SADeW holds international conference on January 25

DALLAS: South Asia Democracy Watch, a nonprofit group in Dallas, is organizing an international conference "A Human Rights Crisis in South Asia: Marginalization and Violence against Religious Minorities" on January 25, 2014 at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas.

Known peace scholar from Pakistan and member of the UN Disarmament Advisory Board Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy will be the keynote speaker who will speak on "Increasing Militancy and Persecution of Minorities in South Asia" in his luncheon address.

President of the group Dr.Qaisar Abbas told this reporter that intellectuals, scholars and activists from UK, United States and South Asia will discuss human rights of minorities and sectarian intolerance.

Speakers will include Amjad Mahmood Khan, Peter Bhatti, Dr. Hasnain Walji, Krishanti Dharmaraj, Dr. Raghu Singh, Dr. Rick Halperin and Dr. Kamran Asdar Ali. Prominent journalists from Pakistan Syed Azhar Hasan of GEO TV News, Alauddin Khanzada of Abtak TV and Syed Minhaj ur Rab of daily Jang will participate in a panel discussion on the role of media in covering minorities.

South Asia Democracy Watch has organized this conference in collaboration with major universities and peace organizations including the Dallas Peace Center, SMU Embrey Human Rights Program, UNT Castleberry Peace Institute and several minority organizations of the South Asian diaspora in North Texas.