Pakistani diplomatic staff in Delhi #StandWithKashmir rally, August 30th, 2019

Al-Monitor, a Washington DC based pro-Iranian regime news service, just published an article titled “Arab states slow to respond to Kashmir controversy.” What’s so slow about complete silence on the siege & blockade? What’s so slow about the UAE giving Modi their highest award this week? What’s to distinguish the complete silence–read that as collusion–of the ‘Arab states’ from the complete silence/collusion of every other government in the world?

The article duplicitously said: “Pakistan condemned the action. China called it unacceptable. Many Western countries, along with the United Nations, Human Rights Watch & Amnesty International, took notice of India’s actions, but the Middle East remained mostly silent, even though Kashmir is predominately Muslim. Except for Iran & Turkey, there has been no significant response from the region.” Wow, that will bring Indian colonialism to its knees!

The truth is only a google away. Whatever criticisms one may have of the Pakistani government’s intentions, it has been vociferous in denouncing the Indian siege, including calling national protests across Pakistan today. China did indeed call the siege “not acceptable” but their genocide against Uyghur Muslims & arming of the Rohingya genocide hardly puts them on high moral ground to utter a peep. Not to mention, there are stronger condemnations of scratching your ass in public. Turkey “expressed concern”, a condemnation not even up to the standards against scratching your ass. As for Iran, which has ground militias in Syria against the Syrian Arab Spring, they really got tough by urging India & Pakistan against any “hasty decisions” in Kashmir. The UN & leading human rights groups “took notice” of the siege & blockade? You don’t get tougher than that. But what about Kashmiri self-determination, what about the occupation, the mass arrests, torture, rape threats, telecommunications blockade? What about the Kashmiri people?

al-Monitor article: https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/08/arab-states-slow-response-kashmir-controversy.html?

(Photo by Danish Ismail/Reuters, August 23, 2019)

Dr. Upendra Kaul, a senior cardiologist & chairman of Batra Hospital in New Delhi, has been summoned by the National Investigative Agency (the NIA is the Indian equivalent of the US FBI) for his criticisms of the siege & blockade of Kashmir & the abrogation of Article 370. It isn’t reported what he said that was so offensive or in what form he said it. In the current political climate in India, it wouldn’t have to be much. But the scary thing is that the NIA is an agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs responsible for combatting terrorism in Indian & is under the leadership of Amit Shah, the BJP fascist who played a central role in the abrogation of Article 370 & in the genocide in Kashmir.

Democratic rights are in serious jeopardy in India itself, just as the US Bill of Rights is being challenged by the Trump regime, if massive action is not taken to defend Kashmir.

This is an interesting article about the Indian group Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum who condemned the arrest of Kashmiri Dr. Omar Salim for speaking out about the healthcare crises caused by the blockade and are requesting permission to visit Kashmir on an investigative tour of healthcare conditions:

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/aug/30/group-of-doctors-seek-government-permission-to-visit-kashmir-2026326.html?

Pakistani schools girls create one of the most powerful #StandWithKashmir protests.

A. G. Noorani, a prominent Indian jurist, has an article in The Wire, an Indian news website, titled “Murder of Insaniyat, & of India’s Solemn Commitment to Kashmir,” which is a legal elaboration of the abrogation of Article 370. Unfortunately, the subtitle stands out like a sore thumb: “Kashmir’s mainstream leaders should prepare a manifesto of the United Movement of Kashmir & take to the streets, after renouncing all forms of violence, & assert their right to freedom of speech & freedom to move in peaceful procession.” What’s this ‘renouncing all forms of violence’ stuff? Who are an unarmed, occupied people called on to renounce? The militants, most of whom have been gunned down like beasts in hunt to kill operations? Stone pelters, mostly working class kids who operate as a civilian defense guard for unarmed protesters? Is Noorani asking Kashmiris to finger them & turn them over to Indian occupation authorities, to give up the Kashmiri right to defend themselves against army violence, including ‘by any means necessary’?

Who are these “mainstream leaders” he proposes? Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah, Shah Faesal who are outright collaborators now playing the role of political prisoners in luxury suites while human rights activists & leaders, stone pelters, & hundreds of others are locked up in India’s gulag?

In the article, he also says “whatever happens, Jammu cannot leave India.” So how much value is his legal position if he starts out by denying Kashmiri self-determination? The old jurist has to learn that in a struggle between democracy & fascism, there is no middle ground, there is no playing both sides of the street. He’s telling them to settle for parades & getting their mobile phones & internet service turned back on without using them to campaign for #azaadi. With such a contemptible, harmless proposal, the Kashmiri Intifada will have to remain on & there will no renunciations of other Kashmiris forthcoming.

A. G. Noorani article: https://thewire.in/law/murder-of-insaniyat-and-of-indias-solemn-commitment-to-kashmir?

(Photo is Kashmir woman stone pelter, photographer unknown)

Headline in Indian Deccan Chronicle, August 30th, 2019: brutal siege & blockade of Kashmir to last at least through October. So should our protests demanding the immediate, unconditional withdrawal of all Indian troops, the immediate release of all political prisoners, & the immediate cessation of pellet munitions against unarmed protesters.

Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis across the country answered PM Imran Khan’s appeal to hold #StandWithKashmir rallies.

A video report from Aj Jazeera about the massive arrests of Kashmiris by Indian forces. Since human rights leader Parvez Imroz appears in this video, at least we know he was not among them. Yet.

Australian #StandWithKashmir rally.

A Kashmiri father grieves the arrest of his son.