Is this darling or what?
Mir Laieeq on how sports & culture are used to promote war & occupation—something we know all too well from Hollywood films, Netflix, & Israel.
“By wearing military caps in an international match, indian cricket team has a sent a message to the world that agressive military jingoism is now mainstream in india. It is also a reminder to Kashmiris that mainstream india is indeed complicit in every act of atrocity committed by indian armed forces in Kashmir. Such unreflective and uncritical support for armed forces, especially those involved in an ongoing brutal occupation, is always a sign of an impending disaster. There is no difference between lynch mobs who kill on streets and the supposedly educated professional cricketers and other celebrities, all are afflicted with insufferable jingoism, blind xenophobia and hypernationalism. This is high time for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against india. Being a nuclear power, india poses great threat to not only the peace in the region but also to the life on this planet (experts have argued that in case of a nuclear war in the region, 90% of world population will be affected). Sooner the world understands this, better it would be for all of us.”
Today at work I was talking to their thoughtful young daughter about my horror at learning Black children were used to bait alligators so the skin could be used for luxury goods. She was equally horrified & then went to her room & brought back this artifact of “pickininny art” that was recently given to her. It has no artistic merit & is politically detestable but a Black history museum would probably be interested in it. Texas may be filled with such artifacts because of the strength of the Confederacy here & the resistance to Black Reconstruction.
The US House just shot itself in the ass with the resolution against hate. It was supposed to equate anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel & vilify Ilhan Omar for daring to object to pledging allegiance to Israel. But after considerable opposition, it came out an indignant expression opposed to anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, & white supremacy, “including African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders & other people of color, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, & others.” But here’s the problem: it was passed overwhelmingly by racists who are voting to fund war in several countries, saber-rattling against Venezuela, funding Israeli genocide, supporting Indian militarism against Kashmir & Pakistan, trying to build a border wall through Native American lands to keep immigrants out, & who support discrimination against Muslims. You can’t make this crap up.
The Times of Israel, a Zionist rag, headlined: “Document drafted by Democrats in wake of comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar rejects anti-Semitic stereotypes, including the ‘pernicious myth of dual loyalty’.” “The pernicious myth of dual loyalty” no less when already 26 states require loyalty to Israel for employment & government contracts. What Zionism lacks in integrity, it makes up for in sarcasm.
A Palestinian woman in Gaza: on International Women’s Day, it is important to acknowledge the grief of women along with their leadership in resistance to war, occupation, persecution, genocide.
Another collage of Palestinian women standing against Israeli occupation, genocide, colonialism:
A tribute to Palestinian women political prisoners in Israeli military prisons:
A collage of Palestinian women at the Great Return Marches going on for nearly one year now to demand an end of the Israeli blockade of Gaza & the right of return for Palestinian refugees.
It appears as if India will not imminently go to war against Pakistan. But the strident war mongering by its media & politicians has served its purpose to increase nationalist violence against Kashmiris working & studying in India & to legitimize a crackdown on activists in Kashmir where many have been arrested & will likely be tortured & incarcerated. It has also shown the weakness of antiwar mobilization in India & solidarity activism elsewhere.
The Kashmiri struggle is important for all humankind in the same way as the Palestinian, Uyghur, & Rohingya struggles: because they have not bent the knee to oppression & continue against all odds to end the legacy of colonialism & build societies suitable for human beings to live & love in. Just as the US Civil Rights Movement inspired freedom struggles around the world, a victory of these movements has the power to change the world for all of suffering humanity. That’s why their struggles to build political power against colonialism must be actively supported.
(Photo is Kashmiri women protesting in July 2016 during an uprising against the occupation, from Twitter)
Even now, after all the educational work Kashmiri activists have done on social media, most media coverage still refers to Kashmir as a “disputed territory” between the two nuclear powers of India & Pakistan, as if the Kashmiri struggle against occupation & colonialism did not exist. But such coverage cannot undo the work & the solidarity Kashmiris have built. The news blackouts & the lies don’t work anymore. The Kashmiri struggle is now recognized as one of the most important freedom struggles in the world.
End the occupation. Self-determination for Kashmir.
(Photo is Kashmiri woman stone pelter from Al Jazeera 2013)