A Palestinian stone pelter near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank: not a terrorist but from a long, long line of freedom fighters in Palestine, Kashmir, & elsewhere standing unarmed before the mightiest armies in the world.
(Photos by Baha Nasr)
“Just a reminder that India’s prime minister Narendra Modi was not allowed in the US, EU, or UK for years due to his participation in terrorism & communal riots as chief minister of Gujarat.”
–tweeted by Jibran Khan
Mir Laieeq is probably embarrassed that I seem to be running a fangirl page for him by sharing so much of his writings. Kashmir has many remarkable political writers who I learn a lot from but Mir’s polemical style has a particular force & cogency that uses few words, a lot of pungency, & deep commitment to azaadi to cut through nationalist bullshit & educate us about the character of the Kashmiri struggle. He has a gift for polemic which to my mind should be shared.
“I don’t give a damn about who wins the Nobel prize. But this statement by Imran Khan must be appreciated as in this cacaphony of war cries he has put the focus back on Kashmir and called for the resolution in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiris. Supporting Kashmiri right of self determination is the only moral, ethical and wise stand one can advocate. India needs to come out of the “integral part” narrative which is the root of all violence against Kashmiris.
“I am not worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. The person worthy of this would be the one who solves the Kashmir dispute according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people & paves the way for peace & human development in the subcontinent.” –Imran Khan
–Reposting this comment by Mir Laieeq because I agree the Nobel is a worthless honorific, especially after Kissinger, Suu Kyi, & so many other war criminals & genocidaires have won it. But as Mir says, Imran Khan’s statement places the Kashmiri demand for self-determination front & center in this conflict between Pakistan & India & places the onus of war solely on Indian colonialism & occupation in Kashmir.
Am I the only one who cannot find reports on this UNHCR investigation in the NY Times, the Guardian, & other such media? They reported on corruption charges against Netanyahu but not that Israeli snipers intentionally shot Palestinian children, people with disabilities, journalists, & medics?
Worth reposting from March 4th, 2018:
“it is not surprising to find many people whom I have deleted for their blatant Islamophobia in the past, turn out to be cheerleaders of Bashar Al Assad’s genocidal war against Syrians. it seems I have not wasted much of my time on social media. more power to people of Syria, Palestine and Kashmir whose legitimate struggles have been smeared with false charges of terrorism by the worse perpetrators of state terrorism and their cheerleaders.”
–Mir Laieeq
“Pakistan has had decades of close military ties with Burma. ISI, the notorious Pakistani intel services, train Myanmar military intelligence who in turn become torturers & executioners of Burmese dissidents & agents whipping up anti-Muslim hatred & racism. This is just the tip of the berg. I know these for a fact: I heard straight from the mouths of Burmese military intelligence officials.”
–Maung Zarni
A Kashmiri friend tells me my language is a problem for those whose first language is not English. I know in the past when I’ve used sarcasm in my posts that it has confused & caused indignation. I’m committed to the notion that language is to communicate, not to razzle-dazzle. So if my language is an issue, please let me know & I’ll try to figure out a way to communicate better. Unfortunately the damns and hells & crazy-pants stuff will not be modified since damnations are such a part of my psyche.
Most of the Democrats who’ve declared for the 2020 nomination represent the very worst in US politics. From Gabbard who is an anti-Semite, Zionist, Islamophobe, Hindutva supporter to Klobuchar who jokes about her notorious abuse & humiliation of staff. Bernie Sanders has now formally declared & his most ardent supporters include the academic left in the US but also serious political activists. To my mind, & based on his performance in the 2016 elections, he represents the most opportunist current in US politics. I’m going to go after him without mercy since opportunism & expedience in US electoral politics is one of its most debilitating qualities. I don’t tolerate compromise or equivocation when it comes to human rights. Nothing I say about him should be considered criticism of those, & does not adhere to those, who support him.
