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Gita Sahgal
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Gita Sahgal
Gita Sahgal (born 1956 or 1957) is a British writer, journalist, film director, feminist activist, and human rights activist, whose work focuses on the issues of feminism, fundamentalism, and racism.
She has been a co-founder and member of women's organisations. She has also been head of Amnesty International's Gender Unit, and has opposed the oppression of women in particular by religious fundamentalists.
In February 2010, Sahgal was suspended by Amnesty as head of its Gender Unit, after she was quoted by The Sunday Times criticising Amnesty for its high-profile associations with Moazzam Begg, director of the campaign group Cage (formerly Cageprisoners), that represents men detained at Guantanamo Bay under extrajudicial conditions. Sahgal referred to him as "Britain's most famous supporter of the Taliban".[failed verification]
Amnesty responded that Sahgal had been suspended "for not raising these issues internally". Speaking in her support were novelist Salman Rushdie, journalist Christopher Hitchens, and others, who criticised Amnesty for the affiliation. Begg disputed her claims of his jihadi connections, and said that he did not consider anyone a terrorist who had not been convicted of terrorism.
Sahgal left Amnesty International on 9 April 2010.
Gita Sahgal was born in India, the daughter of the novelist Nayantara Sahgal. She was raised as a Hindu, and says she is now an atheist. She is a great-niece of former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and the granddaughter of his sister, Vijayalakshmi Pandit. Schooled first in India, she moved to England in 1972, where she attended, and graduated from, the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. She returned to India in 1977, and began working in the civil rights movement. She moved back to England in 1983.
In 1979, she co-founded Southall Black Sisters, a non-profit organisation based in Southall, West London.
In 1989, she co-founded "Women against Fundamentalism". It has criticised Great Britain for protecting only Christianity and its blasphemy laws. She believes this exclusion of protection for immigrant religions contributes to the growth of sectarianism, and immigrants' turning towards religious fundamentalism.
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Gita Sahgal
Gita Sahgal (born 1956 or 1957) is a British writer, journalist, film director, feminist activist, and human rights activist, whose work focuses on the issues of feminism, fundamentalism, and racism.
She has been a co-founder and member of women's organisations. She has also been head of Amnesty International's Gender Unit, and has opposed the oppression of women in particular by religious fundamentalists.
In February 2010, Sahgal was suspended by Amnesty as head of its Gender Unit, after she was quoted by The Sunday Times criticising Amnesty for its high-profile associations with Moazzam Begg, director of the campaign group Cage (formerly Cageprisoners), that represents men detained at Guantanamo Bay under extrajudicial conditions. Sahgal referred to him as "Britain's most famous supporter of the Taliban".[failed verification]
Amnesty responded that Sahgal had been suspended "for not raising these issues internally". Speaking in her support were novelist Salman Rushdie, journalist Christopher Hitchens, and others, who criticised Amnesty for the affiliation. Begg disputed her claims of his jihadi connections, and said that he did not consider anyone a terrorist who had not been convicted of terrorism.
Sahgal left Amnesty International on 9 April 2010.
Gita Sahgal was born in India, the daughter of the novelist Nayantara Sahgal. She was raised as a Hindu, and says she is now an atheist. She is a great-niece of former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and the granddaughter of his sister, Vijayalakshmi Pandit. Schooled first in India, she moved to England in 1972, where she attended, and graduated from, the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. She returned to India in 1977, and began working in the civil rights movement. She moved back to England in 1983.
In 1979, she co-founded Southall Black Sisters, a non-profit organisation based in Southall, West London.
In 1989, she co-founded "Women against Fundamentalism". It has criticised Great Britain for protecting only Christianity and its blasphemy laws. She believes this exclusion of protection for immigrant religions contributes to the growth of sectarianism, and immigrants' turning towards religious fundamentalism.
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