Maybe some wonder why all these strangers from Ohio, McAllen, Bellevue, Gaza, Manchester, Toronto, Berlin, London, Lahore, Delhi, NYC, DC, & elsewhere give a damn about Kashmiris. What’s it to us what happens to them? Well there’s a whole raft of reasons, including primarily the justice of Kashmir’s right to self-determination & their struggle against colonialism & occupation. There’s also the problem of India’s relationship with Israel & its conflict with Pakistan that could set off a war in the region that would involve the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of people. But it’s also because a Kashmiri alliance with Palestinians, Rohingya, Uyghur, Syrians, Afghans, Yemenis, Iraqis, & others would change the course of human history.

A victory for any on the front lines of oppression, especially a victory against the merciless hatred incited against Muslims, would strengthen the struggles of the oppressed around the world, would hearten them in their own struggles, would weaken the forces of oppression. It’s also worth mentioning that Kashmiris have long been exemplary in standing up for the oppressed despite the occupation they sustained. But maybe the biggest reason of all is that no human being is alien to us. An injury to one is an injury to all. Je suis human ergo je suis Kashmiri.