Lahore (AsiaNews) – For Alyas Rahmat, theatre is more than just entertainment; it is a tool for speaking out about human rights where it is often most difficult to do so: in villages, urban ghettos, and rural communities.
For 25 years, the Christian artist from Lahore has been bringing performances to the streets of Pakistan highlighting violence against women, early marriage, minority rights, girls’ education, domestic violence, and peace.
Rahmat is the managing director of Community Healthy Advocacy Network at Nation (CHANAN), an organisation that works primarily with women and young people and uses community theatre as a tool for raising awareness.
"Street theatre is my passion," said Rahmat speaking to AsiaNews.
Throughout his career, he has produced, written, and directed shows on various social issues. People really appreciate them because they tell about “their lives, daily stories and realities”.
After the performances, he explained, the audience is involved in a discussion where they can share experiences and opinions.
When theatre becomes uncomfortable
But bringing such topics to communities is not always easy, especially when the show addresses issues like early and forced marriage of girls, a particularly sensitive topic in some parts of Pakistan.
Rahmat told AsiaNews that he has received threats on several occasions, including from men in local communities, religious leaders, and members of the security forces.
One of the hardest incidents occurred in Sindh province, during a performance on early and forced marriage.
Opposed to the content of the show, some local men interrupted it, accusing the activists from Lahore of "manipulating" women and girls and spreading a message against Islam.
“I along with my team coordinator tried to convince them that the topic is social, not religious,” Rahmat said. But the explanation was not enough.
Local organisers managed to prevent the situation from getting out of hand, but Rahmat was eventually forced to apologise and leave the area. Before leaving, he was told not to return and to stop working on these issues, otherwise he would have to “face consequences”.
A similar incident, he said, occurred in Quetta, where a Muslim cleric interrupted a discussion with the audience after a show on child marriage.
He asked him what his religion was and accused him, along with non-governmental organisations he works with, of being part of an alleged “foreign agenda”.
“We cannot allow such propaganda,” the cleric said, telling him to leave.
The pressure was not confined to performances. After Rahmat posted on social media some content supporting the recent change in the minimum marriageable age for girls in Punjab, he received a call from an anonymous number.
The caller told him to stop his work, particularly raising awareness about the marriageable age, claiming that his position was against Islam.
Women, girls, and minorities
Care for women and girls is a central aspect of CHANAN's work.
The organisation places great importance on strengthening the capacity of communities, particularly of women, young women, and domestic workers, so that they can understand and assert their rights.
The theatre has also been a venue to address the topic of civic participation. CHANAN has worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on voter education projects through street performances, with the aim of reaching communities that are hard to engage with through traditional information channels.
He has trained more than 30 youth theatre groups across Pakistan, who have performed more than 6,500 theatre and puppet shows across the country, reaching a direct audience of more than seven million people in more than 150 cities across Pakistan.
For Rahmat, theatre is above all a way to transform the audience from spectators into interlocutors. “The audience reflects and shares their insights during the interaction after street theatre performance,” he explained.
He believes that this exchange, even more than the performance itself, can bring about change.
The government must protect those working for rights
The problem, however, is that those who bring these messages to the most vulnerable communities often lack adequate protection.
“There are a number of local theatre artists who are impactful heroes, who are working actively for the emancipation of diverse communities across Pakistan," Rahmat said. But these same workers "face threats and harassment."
CHANAN teams also travel to remote areas, where security conditions are often difficult, where human rights activists, especially those working on women's rights, can be exposed to pressures.
This is why Rahmat is calling on the government and local authorities to intervene with specific policies to protect artists and activists involved in community theatre.
“Sometimes the incidents are minor, and we, as a team, ignore them or manage by ourselves," he noted. "But some are serious, and one must pay attention to certain threats.”
Even after years of work, despite some difficulties, his vision has not changed. "Being a human rights defender, social work is my passion," he said. "I want to continue my efforts for social change in my country, and for a better future for minorities, women and girls.”
To this end, however, the authorities must be willing to protect those who choose to speak out.
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