NameAreesha Babar
Statement

My name is Areesha Babar, I'm originally from pakistan. I grew up in a patriarchal muslim household. Where domestic violence and polygamy was normal. Islamic values and restrictions for women always made me doubtful of this religion . In 2019, I started reading about atheism, I was quite convinced about it. I had fear of going into hell due to childhood indoctrination so I was afraid to leave it completely and come out of closet. In 2023 , I got married to a Muslim man as my family insisted that man abused me financially and physically. He left me without divorcing me or leaving any marriage papers for me to prove him as a husband. After leaving, he still used to send me threats to make my private photos or videos that he had recorded secretly viral, so I could get killed for honor by my own family. My extended family also wanted to take over my property and get me married on their own family to take over my father's left over property since I am his only child and according to them girls shouldn't have the full right to father's property only sons have that right. Dealing with a husband like that and extended family like that made me go through a mental breakdown where I did self harm , and took my anger out on the religion that made me suffer so much. I then started actively working as a women's and LGBT right activist in Pakistan. I used to post stuff online to open people's mind . I used to get rape threats, life threats and bashing on daily basis by some people. I went to a mobile repairing shop near by the hospital in which I was working a medical order. Those people got hold my back up data where they found videos which provoked them and they found them blasphemous. After which I started receiving rape threats and life threats from unknown numbers in Pakistan. There were calls and voice messages too on Facebook and local sim number. They has shown photos of the videos they got hold on , my face was visible in those videos . I then immediately applied for the visa and planned to leave Pakistan. As those videos can get me killed any time in Pakistan not just by them but by any muslim. They had given threat to involve police as well . In Pakistan there are blasphemy laws that can lead you to life sentence or death sentence. There are people who have suffered because of these blasphemy laws and some are still suffering in jail.