Our Team
Our leadership council includes well-established academics, medical professionals, activists, journalists and reputable professionals all who have roots in the Valley of Kashmir. Together, we promise to undertake strategic, concerted and meaningful efforts to confront the Indian occupation of Kashmir. Ultimately, our organization believes in peaceful methods of civil resistance and disobedience, political lobbying and raising awareness, through conferences, seminars, lectures as well as academic initiatives/writing to challenge India’s settler-colonial project. By doing so, it aims to reverse the illegal, unethical and colonial writ of Indian hegemony on the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Due to the highly sensitive nature of our work, and the Indian hegemonic state’s cowardly use of sexual violence, torture and/or imprisonment of family members, most of our members choose to remain anonymous. But this organization is a consultative body based on the principles of consensus. In other words, it takes inspiration in the Qur’anic values of ‘Ijma’ and ‘Shura’ as well as the Prophetic saying ‘the leader of a people is their servant.’ This, also, is represented in the high classicalism of Sayyidina Umar (R.A) when found resting under a tree, indistinguishable from his followers, without pomp or splendor by a stunned Roman Ambassador.
UMAR AND THE ROMAN AMBASSADOR
During the time of Caliph Umar (R.A) an Ambassador of the Emperor of Rome came to Madina with many gifts. Upon arriving, he enquired from the people as to the whereabouts of the palace of the King. The people replied: “Our leader has no palace.’ Intrigued, the Roman Ambassador asked where he was. They further informed him: “You will find our leader in the graveyard of Madina.”
As the Roman Ambassador approached the graveyard, he was directed to a man lying down on the ground, resting near a tree. The Roman Ambassador was stunned, that Caliph Umar neither had bodyguards or any security detail. Moreover, he was indistinguishable from his people.
Maulana Rumi (RA.) says:
“He who fears Allah and adopts a life of righteousness, him the jinn and men fear and whoever sees him is overpowered by awe and fear.
If I Lead, follow. If I stop, push me. If I turn around, shoot me.
-Che Guevara
CHAK
As long as the gloomy night of oppression hovers over us, we have to go on illuminating the scaffolds and gallows with our heads.
-Shaheed Maqbool Bhat
DAR
La Tahzan, Inallaha Maena – Stay assured, Dear Brothers and Sisters, that there are people who share your joy, your tears and get sleepless nights because of what the occupation does to you. Stay hopeful and trust Allah -Shah
SHAH
Cheen ke lengey Azadi -Every Kashmiri
KHAN
“Freedom cannot be bestowed — it must be achieved.”
-Elbert Hubbard
WANI
“The great revolution in the history of man, past, present and future, is the revolution of those determined to be free.”
– John F. Kennedy
MIR
Knock, the door opens. Vanish, you will shine as the sun. Fall, you raise to the heavens. Become nothing, he will turn you into everything.
-Rumi
AHANGER
Resistance to tyranny is service to God.
-James Madison
BHAT
A man who believes in freedom will do anything under the sun to acquire or preserve his freedom.
-Malcolm X
LONE
What bankruptcy of morality can ask that violence by the occupied, to end their collective suffering, be treated with equal contempt as violence by the oppressor to sustain the occupation?
-Beg
ALI
Beware: For I am fearless, and therefore powerful
-Anonymous
QADRI
When the heart weeps for what it has lost, the soul laughs for what it has found. –Rumi
BADR
When the occupation is ugly, resistance cannot be beautiful
-Shaheed Manan Wani
GANAI
Always do what you are afraid to do
-Anonymous
MAGREY
The wound is the place where the light enters you.
-Anonymous
GEELANI
You were born as slaves. Responsibility of freeing yourself lies with you.
-Anonymous