KARACHI: The government of Syria has honoured Pakistani visual artist Saher Shah Rizvi for painting a series about the inspirational women of Karbala.

The artist, who recently returned from Damascus, said that the Syrian officials had decided to display her paintings in the shrine of Bibi Zainab, Bibi Sakina and Syeda Ume Kulsoom.

“It is for the very first time that the artwork [of a Pakistani artist] has been displayed in the holy shrines,” she said.

Ms Rizvi expressed her gratitude to the Syrian government for honouring her work and said that her painting were a tribute to the great women characters of Karbala.

“The real story of Karbala lives because of the resistance and fight of these women. Today, the whole Muslim world considers Bibi Zainab as a symbol of resistance and hope,” she added.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2024