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This documentary reveals Perween Rahman's brave resistance

Filmmaker Mahera Omar chronicles slain OPP Director Perween Rahman's efforts to map – and save – Karachi
Updated 21 Apr, 2016

In Rebel Optimist, documentary filmmaker Mahera Omar has pieced together the portrait of a singular champion of Karachi, Perween Rahman.

“You can’t even say she was one in a million; I feel she was one in a billion. There are very few people like her on earth,” Omar said of Rahman, whose efforts to better the lives of the people of Orangi were cut short by a target killing that claimed her life in March 2013.

Rahman served as Joint Director of the Orangi Pilot Project, and eventually became the director of OPP – Research and Training Institute (RTI) when the parent organization split into four units in 1988. She took it upon herself to counter the government's extreme neglect of the area by empowering its residents to build the systems they need with the resources they had.

Her work extended from sustainable sanitation projects to land and water supply mapping, low-cost housing to youth training programs – and took her all over Karachi, and later into parts of Sindh. In the process, she uncovered the secrets of the land and water mafia – and became a threat.

In a haunting moment of the documentary, Rahman’s sister, author Aquila Ismail, quotes her as downplaying the risks to her life thus: “Oh, nobody knows who I am.” Two days later, Rahman was shot while returning home from the OPP office.


One of Perween's friends recalls her saying: "I know I’ll be killed, but I’ll be killed happily.” Rahman was shot while returning home from the OPP office.


“She was aware of the danger she was in,” believes Omar when asked of her impression of Rahman. “Their office had been attacked before. After she did her water research, someone quotes her as saying 'If I publish it, I’ll be killed.'" At the screening at T2F yesterday, a close companion confirms this; on February 22, 2013, Perween said, “I know I’ll be killed, but I’ll be killed happily.”

So, in drawing her portrait, Rebel Optimist has in some ways tried to unravel the makings of this martyr – whose pro-poor bias stemmed from her own experience of eviction as a young girl in Dhaka during the 1971 war.

Perween has been called a 'hopeless romantic' and 'an irrational optimist.'
Perween has been called a 'hopeless romantic' and 'an irrational optimist.'

Rahman and her family came to Pakistan with nothing, but later in life, she enjoyed ‘privileges’ like a good education at St. Joseph’s Convent and Dawood University of Engineering and Technology. An excellent student, she initially joined a top architectural firm but “ran away after a few weeks”, says her sister Aquila. She then joined the OPP and “never looked back.”

The film captures the essence of Perween with the help of the memories of those close to her. A school friend relates her nonconformist streak at the convent, when she would liberally decorate her uniform with stickers. Her brother Anis recalls Perween saving him from the thrashing of a gardener after he caught stealing strands of imli. Her friend and lawyer Faisal Siddiqui remembered her zest for life, calling her "a hopeless romantic" and "an irrational optimist". Her best friend Anwar Rashid, who joined OPP on the same day as her, admitted thinking that the young, fashionable girl who could barely speak in Urdu wouldn't last very long at their workplace.


The effort to document Perween story was a risk-laden endeavour in itself. Omar said the film took two years to make partly because Orangi wasn’t the easiest of places to visit regularly. "There were times when we were told not to come [to the office], to come only once a week, to come in different vehicles so we would be safe," says Mahera Omar.


They collectively paint a picture of her as a ray of positivity in a place as dismal as Orangi Town.

Omar fills in some more history with the interviews she took of Rahman for an earlier documentary, City By The Sea and archival footage of the OPP’s. Family photographs and a tour of her bedroom by her housekeeper, who still keeps it the way it is, complete the portrait.

The effort to document Perween's story was a risk-laden endeavour in itself.

Omar said the film took two years to make partly because Orangi wasn’t the easiest of places to visit regularly. “The director of the OPP had been recently targeted, a grenade was thrown on his car. The entire office had shifted to Sharae Faisal, and a lot of their mapping work specifically in Gadap had been stopped. There were times when we were told not to come, to come only once a week, to come in different vehicles so we would be safe. But a few of the times I would be sent in Perween's car with the same driver,” Omar tells us.

Omar also related how she and editor Talha Ahmed, who also shot parts of the film, were held hostage while filming a water hydrant outside of Orangi. “Eventually, they let us go with a cup of tea,” she shared yesterday.

Comments

Mady Apr 20, 2016 04:23pm
RIP Perween Rahman. She was here for humanity and peace.
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Amjad Wyne Apr 20, 2016 05:36pm
Why the people for whom she worked so tirelessly did not rise in anger - why there is so much disconnect?
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Faisal Apr 20, 2016 05:46pm
I am losing faith in my country. God please help us.
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aslam shaikh Apr 20, 2016 05:49pm
Unfortunately the water and land Mafia is still politically very strong. If Rangers give her family protection, the research can be released to public to show the real face of politicians and their stooges.
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Keti Zilgish Apr 20, 2016 05:58pm
We cannot do justice to Perween (who's words were loud, actions louder, a non-greedy organizing genius and influencer par excellance) without initiating a discussion on the nature of corruption.
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Raheel Apr 20, 2016 06:16pm
Pakistan is indeed a beautiful place, nothing like it in the entire world. But the politicians, bureaucrats and people in power are the worse. Everyone with authority is in a so-called meeting when you need them.
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AG Apr 20, 2016 06:26pm
@Faisal I know lots of people won't like it, but I lost long ago and left the country . It was writing on the walls that what will be the future of Pakistan. Who will fix it and how? The country as a whole is going deep down.
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sadface Apr 20, 2016 06:33pm
A movie needs to be released in her memory, and remind those who think only politicians can bring harmony to this country.
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Calypso Apr 20, 2016 06:52pm
Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing? Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago? Only few Flowers like Perween grow in our country and they are not allowed to bloom for long time. She was certainly one in a billion but I also admire the courage of her family and friends.
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ejaz Apr 20, 2016 07:11pm
I am losing faith in everything. Fight between good vs evil in Pakistan and evil is winning. Very soon there wouldn't be any good people left in the country.
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Pakistani Apr 20, 2016 07:19pm
A brave lady a martyr indeed, just making a documentary is not enough the real tribute will be completing her projects or at least following her foot steps
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T.M. Reddy Apr 20, 2016 08:01pm
It is the cause, not the death, she is martyred. Long live Parween!!!
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Tariq Apr 20, 2016 08:31pm
A Brave Soul Ms. Parween Rehman Shaheed Zinda Baad Pakistan is very proud of YOU!
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Faisal Apr 20, 2016 08:33pm
@AG The fact that in spite of all odds , there are people like Parween, Edhi, Adeeb Rizvi etc. in this country is the irrational ray of hope for me
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Babar Dee Apr 20, 2016 09:46pm
@Amjad Wyne .. because as I read somewhere written. . Horn aahista bajaaein, yeh qaum so rahI hay :(
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IBN E ASHFAQUE Apr 20, 2016 09:47pm
The night is darkest before Dawn...........There are millions of selfless Pakistanis like Parween.......Have faith in Allah............and keep on your efforts towards justice in Pakistan..........the Dawn of truth is not far...........May Allah guide us all....
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Inspiristan Apr 20, 2016 09:50pm
Miss you Perween Rahman and Sabeen Mahmud :'(
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Inspiristan Apr 20, 2016 09:50pm
@Faisal Ya Allah Rahm! Keep patience! Insha'Allah everything will be good soon!
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shahgul Apr 20, 2016 10:51pm
Can this be released outside Pakistan? Or Youtube?
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Salik Apr 20, 2016 11:20pm
Well Done Parveen ! Made your life useful and meaningful !, we all should learn from her, and be a positive change in our society, company or wherever we live our moments ! , lived her dream life , salute to her !
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a Apr 21, 2016 12:31am
I don't think people really understand how dangerous these jhuggi mafias can be. Most of these boys have had difficult childhoods and have faced serious abuse as kids. Life has no sanctity for them. Anyone who becomes a threat to their goondaism and illegal empire is eliminated immediately. People in the same jhuggi cluster can easily be found to kill someone for as little as 10000 rupees. I think Parveen was very very naïve. Sorry if I hurt sentiments. I have great respect for people like Parveen. But they just don't know what they are meddling with. Its a dangerous dangerous world. I have my own experiences while working for the upliftment of kids of sex workers in India.
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Mohammad Zayauddin Apr 21, 2016 12:50am
Every Pakistani proud of Shaheed Parween. She was remembered particularly on the day when Daily Dawn Karachi published Bahria Town Greed Unlimited.May Allah bless her soul in peace(ameen)
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Zak Apr 21, 2016 01:08am
She was a brave pakistani killed by the corrupt terrorists. The government must bring her killers to ATC to hang.
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S.A.M. Apr 21, 2016 05:19am
Perveen dud what she believed was right. she took the uncalculated risk in her own calculated way. but their certainly was some miscalculation. had she been a bit more careful we would not have been reading and writing about her. they say murder of a true hero gives birth to a thousand more of such heroes. waiting to see the reincarnation of perveen.
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ali Apr 21, 2016 09:07am
Millitary needs to play a role in these kind of matter. Polio scheme, land grabbing, corruption, target killings, etc. These menaces will never be controlled until the big boys step in. Our police don't have strong command, and the government in pakistan has always been non serious.
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MAH Apr 21, 2016 10:30am
it is really encouraging that people are still out there to remember people who actually did something for Pakistan!
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Fazal Karim Apr 21, 2016 10:48am
She died gloriously while her killer will die every day in shame.
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Niaz H. Jafri Apr 21, 2016 11:26am
Very unfortunate that Perween Rahman was martyred but thanks for this piece. Please continue to publish more stories about this brave lady to enlighten us.
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muzafffar Apr 21, 2016 01:30pm
@aslam shaikh do it but out of country publish it you owe it to parveen
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umair Apr 21, 2016 04:31pm
@Amjad Wyne the same reason why you and I dont rise on the issue of panama leaks ... we let the corrupt ones rule and then cry that the country is going to ruins
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ijaz Apr 22, 2016 01:06pm
Until or unless I will take my last breath I have never seen such a bravery. Due to the presence of such persons our nations will never die. She has been removed physically but not from our hearts. We will remain praying for such a pious individual.
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Faizan Badar Apr 23, 2016 12:25am
Where is the documentary ????
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naji Apr 23, 2016 01:18pm
I have no word to appreciate her (Perveen) efforts for unfortunate people of Karachi. She was a great worker for people who have no resources. Govt. is still silent about her murderer, very sad, very sad.
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