Efforts of Sharmeen Obaid For Raising Sensitive Issues

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is renowned for being the Oscar winning filmmaker. Since her first success in the film “Saving Face” about acid attacks in Pakistan, she has been continuing her endeavors in bringing up such inspiring content that helps in highlighting some of the major issues prevailing in Pakistan. A similar project of a documentary is aimed at honor killings in the country which is nominated for the Academy Award.

The Documentary on Honor Killings

Honor killing is rapidly increasing in Pakistan and is the cause of hundreds of death every year. Considering this as a grave issue, the talented Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid has based her new documentary, “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness”, on the idea of bringing tougher laws against this problem. The film is basically a tale of a young woman, Saba, who escapes a murder attempt by her uncle and father when she marries a man of her choice. After being thrown by them in a river, Saba finally survives and sets out to assure that she was given justice. However, after her uncle and father were sent to jail, she was asked for forgiveness.

The Dilemma Behind Honor Killings in Pakistan

According to a report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan above 500 women and men died as a result of honor killings in the year 2015. A large majority of this crime was conducted by the family members who believed that the female victim has brought shame on the family and hence they do not deserve to be alive.

Eradicating Honor Killings- A Vow by PM

The Oscar nominated documentary of Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy prompted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to vow to stand against this evil act. Sharmeen Obaid insisted on the fact that the world needs to realize that honor killing is a serious crime which is certainly not a part of our tradition or religion. It must be regarded as a pre-meditated murder and the criminal should be sent to jail for it.

Removing the Possibility of Forgiveness

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s film highlights the fact that the possibility of forgiveness should be removed from the law as it will help in reducing the massive number of honor killings in the country. Through the attention brought by the film in the world, it is hoped that the Prime Minister would push for an amendment in the law by passing the act.