LISTEN ON ITUNES
Omar Rais and Muazzam Mir speak to Sana Saeed, Sanna Wani and Hassan Yassin about their experiences as part of the Kashmiri diaspora. They consider what being ‘Kashmiri’ means, and the multiple cultures and identities that it entails. At the time of recording, Kashmir had been under a media and communications blackout, imposed by India, for several weeks, following the revocation of Article 370.
WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE
- Each guest describes their link with Kashmir
- How South Asians tend to be grouped together ignoring the different ethnicities and cultures among them
- How Kashmiris are ‘categorised’ by non-Kashmiris
- The multiple identities and cultures of Kashmir
- The exoticisation and romanticisation of Kashmir and its people, and why it is problematic
- Media coverage of Kashmir and the lack of Kashmiri representation
- Holding onto one’s Kashmiri identity in trying circumstances
- Non-Muslim communities of Kashmir
PEOPLE/THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Kashmir: Torn Valley of Flowers by Rahima Begum
- Sana Saeed’s ‘how to cover Kashmir for journalists thread
Thread on #HowToCoverKashmir, for American journalists.
— Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) August 10, 2019
1. It’s not an India vs Pakistan issue; that is part of it but Kashmir has had its own struggle that pre-dates the existence of both those countries. Reducing it to IND v PAK dehumanizes Kashmiris as pawns.
- Nund Rishi also known as Sheikh Noor ud-Din Wali, Sheikh Noor ud-Din Noorani and Sheikh ul-Alam
- Yasin Malik – Kashmiri leader who advocates independence
- Agha Shahid Ali– Kashmiri- American poet
- Sheikh Abdullah – Kashmiri politician
- @withkashmir Instagram account
- Jammu Kashmir TV
- The Kashmir Walla
- Rising Kashmir
- Sanna Wani’s ‘I am off to meet the Himalayas’ in The Puritan
Sana Saeed is a journalist, host and senior producer at AJ+. Find her on Twitter: @sanasaeed and Instagram: @sanaface
Sanna Wani is a student and poet in Tkaronto. Her work can be found in The Puritan, Peach Mag and TIME Magazine. She loves daisies.” Find her on Twitter: @sannareya and Instagram: @sannawani
Hassan Yassin is a teacher, photographer and Kashmiri activist who believes in self autonomy. He currently resides in the United Kingdom.
