Cassandra Balchin initially worked with Viewpoint and later The Frontier Post (1983-1991) and then with the publications of WLUML network

An email from our mutual friend Gita Sahgal informs me that Cassandra Balchin passed away peacefully this morning in London, barely a few months being diagnosed with cancer, too late to attempt a cure.  I am so grateful for our friendship and our time together. Saw her in London just before the diagnosis, but I had no idea she was so ill until just a week ago. She leaves behind her mother, her sons Dani and Raul, brother Charles and a host of friends around the world, especially in Pakistan where she lived and worked for 17 years, based in Lahore as a journalist and activist, focusing on gender, religion and human rights issues. The funeral will be held around July 22nd or 23rd. Those wanting to send messages may email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

She initially worked with Viewpoint and later The Frontier Post (1983-1991) and then with the publications of Women Living Under Muslims Laws (WLUML) network, working at the office of the women’s group Shirkat Gah, WLUML’s Asia Regional Coordination Office (1991-2000). She returned to England in 2000, to set up WLUML’s international coordination office, and later helped set up the Muslim Women’s Network, UK. As chair of the Muslim Women’s Network, she was passionately involved in the February 14, 2009 launch of Musawah (which means ‘equality’ in Arabic), a call for equality and justice “in the Muslim family”. As she wrote, this global initiative of activists and scholars from over 20 countries around the Muslim world is based on the premise that” there cannot be justice without equality” between men and women.

Links to some of her works below:

• “What Aspect of Islam is Supposedly Under Threat?” - Yoginder Sikand’s interview of Cassandra Balchin for Outlook India, 10 February 2005
• Paper on religion, culture, diversity, and development
• Towards A Future Without Fundamentalisms, Feb 18, 2011
• She also wrote several articles for OpenDemocracy.net

Beena Sarwar is a Pakistani journalist and documentary filmmaker who blogs at Journeys to Democracy www.beenasarwar.wordpress.com. Twitter @beenasarwar .