Anil Kalhan

The Indian Supreme Court is widely recognized as a complex and dynamic institution. It has been the subject of much acclaim, as well as criticism. The Court has even been charged with overreaching itself and intruding into the domains of the executive and the legislature. In an era of globalization and judicial activism, the experience of India, offers a valuable perspective on the role judges play in a vibrant democracy.

What explains the choices that India’s Supreme Court justices make? Do judges make distinctions between the religious and political affiliations of the accused when adjudicating anti-terror cases? If so, why, and under what conditions?

In an era of globalization, India’s experience offers a valuable perspective on the role judges play in a vibrant democracy. Hear Shylashri Shankar address these questions, in a talk drawing from her recent book, Scaling Justice: India’s Supreme Court, Anti-Terror Laws, and Social Rights.

Shylashri Shankar is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. She was previously an Assistant Professor in the Government Department at the University of Texas at Austin, and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre on Religion and Democracy at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. She has received degrees from the University of Delhi, University of Cambridge, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Columbia University. She is the author of Scaling Justice: India’s Supreme Court, Anti-Terror Laws, and Social Rights (Oxford Univ. Press 2008). She has written several articles in edited books on secularism, the judiciary in India and Sri Lanka, India’s courts and religious conversion, cross-judicial borrowing and national constitutions, among others. She has also written op-eds in national newspapers and magazines on democratic transition and consolidation in South Asia and the Middle East, judicial independence, ethnic conflict, and terrorism.

* * *

When: Mon, Jan 11, 2010, 4:30pm

Where: Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law, Rm 340
(reception to follow in 3rd Floor Gallery)
3320 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA

Open Program on Law and South Asian Studies
Annual Meeting, Association of American Law Schools
New Orleans, LA
Saturday, January 9, 2010

This session will consist of (1) a panel on contemporary issues in constitutional law and fundamental rights in South Asia (the papers from which will be published in the Drexel Law Review as part of its Symposium on Law and South Asia) and (2) a short business meeting on the formation of the proposed AALS Section on Law and South Asian Studies.

Opening Remarks:

• Marc Galanter, John and Rylla Bosshard Professor of Law and South Asian Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, and Centennial Professor, Department of Law, London School of Economics and Political Science

Panelists:

• Sehla Ashai, Staff Attorney, National Immigrant Justice Center, Heartland Alliance, Chicago, IL — “Competing Constitutions: The State Subject Controversy of Jammu and Kashmir”

• Payal Shah, Legal Fellow for Asia, Center for Reproductive Rights, New York, NY — “Maternal Mortality in Nepal: A Case for Using International Law for Accountability and Justice”

• Shylashri Shankar, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, Delhi, India — “The Spirit of the Constitution: Engaging with Foreign Judgments: India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa”

• Elisabeth Wickeri, Executive Director, Leitner Center for International Law & Justice, Fordham University Law School, New York, NY — “Towards a Lasting Peace in Nepal: Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in the New Constitution”

Moderator:

• Anil Kalhan, Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law, Philadelphia, PA

Registration and other details for the AALS Annual Meeting are available here.

How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?
Being Young and Arab in America

Just over a century ago, W.E.B. Du Bois posed a probing question in his classic The Souls of Black Folk: “How does it feel to be a problem?” he asked. Today, Arab and Muslim Americans, the newest minorities in the American imagination, are the latest “problem” of American society, and their answers to Du Bois’s question increasingly define what being American means today.

In a wholly revealing portrait of a community that lives next door and yet a world away, Moustafa Bayoumi introduces us to the individual lives of seven twentysomething men and women living in Brooklyn, home to the largest number of Arab Americans in the United States. Through telling real stories about young people in Brooklyn, Bayoumi jettisons the stereotypes and clichés that constantly surround Arabs and Muslims and allows us instead to enter their worlds and experience their lives. [link]

Panelists:
Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law- Moustafa Bayoumi, Associate Professor of English, Brooklyn College
- Jimmy Yan, General Counsel, Office of Manhattan Borough President
- Yasmin Dwedar

* * *

When: Thu, Dec 3, 2009, 4:30pm

Where: Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law, Rm 140
(reception and book signing to follow in 3rd Floor Gallery)
3320 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA

SIGN UP NOW for the next SABANY/SAALT
Lawyering for Social Change CLE Workshop

“Class & Work: Exploring the Rights of South Asians in the Workplace”

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
South Asians in the United States support the country’s economy by being employed in a range of occupations – from lawyers, doctors, and bankers to restaurant workers, taxiworkers, and domestic workers. Yet, many working-class South Asians confront significant legal challenges in the workplace, including exploitation by employers, threats of deportation, and denial of fair wages. During this interactive workshop, participants will learn about the range of legal obstacles that South Asian workers face; discuss the intersection of class and race; and learn how lawyers can provide their skills to assist individuals and organizations.

SPEAKERS:
Chitra Aiyar, Board Member, Andolan
Sheebani Patel, Organizer/Attorney, Restaurant Workers Opportunity Center of New York (ROC-NY)
Tushar Sheth, Attorney, Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund (AALDEF)

* * *

Fordham Law School, 140 W. 62nd StreetDATE: Wednesday, September 24th
TIME: 6:30-8:00pm (note: earlier start and end time than last month’s session)
LOCATION: Fordham Law School, 140 W 62nd Street, Room 310 (note: the room number is different from last month’s session)

RSVP TO: lawyering.for.social.change@gmail.com with your name, school/employer, address, and phone number

COST: Free!

PERKS: CLE Credit (for those who attend the entire session) and free dinner!

Cosponsored by the South Asian Bar Association of New York (SABANY), Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY), South Asian Americans Leading Together, and the Fordham South Asian Law Students Association

Join us on Wednesday, September 17th for a panel discussion on immigration policy and the challenges of organizing and advocating on behalf of immigrant workers, featuring Rinku Sen and Fekkak Mamdouh. In their new book, The Accidental American, Sen and Mamdouh “argue[] that, just as there is a free flow of capital in the world economy, there should be a free flow of labor”:

Author Rinku Sen alternates chapters telling the story of one “accidental American” — coauthor Fekkak Mamdouh, a Morrocan-born waiter at a restaurant in the World Trade Center whose life was thrown into turmoil on 9/11 — with a thorough critique of current immigration policy. Sen and Mamdouh describe how members of the largely immigrant food industry workforce managed to overcome divisions in the aftermath of 9/11 and form the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York (ROC-NY) to fight for jobs and more equitable treatment. This extraordinary story serves to illuminate the racial, cultural, and economic conflicts embedded in the current immigration debate and helps frame the argument for a more humane immigration and global labor system. [link]

The discussion will be moderated by Prof. Anil Kalhan, and will be followed by a reception in the Second Floor Gallery.

* * *

Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law When: Wed, Sep 17, 2008, 2:30-4:30pm

Where: Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law, Rm 440 (reception to follow in 2nd Floor Gallery), 3320 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA

Sponsored by the Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. For more information, please contact Nicole Aiken or Ryan Miller at drexelnlg@gmail.com.

* * *

Previously: Five Questions for Rinku Sen (SAJAforum).

AITZAZ AHSAN, LEADER OF PAKISTAN’S “LAWYERS’ MOVEMENT,” TO SPEAK AT NEW YORK CITY BAR

New York, NY, June 27, 2008 — Aitzaz Ahsan, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and the leader of the “Lawyers’ Movement” in that country, will speak at the New York City Bar on Tuesday, July 1st, 2008, at 9:00 a.m. Mr. Ahsan will discuss the latest developments regarding the legal system and judicial independence in Pakistan.

Last November, members of the New York City Bar, along with the New York State Bar, the New York County Lawyers’ Association and other organizations, rallied in support of the lawyers and judges affected by the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan and the deposing of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Mr. Ahsan will provide an update on efforts to achieve, as he phrased it in a recent article in Newsweek, “Justice for our Justice,” and the reinstatement of other members of the judiciary.

“We have been very supportive of the efforts of Pakistan’s legal community to promote judicial independence and the rule of law, and are delighted that Mr. Ahsan is here to inform the New York City Bar of the progress on those fronts,” said Patricia M. Hynes, President of the New York City Bar.

***

Who:

Aitzaz Ahsan, President of Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association and “Lawyers’ Movement” leader

When:

Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 9:00am

Where:

New York City Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street

About the New York City Bar
The New York City Bar Association (www.nycbar.org) was founded in 1870, and since then has been dedicated to maintaining the high ethical standards of the profession, promoting reform of the law, and providing service to the profession and the public. The Association continues to work for political, legal and social reform, while implementing innovative means to help the disadvantaged. Protecting the public’s welfare remains one of the Association’s highest priorities.

NYC Bar Association

More information:
Jayne Bigelsen: (212) 382-6655
Eric Friedman: (212) 382-6754

On Thursday April 24, 2008, the South Asian Bar Association of New York will host its fifth annual public interest fellowship benefit. The benefit raises money to provide fellowships for law students working in unpaid, public interest summer internships. At the event, the 2008 recipients will be announced. Information about past SABANY fellowship recipients is available here.

The guest speaker will be Muzaffar Chishti, Director of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) office at NYU School of Law. Through his work at MPI, Mr. Chishti focuses on US immigration policy, the intersection of labor and immigration law, civil liberties, and immigrant integration. Prior to joining MPI, Mr. Chishti was Director of the Immigration Project of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial & Textile Employees (UNITE). Mr. Chishti has testified extensively on immigration policy issues before various Congressional committees. In 1992, as part of a US team, he assisted the Russian Parliament in drafting its legislation on forced migrants and refugees. He is a 1994 recipient of New York State Governor’s Award for Outstanding Asian Americans, and a 1995 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Mr. Chishti was educated at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi; the University of Delhi; Cornell Law School; and the Columbia School of International Affairs.

Join us at the TamarindArt Gallery on April 24th to support this important initiative! Tickets available here.

Fellowship Application Review Panel
Dimple Abichandani, Director of Program Development, Legal Services NYC
Sonia Katyal, Associate Professor of Law, Fordham University School of Law
Elchi Nowrojee, Director and Counsel, Credit Suisse

SABANY Public Interest Committee
Nisha Agarwal (Co-Chair) * Libby Babu* Sachin Bhatt * Sunu Chandy * Surya Ganguly * Sameera Hafiz * Anil Kalhan * Sandhya Kidd * Gowri Krishna * Vichal Kumar * Resham Mantri (Co-Chair) * Swati Parikh * Yogi Patel * Chai Shenoy * Amardeep Singh * Anand Swaminathan * Shweta Udeshi * Sunil Varghese * Hamel Vyas

Platinum Sponsors: Asian American Law Fund and Pfizer Inc.
Silver Sponsors: Asian American Bar Association of New York, Chadbourne & Parke LLP, Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP, and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

* * *

TamarindArt Gallery

When: Thursday, April 24, 2008, 7:00 p.m.

Where: TamarindArt Gallery

142 E. 39th Street

Tickets Purchased In Advance:

$50.00 for Private Sector

$25.00 for Public Interest Sector and Non-Attorneys

$15.00 for Law Students

Tickets Purchased At the Door:

$65.00 for Private Sector

$40.00 for Public Interest Sector and Non-Attorneys

$30.00 for Law Students

Tickets are available for advance purchase here.

If you are unable to join us April 24, 2008, please consider purchasing a $50 donation ticket to help support the SABANY Public Interest Fellowship Program. Contributions are tax deductible and will support the SABANY Fellowship Program.

A film screening and discussion with:
-

Kiran Khalid, documentary filmmaker
Anil Kalhan ‘93, Professor, Fordham Law School
Ali Ahsan, Speechwriter, United Nations

* * *

Smith-Buonanno Hall, Brown University

When: Fri, Apr 11, 2008

4:00-6:00pm

Where: Brown University

Smith-Buonnano Hall, Rm 201

East of Brown Street between Meeting and Bowen Street, Providence, RI

Sponsored by Brown South Asian Students Association and Brown Journal of World Affairs

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-

The Center for Place, Culture & Politics Presents

Demystifying Pakistan: Understanding the Current Crisis

A panel discussion on the military in Pakistani politics, society and economy; emergency, martial law, and the rule of law in India and Pakistan; the rise and subsequent fall of electronic media under President Musharraf; and the politics of democratic protest in Pakistan.

Panelists:

Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, Visiting Professor, South Asian Studies, University of Pennsylvania and author of Military, Inc. : Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy (Pluto Press, 2007).

Anil Kalhan, Visiting Assistant Professor, Fordham Law School.

Kiran Khalid, documentary film maker and producer, Good Morning America and director, “We Are Not Free,” a documentary short to be screened at the panel.

Dr. Sahar Shafqat, Associate Professor, St. Mary’s College of Maryland and Member of the anti-Musharraf/pro-democracy movement in Pakistan.

Moderated by Saadia Toor, Assistant Professor of Sociology, College of Staten Island.

CUNY Graduate Center* * *

When: Fri, Mar 28, 2008, 6:00-8:00pm

Where: CUNY Graduate Center

Baisley Powell Elebash Recital Hall
365 Fifth Ave, at 34 St, New York

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-

The Open Society Institute’s Middle East/North Africa Initiative invites you to:
NEGOTIATING HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE AFGHAN CONTEXT

Human rights advocates in Afghanistan must navigate a careful balance when promoting global human rights standards in a conservative Muslim society recovering from decades of conflict and extremism. Those charged with protecting human rights in Afghanistan must work in a context where Taliban and militia forces are resurgent, a powerful constituency of hardline conservatives support strict and narrow interpretations of Islamic law, and American-led forces continue to resist the application of international legal standards to their own detainees. A local court’s recent decision to levy the death penalty against a journalist accused of blasphemy further highlights the challenges of implementing human rights in Afghanistan today.

Featuring
NADER NADERY
FARID HAMIDI
And an additional speaker to be announced

Moderated by ARYEH NEIER

Nader Nadery is a lawyer, political analyst and social activist. Before being appointed as a member of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, he worked with the International Human Rights Law Group and served as a spokesman for the Emergency Loya Jirga. He is also a prominent leader in Afghan civil society and served as a representative to the Bonn peace talks. He is the recipient of several human rights awards, including the Reebok Human Rights Award.

Mohammad Farid Hamidi is a member of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. A well-known lawyer with extensive experience on criminology and investigation, he also served as a member of the Emergency Loya Jirga, where he was responsible for developing rules and regulation for election. He has worked closely with the Judicial Reform Commission in the training of Afghan lawyers and judges on international human rights law and standards.

Aryeh Neier is President of the Open Society Institute. Prior to joining OSI, he served for 12 years as Executive Director of Human Rights Watch. He also spent 15 years at the American Civil Liberties Union, including 8 years as national Executive Director. Neier has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York University for more than a dozen years, and is the author of six books and numerous articles on human rights.

Open Society Institute, 400 West 59th Street* * *

Thursday, February 28th, 6:00-8:00pm

Open Society Institute
400 West 59th Street
New York, NY 10019
Conference Room 3AB

Refreshments will be served

RSVP TO cepopenforum@sorosny.org
Please include your full name and affiliation.

Please join the South Asian Bar Association of New York for its first dinner series event of 2008:

Democracy and the Rule of Law in Pakistan in the Aftermath of Elections:
A Conversation With Ali Ahsan

On Monday, February 18th, Pakistan will hold general elections, culminating a year of tremendous political controversy and uncertainty but also a year of tremendous political activism and mobilized civic engagement. Will the coming elections be free and fair? In the aftermath of elections, what are the prospects for democracy and the rule of law in Pakistan?

Join SABANY for a post-election conversation with Ali Ahsan, a New York lawyer and SABANY member who is also the son of the leader of the Lawyers’ Movement in Pakistan. He recently returned to New York after spending two months in Pakistan, where his father remains in detention under house arrest. The conversation will be moderated by Anil Kalhan, visiting professor at Fordham University Law School.

Date:
Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Diwan RestaurantVenue:
Diwan Restaurant
148 E. 48th Street (Between 3rd Ave and Lexington)
New York, NY 10017

Time:
7-9pm

Admission*:
SABANY Members $25
SABANY Public Interest Members and Students: $15
Non-Members $35

*Admission also includes a 3 course meal.

RSVP to Swati Parikh at swatiparikh@gmail.com

Whose Children Are These?
(2004, prod. & dir. Theresa Thanjan), 28 min

Whose Children Are These? provides a gripping view into the lives of three Muslim teenagers impacted by domestic national security measures. One such program, “Special Registration,” required male non-citizens, as young as 16 from 25 countries, to register with the Department of Justice. Of those who registered, nearly 14,000 men were deported. The film introduces Navila, an honors student who fought to have her father released from detention; Sarfaraz, a popular basketball player who confronts pending deportation; and Hager, a young woman who faces bias and is spurred into activism as a result. Each young person comes from one of the twenty five countries profiled by the Special Registration program (Bangladesh, Pakistan and Egypt).

From the period of November 2002-December 2003, over 83,000 Muslim men complied with the program and nearly 14,000 were put into deportation proceedings due to immigration status violations. Although the program claimed to be a tool to increase national security, none of these men were actually charged with terrorism related offenses.

Through the eyes of three courageous teens, Whose Children Are These? brings to light the harsh realities faced by Muslim communities in post 9/11 America— including family separation, round ups, bias crimes, detentions, and deportations.

“Whose Children Are These?” is a presentation of the Center for Asian American Media with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding was provided by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the New York Foundation for the Arts and numerous private donors.

Fordham Law School, 140 W. 62nd StreetDiscussion with filmmaker Theresa Thanjan to follow. More information here and here.

* * *

When: Mon, Mar 3, 2008, 6:00-7:30pm

Where: Fordham Law School, Rm 204
140 W. 62nd Street, between Amsterdam & Columbus Avs, New York

Sponsored by the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice, Fordham Muslim Law Students Association, Fordham South Asian Law Students Association, and Prof. Anil Kalhan.

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The Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and the South Asian Bar Association of New York would like to invite you to a Fundraising Reception for the CHRGJ’s Documentary Project:

AMERICANS ON HOLD
PROFILING, CITIZENSHIP, AND THE “WAR ON TERROR”

Space is limited.
Please RSVP by February 5 to aohihrc@nyu.edu or by calling 646-438-2341

Suggested Donation: $250 per person

What: An enlightening and intimate evening of refreshments, cocktails, live music from classical guitarist Daniel Reyes-Llinas, and a dramatic reading of testimonials by actor Riz Mirza and company. The performance will be complemented by brief presentations featuring Center director Smita Narula, documentary filmmaker Bill Horn, and community leader, Mohammad Razvi.

Who: Civil society members, concerned members of the New York Legal Community, representatives from the film industry, members of the human rights community. All donors will receive credit in the documentary, ranging from “supporters” to “producers.”

Why: Since September 11, 2001 expanded security checks have illegally delayed thousands of citizenship applications from Muslim, South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Arab men. This counter-terrorism dragnet is breaking up families, engendering fear and insecurity, and disenfranchising communities. Come learn about our documentary and lend your support to this important project to demand accountability, motivate policy change, and ensure immigrants’ rights.

NYU President’s Penthouse, 37 Washington Square West, 18th Floor, New York, NYWhen: February 7, 2008 (7pm to 10pm)

Where: NYU President’s Penthouse
37 Washington Square West, 18th Floor
New York, NY

Background:

Profiled Immigrants Delayed Years in Seeking Citizenship (CHRGJ Press Release, Apr. 25, 2007)

Full Report (63 pages), Briefing Report (12 pages), and a one-page summary in Arabic and Urdu

Event flyer available here. Pledge form available here.

Ayesha Siddiqa is a military and political analyst and the author of the recent book, Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy. She is currently a visiting faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania and writes columns for various international and Pakistani newspapers. She previously was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and Ford Fellow, and has served as a correspondent for Jane’s Defense Weekly. She also has served as a civil servant in Pakistan and is the only woman to have served as the Director of Naval Research. Siddiqa earned a Ph.D. in War Studies from King’s College, London.

* * *

When: Thu, Jan 24, 2008, 6:00pm

Where: Fordham Law School
140 W. 62nd Street
(Between Amsterdam & Columbus Avs)

Rm 430 B&C

Sponsored by:
Fordham Law School Dean’s Office
Fordham South Asian Law Students Association
Leitner Center for International Law & Justice
South Asian Journalists Association
South Asian Bar Association of New York

Fordham Law School, 140 W. 62nd Street

Questions? Email fordhamsalsa@gmail.com

Emergency in Pakistan: Formulating an International Response

Location: Columbia School of Journalism, Rm 601C

The current political crisis in Pakistan will be discussed including the
suspension of civil liberties, judicial purges, media blackout, and arrests
of over 2,000 lawyers, students, human rights activists and academics. The
focus will be on the challenges facing journalists in Pakistan in particular
and how international civil and human rights actors can formulate an
effective response to the situation.

Speakers:

Robert Templer
Director of Asia Program, International Crisis Group NYC

Sami Abrahim
GEO TV NY Correspondent (Pakistan’s premier news channel which has been off
the air since the imposition of emergency)

Kiran Khalid
Freelance broadcast journalist and documentary filmmaker of “We Are Not
Free,” about media censorship in Pakistan.

Pakistan, Martial Law, and the Rule of Law

Location: Room 310, Fordham Law School, 140 West 62nd Street
Sponsor: Leitner Center for International Law & Justice

Professor Anil Kalhan will be discussing the legal sitation in Pakistan and, in particular, will be addressing the plight of the lawyers under Martial Law.

RSVP and register here.

CLE Credits: 1 Ethics Credit
Contact: Jeanmarie Fenrich
Telephone: 212-636-7533
Email: jfenrich@law.fordham.edu
Website: http://www.leitnercenter.org

OSI Forum: Pakistan—Human Rights, Military Rule, and the State of Emergency
Contact: Event Coordinator, cepopenforum@sorosny.org
Please RSVP with full name and affiliation.

On November 3, 2007, General Pervez Musharraf imposed “emergency rule” in Pakistan. Arguing that drastic measures were necessary to combat a terrorist threat, he suspended the Constitution and dismissed the Supreme Court, which was about to rule his election candidacy invalid. The imposition of martial law has been met with widespread protest, especially from the movement of lawyers that arisen in opposition to continued military rule. Thousands of lawyers, judges, human rights activists, students, and politicians have been arrested and detained in the last week.

OSI hosts a panel to discuss the recent upheaval, featuring the following speakers:

* Asma Jahangir (by phone from Pakistan), Pakistani lawyer and human rights advocate and Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She is currently under house arrest in Lahore, Pakistan.
* Ayesha Jalal, Professor of History at Tufts University and an expert on Pakistan and Islam in South Asia.
* Anil Kalhan, Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Fordham Law School.
* Frederick Barton, Senior Adviser in the Center for Strategic & International Studies International Security Program and Codirector of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project.

Breakfast will be provided.

The Open Forum speaker series aims to enhance policy debate on key issues facing Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East, and to raise public awareness of important developments in these regions. Monthly Open Forum events are held in New York and Washington, DC, and are attended by leading policymakers, scholars, NGO staff, and journalists. All events are free of charge.

From the New York City Bar Association:
*

New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre StreetAs an expression of solidarity with our beleaguered colleagues at the Pakistani bar, the New York City Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the New York County Lawyers’ Association, in conjunction with other organizations, invite you to attend a public rally in front of the New York County Courthouse, 60 Centre Street on Tuesday, November 13, from 1:00-1:30 p.m.

The crude and brutal suspension of law and the legal system in Pakistan, and the repression of judges and lawyers there, require that we take a moment from our own busy schedules and demonstrate our concern.

Because the images from Pakistan show the violent repression of Pakistani lawyers wearing their customary dark suit and white shirt, we request that you appear on Tuesday in similar attire, though this is not required. What is important is a strong show of support. We hope to see you there and encourage you to distribute this as widely as you can. Thank you.

(More details here. Earlier: NYC Bar Association’s Statement Denouncing Suspension of Pakistan Constitution.)

* * * *

Other demonstrations of support:

Akron, OH (and other northern Ohio cities):
Where: United States Courthouse, 2 South Main Street (corner of Main and Market), Akron, OH
When: Friday, November 9, 2007 at 12:00pm.

Let’s show our support. Bring yourselves (and even a sign if you wish), and come to the Courthouse. It may be last minute, but it is a small sacrifice (infinitesimal) that we are making, compared to that which our fellow lawyers are in Pakistan. See you Friday at noon in Akron — try to make it there, or anywhere a courthouse can be found!

Chicago, IL:
Where: Pakistan Consulate, 333 N Michigan Ave
When: Friday, November 9, 2007, at 3:30pm

A silent demonstration will take place in front of the Pakistan Consulate in Chicago today at 1530 on 333 N Michigan Ave, IL 60601. The culture of this non-partisan demonstration is that we will focus on one demand only: the restoration of judicial system. There will be no speeches and no slogans. We will prepare some placards and we do not support or opposed any party in Pakistan. [link]

Montreal, QB:
Where: Pakistan General Consulate (corner Peel and Sherbrooke), Montreal, QB
When: Friday, November 9, 2007, at 1:30pm

In order to demonstrate our solidarity with the lawyers in Pakistan and uphold our commitment to human rights, the rule of law and judicial independence, we are gathering in front of the Consulate General of Pakistan on Peel Street on Friday (9 November). We plan to meet at 1330 in front of the Nahum Gelber Law Library and walk down together. Alternatively you can meet us in front of the Consulate at 3421 Peel Street. We would encourage your support of individuals whose voices are currently being silenced. [link]

Toronto, ON:
Where: Pakistan Consulate, 240 Duncan Mill Rd, North York, ON
When: Friday, November 9, 2007, at 3:30pm

The SAPF has announced that it will organize a demonstration in front of Pakistan Consulate in Toronto at 3:30 pm on Friday afternoon and have called upon South Asian people and friends to collectively come out for this. [link]

San Francisco, CA:
Where: San Francisco Federal Building Main Plaza, 450 Golden Gate Ave, San Francisco, CA
When: Friday, November 9, 2007, 12:00pm-1:00pm

Demonstration of Solidarity by Bay Area Lawyers for the Lawyers of Pakistan – “We will gather in front of the Federal Building to support our sister and brother lawyers in Pakistan who have been beaten, gassed and arrested as they courageously risk their liberty and lives to stand up to tyranny and in support of judicial independence and the Constitutional rule of law in their country. We gather too in our own support for judicial independence and against torture in our name, recognizing that Constitutional rule of law in our country, just as in Pakistan, is ours to protect. Finally, and in further solidarity with the Pakistani lawyers, please dress [regardless of gender] in black (or dark) suits, white shirts, and black (or dark) ties.” [link]

Washington, DC:
Where: Pakistan Embassy, 3517 International Ct NW, Washington, DC
When: Sunday, November 11, 2007 from 1:00-3:30pm

Demonstration to express opposition to General Pervez Musharraf’s declaration of a State of Emergency on November 3, 2007, his order to suspend the Constitution and his subsequent actions against judges, lawyers, activists, journalists and academics.

Bradford Riots (2006, dir. Neil Biswas), 75 min

On 7th July 2001 the Manningham area of Bradford experienced what has been described as the worst rioting in mainland Britain for 20 years. The riots erupted after weeks of tension fomented by the activities and threats of the National Front and the BNP – an organisation that continues to win a large number of votes in council elections in the area.

The script is based on months of first-hand research within Bradford’s Pakistani community. Biswas looks at this Muslim community from the inside to see how it lived and breathed before mass violence blew up on its streets and explores the painful aftermath. Bradford Riots takes individual accounts and seeks to explore why this violence happened, who was to blame and how the sentencing of a generation of young Asian men took place even though the majority handed themselves in to the police, pleaded guilty and had no relevant previous convictions.

* * *Fordham Law School, 140 W. 62nd Street

When: Thu, Oct 11, 2007, 6:00pm

Where: Fordham Law School, Rm 312, 140 W. 62nd Street, between Amsterdam & Columbus Avs, New York

Sponsored by the Fordham South Asian Law Students Association, Fordham Muslim Law Students Association, and Prof. Anil Kalhan. Questions? Email fordhamsalsa@gmail.com

On her new album “Wanderlust” — Kiran Ahluwalia melds the centuries old tradition of ghazal, with contemporary song craft, sophisticated jazz tonality and a multitude of global influences — from fado, to Saharan blues. The Village Voice says she is a “rising international star” and after seeing her at The Getty in Los Angeles, Don Heckman of the LA Times wrote, “her crystal clear voice arched airily above rhythms that coursed through audience . . . an evening of fascinating, newly revealed music.”

Don’t miss this rare New York performance as Kiran debuts “Wanderlust” live with her 5-piece ensemble featuring; Rez Abbasi (guitar), Gurpreet Chana (tabla), Ashok Bidaye (harmonium) and Saadi Zain (bass).

* * *

Joe’s Pub – 425 Lafayette StJoe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette Street
Wednesday October 17
7:30 PM
$16 advance / $20 at door
Ticket information here

* * *

NPR Weekend Edition with Scott Simon: “Out of India, Via Canada: ‘Kiran Ahluwalia’” (Dec 10, 2005)

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