Silent Veil

Staring out through melted eyelids, semi-blind and with her nose completely disintegrated, 21-year-old Irum Saeed tells the story of the day she lost her face. "The boy threw acid at me because he could not tolerate my parent's rejection of his proposal" says Irum, "Even today, I cannot forget the crooked smile on his face, as he ran off". Brought to the hospital by a passer-by, Irum woke up in hospital, "I asked my mother for a mirror, but she said there was nothing left look at". When Musarrat Misbah, the owner of a Beauty Salon, met another victim, she decided to take action. Her foundation, Smile Again, is designed to bring hope to these women by providing them with the means to undergo reconstructive surgery and moral support. Because the victims endure, "Not just physical, even stronger is the inner pain, the unbearable pain". Musarrat travels throughout Pakistan to meet not only victims, but also other Pakistanis, trying to gain insight into the cause of such a devastating ...