Keep seeing the word ‘libtard’ on Facebook. It’s a derivative of ‘retard’ used to demean those with learning disabilities & make them feel small & subhuman. Please reconsider its use out of respect. Rather, start to think of it as hate language, whether you mean it as such or not. ‘Retardation’ is a social stigma, not a scientific category of intelligence, & part of the junk science of IQ. It is used to isolate, marginalize, make vulnerable, & victimize human beings who are often wiser than the geniuses among us.

“I was on BBC Urdu’s popular programme sairbeen to discuss the situation in Delhi and the future of anti-CAA protests. In a very limited time, I could only make two small points. One, this seems to be a tactic for the administration/state to evacuate the space occupied by protestors and strengthen the narrative of how anti-CAA protestors are violent (anti-national etc.). Second, on the question of future of these protests, I said people on the ground would know better that how long they can fight this but anti-NPR/NRC resolutions passed by states like Bihar can be problematic without rejection of CAA.”

–Musab Iqbal

(I don’t understand a word of Urdu but those who do or who know the politics & poetry of Musab will find this interesting.)

“If there is a heart, it should break now.
If it is broken, it should shatter now

The sea is full of hope and rage
deceit and cruelty are the dust of now.

Innocence consoles the bravery
How a father shall embrace the child now?

There is no land left for migrants
Border, bullet, prayer, abuse and now.

Life is left behind in smoke and fire
The body carries the soul and tears are dry now.

Winter will pass, spring will come
An eternal autumn will stay here now.

Rise and rise, cry and cry, rage and rage
Fight and fight, die and die, now and now”

Poem by Musab Iqbal, 2/26/2016

“A prominent Uyghur Islamic scholar has died in Chinese police custody, some 40 days after he was detained in the Xinjiang regional capital Urumqi, overseas Uyghur organizations said on Monday.

Muhammad Salih Hajim was “one of the most respected and influential Uyghur religious scholars” noted for being the first to translate the Quran into Uyghur.

The fate of Salih’s daughter and the other relatives detained with him is unclear.”

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/scholar-death-01292018180427.html?

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet expresses ‘great concern’ over the pogrom in Delhi & the occupation & lockdown of Kashmir. UN officials go to their graves wringing their hands & expressing concern about pogroms & genocide. But their concern never rises to the level of indignation or outrage like the rest of us. Or, God forbid, to the level of condemnation.

Was trying to trim my friend list to make room for recent Kashmiri requests. Figured ‘Honey Moon’ & ‘Sugar Pie’ who I friended in 2011 were good to go.