Indian occupying forces tear gas funeral procession in Kashmir

Kashmir women being tear gassed at funeral (Bilal Ahmad) Aug 1 2017

Kashmiri women are running from a tear gas & pellet gun attack by Indian forces on a funeral last July 21st. Tanveer Ahmad Wani, the young man killed, was a tailor by profession. He was executed when the Indian army opened fire on unarmed protesters in the village of Arwah in Beerwah town of the Budgam district.

There are so many human rights crimes involved in this event it would take an international tribunal months to fully lay out the charges: setting up a hunt to kill operation; shooting live ammo at unarmed protesters, killing unarmed protesters; attacking mourners at a funeral with a deadly arsenal.

End the occupation. Self-determination for Kashmir. May young Tanveer Rest In Peace.

(Photo by Bilal Ahmad)

Bilal Ahmad with kids (Masrat Jan) Aug 1 2017

Kashmiri photojournalist Bilal Ahmad has many marvelous vignettes of the occupation but this delightful photo is of him with some little kids. He captioned it: “To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work.”

(Photo by Masrat Jan)

My Facebook campaign walls when I ran for Texas governor in 2014 & for US president in 2016 still get lots of likes & views. I let them pass into archive but since I’m still getting read, does anyone think I should keep them up by posting from my own wall?

Funeral of Firdous Ahmad in Kashmir

Funeral of Firdous Ahmad (Basit Zargar) Aug 1 2017

Funeral ceremony for Firdous Ahmad, a young man killed by Indian forces near an encounter site at Harkipora, Pulwama. There isn’t much information available on the encounter or how young Firdous was fatally shot. In respect for his life, will Kashmiri friends please tell us more about who he was, his life, & about the encounter at Harkipora?

May he Rest In Peace.

(Photo by Basit Zargar)

Palestinian flag amidst burning tires (Aug 1 2017

The burning of tires to thwart the movement of Israeli troops in the West Bank protecting the aggressions of illegal settlers is probably considered violent Palestinian resistance to occupation. It’s actually a brilliant way of working with what you’ve got to fight expropriation & ethnic cleansing.

Long live Palestinian Intifada. Their struggle is our struggle because suffering humanity around the world are heartened by such fearless commitment to justice & freedom.

(Photo from Twitter)

Zionism is the problem banner Aug 1 2017

Neturei Karta USA is an Orthodox Jewish group opposed to Zionism & long active in solidarity with Palestinians all over the world although they originated in Palestine before the establishment of Israel. They are well aware of their important role in refuting the belief promoted by Zionist organizations that anti-Zionism–that is opposition to a Jewish-only state–is a form of hating on Jews.

Many activists have been disoriented by demonizing Zionists & hating on Israelis; some of these have found their way into Assadist politics since venom toward anyone is a poor guide in politics. Political wisdom is trying to understand what it is about Zionist ideology that has a hold on so many without making a single concession to its malignancy as an elitist, supremacist alternative to joining with the international fight against racism & colonialism, & a strategy of taking the easy, rightwing way out by becoming colonizers rather than freedom fighters against the persecution of Jews.

Our deepest respect to NKUSA.

(Photo from a NYC rally)

IDF women soldiers and Palestinian woman August 1 2017

Two Israeli women soldiers “manhandling” a Palestinian woman: a rebuttal to the claim that women soldiers will humanize war & occupation. Who stands for women’s liberation here? The ones packing assault rifles with a mandate to kill? Or the woman standing unarmed against colonialism, occupation, ethnic cleansing?

Long live Palestinian Intifada.

(Photo from Twitter)

Since Palestinians & Kashmiris are vilified as terrorists to discredit their freedom struggles, a comment on one of my posts is particularly cogent. They stand unarmed against brutal military occupations & have a right to defend themselves & their children by any & every means necessary–whether two-bit moralists like it or not:

“In 1936 Palestinians held the longest strike in history against the British mandate & the Zionist program in Palestine. Our history is full of examples of nonviolence resistance. And, Palestinians have used violent resistance as it is their legitimate right & clearly a necessary form of resistance against this fascist force. Questioning the methods of resistance of the colonized & dispossessed, & attempting to constrain it are always done by those on the side of the oppressor.”

–Wael Buhaissy