Fighting Extremism in Pakistan—Local Actions, Local Voices

This event, an address by Dr. Anita Weiss, marks the 2021 Asma Jahangir Memorial Lecture. It is part of an annual lecture series in honor of the late Asma Jahangir, a leading human rights activist from Pakistan who passed away in 2018. The lecture features an annual address by a distinguished scholar or opinion leader who addresses issues of democracy and human rights in South Asia. This series is hosted by the Wilson Center’s Asia Program and South Asia Democracy Watch (SDW), a nonprofit organization that promotes social justice, human rights, and equality in South Asia through educational programs, conferences, and symposia.

In her lecture, Weiss will discuss how Pakistanis are responding to, and pushing back against, violent extremism. Drawing on her new book, Countering Violent Extremism in Pakistan, Weiss will describe how Pakistanis—through cultural performance, music, activism, and more—are engaging in powerful actions that reject extremists and transform how people think about society.

Weiss will capture the stories of those standing up for human rights and cultural authenticity, and asserting who they are in the face of those bent on destroying them. They are stories that resonate with the work of Asma Jahangir.

A moderated panel discussion will follow Weiss's lecture.

This is an online-only event. To pose a question to the speaker, please email it to asia@wilsoncenter.org or tweet it to @asiaprogram.