A legal & political victory for BDS as federal court upholds the US Bill of Rights.

https://mondoweiss.net/2019/04/federal-teacher-striking/?fbclid=IwAR1T7qX4kmEV21cPgFt28oYeIzdTxtmh_5PRsPmxXmKgmxVRd2R_F-I7nZk

This is a report from Kashmir on Indian media by a young journalist who was there. The whole interview is worth listening to but at 3:20 she begins talking about pellet gun injuries in Kashmir. She claims that hospitals, almost certainly under orders from the Indian Army, are not admitting pellet injury victims so as not to record casualties. Consider the barbarism of turning away those pummeled with pellets. Does anyone still feel reticent about calling this a genocide?

Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a weak-kneed statement on India’s onslaught against Kashmir titled “India Needs to Step Back in Kashmir”–to which Stand With Kashmir responded “India needs to go back from Kashmir.”

In the statement, HRW says there are “exceptional circumstances” that “allow governments to temporarily suspend some rights.” Will HRW tell us which ‘exceptional circumstances’ in Kashmir allow India to set curfews, lock down the whole population, close schools, shut down mosques, shoot pellet guns & rubber bullets at unarmed protesters, cut off all telecommunications? Don’t equivocate, HRW! Take an uncompromising human rights stand & denounce India for this treachery & criminality.

HRW statement on Kashmir: https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/08/12/india-needs-step-back-kashmir?fbclid=IwAR1spaTWDz7p2R1B3IzDE3Mc2RIzc-

Nationalist Indian media ANI posted a video of Kashmiris in Srinagar’s Sher-i-Kashmir stadium practicing traditional dances in preparation for India’s Independence Day on August 15th. It’s just like the videos China posts from Uyghur concentration camps trying to make cultural genocide look like Happy Valley. What are the odds that Kashmiris will be out dancing in the streets over India’s independence? Indian propagandists make a mockery of our intelligence & the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination.

Never mistake my wall for a hating place. When we talk about Zionism or Hindutva ideology, we are not talking about Jews or Indians. We’re talking about hateful, rightwing ideologies to justify oppression, war, genocide that Jewish & Indian activists take the lead in exposing & opposing. If you think for one moment that this is the time & place to vent your irrational antipathies toward Jews, Indians, or anyone else, think again because I will block your ass faster than you can say ‘boo’.

Tell me this is not the power of solidarity! A Rohingya activist (my friend on Facebook) in Canada has been asked to speak at a #StandWithKashmir rally. The struggles of Kashmiris, Palestinians, Rohingya, Uyghur, Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis, Yemenis, Somalis, Sudanese, refugees, oppressed castes, & so many others are not at odds with each other but of a piece. There is political power in unity of action.

There is much that needs to be thought out if we decide to organize an economic boycott of India. But this article from September 2018 shows there can be considerable coordination between BDS, the Palestinian boycott of Israel, & a boycott of India. Especially because of the political & military collaborations between the two countries to coordinate colonialism & occupation in Palestine & Kashmir.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/India-Israel/Dozens-of-Bollywood-stars-heading-to-Israel-567325?

Facebook has placed my account under certain restrictions. I’m unable to like, comment on, reply to or share anyone’s post. It’s asking me to change my password, verify my account and review my activities again and again. Many people are unable to like share or comment on my posts. These harassment techniques only strengthen my resolve to raise my voice against injustice, inequality and oppression. Facebook has become a pawn in the hand of certain fascist regimes now !

#FacebookIsProFacist

–Mirza Jahanzeb Beg

Of the eight accounts that Indian Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba asked Twitter to immediately suspend, four are still standing, that of Syed Ali Geelani (which was not his actual voice) was suspended, & three have disappeared. It’s not certain whether Twitter has in fact suspended them but there are still many powerful voices speaking out on Twitter & Facebook against Indian colonialism & occupation & #StandingWithKashmir.