The stone-thrower in resistance to military occupation in Kashmir & Palestine

Faris Oden & Kashmiri boy

Kashmiri photojournalist, Showkat Nanda, took the photo (on left) of a small Kashmiri boy facing off with stones against an Indian army tank in 2009. In a very moving account, Nanda tells how Indian paramilitary forces were shooting at unarmed protesters in the town of Baramulla. Young boys carried the body of an injured boy shot in the chest away from the scene & handed him to Nanda as he died.

As gunfire cleared the scene of protesters, this small boy came running “as if from nowhere” toward the paramilitaries to stand defiant & fearless against an Indian armored vehicle. When Nanda took the photo, he remembered the iconic image of 15-year-old Palestinian, Faris Odeh, defying an Israeli tank with just a rock in his hand. The photo (on right) of Odeh was taken October 29th, 2000. Ten days later (on Nov 8th), young Odeh was shot dead by Israeli soldiers in another stone throwing incident.

Stone-throwers in both Kashmir & Palestine standing unarmed against brutal military occupation is no longer iconic but the routine of opposition.

We should take a moment to honor Faris Odeh, this Kashmiri boy, & all those who have lost so much & stand so fearlessly against military barbarism–particularly those enduring the Israeli pogrom right now.

Our fullest respect & solidarity.

(Photo on left of Kashmiri boy by Showkat Nanda; photo on right of Faris Odeh from AP)