There have been references recently to India’s “dirty war” in Kashmir. Due primarily to media’s use of the term, “dirty war” has taken on a meaning contrary to its intent when it was first used by the Argentine military junta & then US Secretary of State & international psycho killer Henry Kissinger. They used the term for their campaign between 1974 & 1983 to hunt down & execute leftwing guerrilla fighters. It was in fact not just a war against guerrillas but a reign of mass terror which included crimes of unspeakable savagery.

Survivors & human rights activists in Argentina object to the term in no uncertain terms as disrespectful to their children & beloved. Among those who object is Estela de Carlotto, the head of the group Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, who said “It was not a dirty or clean war; it was state terrorism.” The objections of these activists to using the terminology of the oppressors should be respected because it was directed against the victims, including guerrillas, & does not signify the criminality of the junta & its murderous ally.
Kashmir is under military occupation which is a reign of mass terror. One only has to read the twitters of Indian nationalists about the executions of the three young men yesterday to see the hatred & violence it spawns & why the anti-occupation movement in India is so weak.

When Indian Army Chief of Staff Bipin Rawat said yesterday “I would have been happy if the protesters were firing weapons at the armed forces instead of throwing stones,” it was a provocation to Kashmiris. He was taunting them to abandon mass social opposition with stone pelting civilian defense guards & return to a strategy of armed resistance so it would be easier for India to portray them as “jihadi terrorists” & no level of military violence to suppress them would be condemned.

This young boy sends terror into the hearts of Bipin Rawat & Narendra Modi because socializing the young into submission is a prepossession of the oppressors from the Black & Latino communities in the US to Kashmir, Palestine, & Arakan state. Standing just beyond the camera in this photo of a young Kashmiri boy are tens of thousands of unarmed protesters who will become emboldened by the violence against them, not terrorized into submission. Sustained mass opposition fortified by international solidarity is the force that will end the occupation.

The struggle of Kashmiris must be fortified by international solidarity so they do not stand alone against the military might & terrorism of the Indian army. Their struggle is our struggle because a victory would resonate around the world & change the relationship of forces to the advantage of the oppressed.

End the occupation. Self-determination for Kashmir.

Je suis Kashmiri.

(Photo from Twitter; photographer’s name is on photo)

Lest we be misled that protests against the executions of Sabzar Bhat, Faizan Ahmad, & Aaqib Rashid Lone are limited to youth (the most frequent targets of military execution), these women were at the viewing of Sabzar Bhat’s body prior to his funeral services. It is, after all, their sons, spouses, & brothers who are targeted. This is a social revolution against Indian occupation, not a phase that youth pass through in life.

The occupying army anticipated the funeral corteges would be massive & become protests & though it was the first day of Ramadan imposed strict security measures to thwart the groundswell of participation. They imposed a curfew & erected barricades on the roads to the funeral sites along with heavy deployment of troops.
You cannot stop a revolution with barricades. Thousands came on foot from all over the region, detouring around the barriers & chanting independence slogans.

The funeral prayers for Sabzar had to be repeated seven times back-to-back to accommodate the number of mourners honoring him as a freedom fighter. Thousands also attended the funeral of 16-year-old Faizan. There are no reports yet on the funeral for Aaqib.

Our fullest solidarity with the people of Kashmir & our sincere condolences to the families of the three young men. May they Rest In Peace after a life well-lived.

End the occupation. Self-determination for Kashmir.

(Photo from First Post)

More information is coming out about the encounter yesterday in Tral, Kashmir where Sabzar Bhat & Faizan Ahmad were killed. According to one report, the protester shot dead by Indian forces was part of a group of villagers trying to break the security cordon so that Bhat & Ahmad could escape. Does anyone know that young man’s name or anything about him? He should be specially honored.

“You killed us
You imprisoned us
You destroyed our homes
You expect us being submissive
Kashmir will resist till freedom.”

–Tweeted by Kashmir Freedom yesterday with this photo of protest after executions in Tral & murder of another protester.

Feliz (happy in Spanish) Ramadan to my Muslim friends around the world. The Rio Grande Valley, on the US border with Mexico, has many Muslims & mosques. They are Syrians, Palestinians, Pakistanis, Egyptians, Mexicans, Americans of Mexican ancestry.

They have held frequent rallies & participated in forums in solidarity with the Egyptian uprising, with Syria, with Palestinians. They hold cultural events to introduce others to Islam. They have held fund-raising events for Syrian refugees.

This meme is from my bookclub friend & amiga Elena Ledesma Rashid who journeyed with her husband to Florida to express solidarity after the Orlando nightclub bombing.

May your Ramadan be blessed.

Someone asked why I care about Kashmir since I’ve never been there. I’ve never been to most of the places I write about. I don’t write because I care more about human suffering & injustice than others. That’s a misanthropic delusion. Writing about injustice isn’t the sign of more empathy; it’s only putting in words & giving expression to what millions of others also feel. If that weren’t true, there would be no hope for the human race.

I write to let others know what is happening because I am absolutely confident & committed to the belief that when they do, they will be as outraged as I am & want to be part of solidarity.

“Indians, your news anchors, your media persons, your ministers, your brave jawans, your news broadcasts, your tweets, your Facebook updates, your political stands belittling & threatening us Kashmiris, all the while hiding behind your 700,000 armed forces.

Come to any of our little villages that you claim for India without hiding behind that power. We aren’t animals so won’t lynch you but you will be lucky to escape with your underpants.”

–Shuja Kosher

On the execution of a Kashmiri militant by Indian troops earlier today:

“You think you won by martyring him? Wait some hours & have a look at his funeral. The hero’s farewell. You kill one, hundreds are born.”

~ Murtaza Hassan Itoo

“indian state is incorrigible, it still doesn’t accept the fact that ideas cannot be gunned down. martyrs don’t die, they continue to live in memories and hearts, inspiring the just struggle in countless imperceptible ways. Only a morally decrepit people can call immense courage of taking on a brutal, wretched armed forces which commits war crimes as cowardly! By labelling our heroes as terrorists and their shameless cowardly forces as brave they cannot win this war. How long will their lies survive the power of truth? The only outcome of this war is nothing but Azaadi. True fighters long only for victory or martyrdom and what a blessed day to achieve that! May our martyrs rest in peace and power! Aameen.”

–Mir Laieeq

Hard to understand the moralizing about stone pelting when you read about the gruesome encounter last night in Tral, Kashmir between the Indian army & militants. Maybe you have to be a nationalist to be that obtuse not to see the scale of distinctions between stone pelters & platoons armed with machine & submachine guns, sniper & assault rifles, combat shotguns, semi-automatic pistols, pellet guns, grenades, mortars, & rocket launchers.

After the encounter where two were killed, protests erupted & prayer memorials were held all over Kashmir. Another young man was killed for protesting.

Imagine that the Indian army did this on the eve of Ramadan, a solemn period for Muslims. Not that they don’t do this every day. But one would hope for even a shred of decency, a momentary moratorium on barbarism so that Kashmiris could observe a sacred ritual. That isn’t the nature of militarism & occupation. It is bereft of humanity. That’s why it must be decisively defeated.

India is again expanding its internet blackout in order to increase barbarism without the testimony & documentation of Kashmiris on social media. Kashmiris cannot be allowed to stand alone. If their voices are silenced, they must be able to trust the voices of international solidarity will increase efforts to educate others about their struggle, to put political pressure on India, & to stand with them every step of the way.

A tribute to this young woman student stone pelter for standing against an army.

End the occupation. Self-determination for Kashmir.

(Photo by Basit Zargar)