Azam University’s (QAU). The seminar urged people to speak up against the rising levels of violence and intolerance related to ethnic and religious differences in the country.{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/536435/rising-intolerance-time-for-peace-campaigners-to-make-their-voices-heard/|title=Rising intolerance: Time for peace campaigners to make their voices heard|last=|first=|date=17 April 2013|website=The Express Tribune|publisher=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}
See also
References
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External links
- [http://www.oasiscenter.eu/authors/romana-bashir Oasis - mutual understanding between the Western world and the Muslim majority world]
- [http://pcsw.punjab.gov.pk/profile_of_members Punjab Commission on the Status of Women]
{{Subject bar |portal1= Biography |portal2= Catholicism |portal3= Pakistan}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bashir, Romana}}
Category:Pakistani human rights activists
Category:Pakistani women activists
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Pakistani Roman Catholics
Category:People from Rawalpindi District
Category:Minority rights activists
Category:Pakistani women's rights activists