Kashmir, self-determination, and human rights

Presentation as part of a panel on "Kashmiris: A Forgotten People" (Cornell University, 2 October 2014) (printable PDF version) [Panel, left to right: Edward Hasbrouck, Saiba Varma, Ahmad Rafiqi, Arnav Sahu] Who am I to talk about Kashmir? I'm an activist for peace and justice, and a travel journalist. I... (...Read Entire Entry)

"Kashmiris: A Forgotten People", Oct. 2nd at Cornell University

I'll be part of a discussion about Kashmir [calendar listing, event poster, Facebook event page] a week from today at Cornell University, initiated by the Islamic Alliance for Justice and co-sponsored by an unuusally wide range of Cornell academic departments and student and community organizations. I'll be joined by an... (...Read Entire Entry)

Human rights in Kashmir and the USA

My remarks (audio) at a forum last night in Newark, CA, on "Self-Determination for the People of Kashmir" and the prosecution of Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director of the Kashmiri-American Council: [Left to right: Edward Hasbrouck, Dr. Hatem Bazian, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai. Photo by Steve White.] My family... (...Read Entire Entry)

Kashmiri-American human rights advocate to be imprisoned by the USA

I'm speaking tonight in Newark, CA (off I-880 near Fremont, just south of the east end of the Dumbarton Bridge), at an important forum on self-determination in Kashmir. Tonight's event will be the final public appearance by Kashmiri-American activist Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai before he surrenders himself to begin two... (...Read Entire Entry)

Kashmiri-American leader charged with failing to register as a "Foreign Agent"

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, who I've known for more than 20 years as the Executive Director of the Kashmiri American Council (KAC), was arrested on July 19th of this year on Federal felony charges of having failed to register with the US government as a "foreign agent". The U.S. government's... (...Read Entire Entry)

Foreign tourists and travellers as witnesses for human rights

One of the important incidental roles that travellers can sometimes fulfill is as witnesses and messengers to the outside world of human rights violations. The known presence of such international witnesses, whose foreign passports and greater ability to escape the country often make them less vulnerable than local observers, can... (...Read Entire Entry)

New film about Kashmir: "Jashn-e-Azadi"

One of the best consequences of travel is a sense of connectedness with other places, or at least an awareness of their existence, that can linger or reassert itself long after you come home. I see a place name in in the news, and it conjures up sights, sounds, smells,... (...Read Entire Entry)

Another earthquake on Northern Pakistan border

There's been another major earthquake yesterday affecting much of the same region of northern Pakistan and the Pakistan-administered portion of Kashmir where hundreds of thousands of people are still homeless in the mountains and unlikely to survive the winter following the larger earthquake 8 October 2005. The epicentre of yesterday's... (...Read Entire Entry)

Global day of action for Bhopal

Today I attended this film showing and discussion in San Francisco as part of the global day of action for Bhopal on the 20th anniversary of the pesticide-factory explosion that released a cloud of poisonous gases over the city of Bhopal, India, killing some ten thousand or more people, injuring... (...Read Entire Entry)

India and Pakistan may allow each other's tourists

Going against the trend being set by the USA toward increasing governmental obstacles to international travel, Pakistan and India agreed earlier this month that they would begin issuing tourist visas to each other's citizens -- for the first time since the British colonies and feudal fiefdoms in South Asia were... (...Read Entire Entry)

"Crossing The Lines: Kashmir, Pakistan, India"

On Saturday evening I attended the Bay Area premiere and a discussion with the filmmaker, other activists, and Kashmiri, Pakistani, and Indian community members of an impressive new documentary film by Pervez Hoodbhoy and Zia Mann, Crossing The Lines: Kashmir, Pakistan, India. It's remarkable enough that even progressive South Asians... (...Read Entire Entry)

Self-determination and human rights in Kashmir

I've added a new section of my Web site to help explain why I care about Kashmir. I've posted some of the articles I've written for peace movement publications -- they are mostly a few years old, but should still provide some background information. Sadly, the situation remains largely the... (...Read Entire Entry)