November Talk: Salman Khan, 'Human Rights and Pluralism in Today's Pakistan'

Freedom of religion or belief is one of the Universal Human Rights promoted by the United Nations, long promoted by believers as well as humanists and secularists. Defending our separation of religion and state has long been one of our primary goals as American humanists, but in other parts of the world this struggle goes on.

In this talk, Salman Khan (Sal Khan) will shed light on the pluralistic past of Pakistan, rising discrimination against minorities, including restrictions imposed on the civil society and media, and the limits to religious freedom under the current regime. He will also discuss how draconian laws such as blasphemy and cybercrime laws are being used to stifle dissent, and the particular plight of LGBT+ asylum seekers in the US. Salman will also share his experience of growing up in Karachi, his journey of coming to terms with his sexuality and being a spiritual atheist and activist in a religiously conservative country like Pakistan.

SPEAKER BIO:
Muhammad Salman Khan (Sal Khan) is an openly gay activist and journalist from Pakistan, who has worked extensively towards advancing LGBT+ equality, human rights and environmental literacy for the past five years. He is the founder of his country's only active LGBT+ magazine 'Queeristan' and was selected this year by the DC-based Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) as their 'Global Fellow' in recognition of LGBT+ activism. Due to the rising threats to his life, he has been forced to live in exile now in the US and is currently based in Boston awaiting his asylum decision. In the meantime, he continues to support secular, progressive and LGBT+ causes in the US and in Pakistan. Salman is working on a memoir about growing up gay and his work as a gay activist/journalist in Pakistan, and his present life as an LGBT+ asylum seeker in the US.
The event will be photographed and recorded.
Socializing will follow the talk.

FREE Parking will be available in the nearby Littauer Center parking lot, as well as free meter parking in Cambridge on Sundays. For Littauer, enter the Maxwell Dworkin Science Quadrangle from Oxford St (opposite the Natural History Museum). Wind your way through to the Littauer Lot at the end of the road. This lies between the Law School Library and the Science Center. Phillips Brooks House is just across from the Science Center in Harvard Yard.

Harvard Square MBTA (train and bus) station is just steps away from Phillips Brooks House, which is in the corner of Harvard Yard just across from the Science Center. Parking is also available on the street (free in Cambridge on Sundays).