Watson Events

Mohammad Jibran Nasir is a 28 year old lawyer, civil rights activist, and blogger. In the aftermath of the December 16, 2014 Peshawar Army Public School attack, Jibran has been leading the citizen's movement against terrorism, organizing and running two campaigns, #ReclaimYourMosques and #NeverForgetPK, in an effort to put pressure on the Government of Pakistan to start a crack down on banned militant outfits. As a result Jibran has faced an arrest and has been threatened by the Taliban. Moreover other banned militant outfits have falsely accused him of blasphemy and have even tried to implicate him in fabricated criminal cases as unsuccessful attempts to intimidate and silence him.

Jibran will be sharing his experience of activism against religious intolerance and sectarian violence. He will be highlighting and emphasizing State institutionalized religious extremism and discrimination, embedded in certain laws of Pakistan. He will also explain the role of non-state actors in spreading religious intolerance and terrorism and consequently how now it has become the responsibility of each Pakistani citizen to steer their country toward a peaceful tomorrow.

Jibran believes that it is vital to engage the Islamist right wing and reclaim the Mosque to be able to counter the militant brand of Islam globally, and believes that the growing religious strife in Pakistan is part of a global phenomenon. For him finding solutions in Pakistan could lead the way for a global citizen's movement against violent extremist narrative for the 21st century.

Co-sponsored by South Asian Studies and the Pakistan Students Association.