BABA UMAR
RISING KASHMIR
Srinagar Dec 25
World renowned American Journalist, author, and broadcaster, David Barsamian today at a lecture here in city’s Grand Mumtaz Hotel, said when the oppressor chokes all the channels of justice, the oppressed need not to surrender. He said, “Persistence is the key in all forms of resistances.”
Delivering a lecture on “State, Media and Resistance”, organised by Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies, Barsamian said he realises the plight of Kashmiri’s and would appreciate all sorts of resistance by the people.
“You can’t ask me what to do; it would be a “colonial thinking”, it’s your soil and you are the ultimate decision makers on how to resist.” He said.
India, he added, has been successful in projecting the Kashmir as a case of terror hit state to the outside world. “Nobody in America knows what’s really happening in Kashmir, and the Indian media has been quite instrumental in protecting the Indian interests.” He said. “This is how “Hotel Journalism” goes.”
Recollecting the events of 1948 in Iran, he appraised the huge audience about how U.S bribed Irani journalists then, who would latter write articles about the inability of the anti-American President Musadiq to rule the country and the dire consequences of the growing Iran- Russia nexus on Iran.
“Actually Musadiq raised his voice against the oil and gas extraction from his country by the foreigners and that irked Americans. The scribes lied for money and in 1953; this democracy was overthrown only to pave way for the ad hoc government of Shah, who was flown from Rome to Tehran in a CIA plane,” said Barsamian.
Barsamian is also the director of Colorado-based Alternative Radio and has authored scores of books among which the famous are Propaganda and Public mind, Confronting Empires, Cultural resistance, Louder than bombs and the upcoming Targeting Iran.
On U.S president Bush’s remarks just before the Iraq’s invasion, that ‘God has told him to annihilate Iraq and Iran’, Barsamian called it the “neo-U.S arrogance” and “theological imperialism”.
“I can’t still understand how he (Bush) got the God’s cell number,” he ridiculed.
Known for his staunch criticism of U.S policies across the globe, Barsamian said the Iraq and Afghanistan war was all based on lies and sheer hypocrisy.
“Ordinary Americans were scared and won over with the thoughts that Iraq, Taliban and other anti-American states would destroy America soon. And I am embarrassed to say that not many Americans till date are not resisting these propagandas and bogus claims.” He said. “Iran annually spends only 5 billion dollars on its military and U.S spends some 750 billion dollars, so how come Iran becomes a threat to global peace?” he argued.
“They (Iran) have no military bases outside their country, and on the contrary, U.S has more than 700 military bases across the world.”
Iraq of Saddam era, he said, was much better than the present Iraq. Quoting the figures from OXFAM and Coalition of Iraqi Civil Society, he said, “ One million Iraqi’s have been killed so far, more than 2 million are wounded, one-fourth of Iraq’s total population are living the lives of refugees, eight million Iraqi’s need immediate aid and eighty percent of Iraqi’s have no access to pure drinking water,” said Barsamian.
“In the whole Arab world,” he said, “Iraq had the best education system, women had access to higher education, Iraq had the finest hospitals and inflation was low. After U.S invasion everything buckled.”
He said people like Noam Chomsky and him would call for an International tribunal to accuse U.S for its war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We hold U.S responsible for the war crimes and we would also demand that U.S pay reparation for the damage done to Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.
Whether Iran would be the next victim of U.S arrogance, he didn’t overrule the possibility. However, he said, such an attack would be “catastrophic” for the whole world and all the parties involved in the confrontation.
“The attack would leave serious consequences on the whole world. Already the oil prices per barrel is hanging between 90-100 dollars, it might double or triple.”
Iran’s military might, he said, “is much better than the other mid-east states, along with the 70 million strong population, who would resist any sort of mis-adventurism from U.S.” He said Iran has its allies in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Syria who would contain U.S army for Iran in the event of war.
Speaking on the Kashmir issue, he said Kashmiri’s need to rise above their approach of resistance and something out of the box should be tried. He said drama, theatre, films and blogging play a vital role in shaping the resistance.
“Jashne-Azadi (a film by Sanjay Kak about the freedom celebrations in Kashmir) is an amazing film, which reflects the plight of Kashmiri’s and it has not come from the perspective of people who are sitting somewhere in the New Delhi skyscrapers or somewhere else.”
“I will talk to people of America about the film and the agonies meted out to every Kashmiri.” Barsamian promised to the gathering.
RISING KASHMIR
Srinagar Dec 25
World renowned American Journalist, author, and broadcaster, David Barsamian today at a lecture here in city’s Grand Mumtaz Hotel, said when the oppressor chokes all the channels of justice, the oppressed need not to surrender. He said, “Persistence is the key in all forms of resistances.”
Delivering a lecture on “State, Media and Resistance”, organised by Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies, Barsamian said he realises the plight of Kashmiri’s and would appreciate all sorts of resistance by the people.
“You can’t ask me what to do; it would be a “colonial thinking”, it’s your soil and you are the ultimate decision makers on how to resist.” He said.
India, he added, has been successful in projecting the Kashmir as a case of terror hit state to the outside world. “Nobody in America knows what’s really happening in Kashmir, and the Indian media has been quite instrumental in protecting the Indian interests.” He said. “This is how “Hotel Journalism” goes.”
Recollecting the events of 1948 in Iran, he appraised the huge audience about how U.S bribed Irani journalists then, who would latter write articles about the inability of the anti-American President Musadiq to rule the country and the dire consequences of the growing Iran- Russia nexus on Iran.
“Actually Musadiq raised his voice against the oil and gas extraction from his country by the foreigners and that irked Americans. The scribes lied for money and in 1953; this democracy was overthrown only to pave way for the ad hoc government of Shah, who was flown from Rome to Tehran in a CIA plane,” said Barsamian.
Barsamian is also the director of Colorado-based Alternative Radio and has authored scores of books among which the famous are Propaganda and Public mind, Confronting Empires, Cultural resistance, Louder than bombs and the upcoming Targeting Iran.
On U.S president Bush’s remarks just before the Iraq’s invasion, that ‘God has told him to annihilate Iraq and Iran’, Barsamian called it the “neo-U.S arrogance” and “theological imperialism”.
“I can’t still understand how he (Bush) got the God’s cell number,” he ridiculed.
Known for his staunch criticism of U.S policies across the globe, Barsamian said the Iraq and Afghanistan war was all based on lies and sheer hypocrisy.
“Ordinary Americans were scared and won over with the thoughts that Iraq, Taliban and other anti-American states would destroy America soon. And I am embarrassed to say that not many Americans till date are not resisting these propagandas and bogus claims.” He said. “Iran annually spends only 5 billion dollars on its military and U.S spends some 750 billion dollars, so how come Iran becomes a threat to global peace?” he argued.
“They (Iran) have no military bases outside their country, and on the contrary, U.S has more than 700 military bases across the world.”
Iraq of Saddam era, he said, was much better than the present Iraq. Quoting the figures from OXFAM and Coalition of Iraqi Civil Society, he said, “ One million Iraqi’s have been killed so far, more than 2 million are wounded, one-fourth of Iraq’s total population are living the lives of refugees, eight million Iraqi’s need immediate aid and eighty percent of Iraqi’s have no access to pure drinking water,” said Barsamian.
“In the whole Arab world,” he said, “Iraq had the best education system, women had access to higher education, Iraq had the finest hospitals and inflation was low. After U.S invasion everything buckled.”
He said people like Noam Chomsky and him would call for an International tribunal to accuse U.S for its war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We hold U.S responsible for the war crimes and we would also demand that U.S pay reparation for the damage done to Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.
Whether Iran would be the next victim of U.S arrogance, he didn’t overrule the possibility. However, he said, such an attack would be “catastrophic” for the whole world and all the parties involved in the confrontation.
“The attack would leave serious consequences on the whole world. Already the oil prices per barrel is hanging between 90-100 dollars, it might double or triple.”
Iran’s military might, he said, “is much better than the other mid-east states, along with the 70 million strong population, who would resist any sort of mis-adventurism from U.S.” He said Iran has its allies in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Syria who would contain U.S army for Iran in the event of war.
Speaking on the Kashmir issue, he said Kashmiri’s need to rise above their approach of resistance and something out of the box should be tried. He said drama, theatre, films and blogging play a vital role in shaping the resistance.
“Jashne-Azadi (a film by Sanjay Kak about the freedom celebrations in Kashmir) is an amazing film, which reflects the plight of Kashmiri’s and it has not come from the perspective of people who are sitting somewhere in the New Delhi skyscrapers or somewhere else.”
“I will talk to people of America about the film and the agonies meted out to every Kashmiri.” Barsamian promised to the gathering.
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