Asalamualaikum

This is to inform the community that the Eid-ul-Adha get-together is scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, November 20th at Sahara Banquet Hall in Mississauga. The cost is $20/adult and $10 for children between the ages of 3 and 10. Children under three are free.

The event will be held between 12pm-4pm.

RSVP by Tuesday, November 16th is essential since I have to provide final numbers to the venue.

Further, those Kashmiris who may not have been able to distribute the Qurban meat during weekdays, and would want to distribute within the community can bring it for distribution.

RSVP can be made by replying to this email or by calling the following numbers:

Ruhi Buchh: 905-257-3165
Samiya Drabu: 647-989-8308

Khuda Hafiz,

The film, Harud, by Aamir Bashir is playing at the Toronto International Film Festival. If you have time, please check it out. Here is the official description of the film from the TIFF website where tickets can be purchased:

The transition from actor to director was a smooth one for Aamir Bashir, whose debut feature Autumn offers a devastating glimpse into the wartorn wasteland of his native Kashmir, where survival is a daily challenge and dreams persist in the face of monumental loss. Bashir’s depiction of this region on India’s border with Pakistan – which has seen tens of thousands of deaths and disappearances since the 1989 outbreak of insurgency – is the meticulous and skilfully restrained work of someone well-acquainted with tragedy.

Rafiq (Shahnawaz Bhat) is a young man with an unsettling, silent bravery. After an unsuccessful attempt to cross the border into Pakistan, he rejoins his parents, who, like him, cannot recover from the disappearance of Rafiq’s older brother Tauqir. His father, Yusuf (Reza Naji), suffers debilitating paranoia, while his mother, Fatima (Shamim Basharat), gets by on hopeful delusion. Rafiq all but sleepwalks through the day, contending with ghostly images of his brother. A flicker of hope finally registers in Rafiq when he finds Tauqir’s old camera with a roll of undeveloped film. Photography (even the act of holding a camera) offers Rafiq a link to the past, a way to cope with the present and a source of hope for the future.

In Kashmir it is eternally autumn. Everything is on the cusp of destruction: parched leaves fall from trees, power lines spark ominously, while anger, fear and despair simmer beneath exhausted veneers. Death is everywhere. The film’s quiet, almost ethereal pacing is punctuated by jarring incidents. The oppressive surveillance of an overbearing military presence is echoed by Bashir’s widescreen framing of shots through door frames and windows; we too are implicated as voyeurs in this humiliating world where privacy does not exist. As tensions rise, Rafiq gravitates increasingly towards his camera, through which the boundaries between dream and reality, vision and hallucination, assume a fluid ambiguity.

Autumn is a remarkable achievement marked by indelible performances and a deeply personal understanding of the politics of family and war.

Thank you to those people who, despite Ramadan, came out to show their support for Kashmiris in downtown Toronto.

This is posted on behalf of the Kashmiri Student Organization at the University of Toronto – SILK: Student International League of Kashmir

Salaams all,

Ramadan Mubarak! May Allah shower his blessings upon you and your loved ones this blessed month, and may we all take this time to focus on our spiritual selves and become one with Allah. Ameen.

Alhamdulillah, we can all enjoy peace, security, good food, and stability this Ramadan. Our people in Kashmir are not so fortunate. As you all know, for the last two months, the Valley has been burning. Our parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins are undergoing much suffering and uncertainty. Protests and demonstrations are rocking Kashmir and hartaals and curfews have brought it to a standstill. Almost 60 civilians, mostly youth, have been killed in two months. Life suddenly seems very precious.

We must all unite, stand up for our rights, and speak out against injustice. We are far from home but must never forget our roots. Please come join us in protesting the murder of innocent civilians and human rights violations in Kashmir on Saturday 21 August at 6pm in front of the Indian Consulate in Toronto. Bring banners, signs, and most importantly, compassion. Spread the word – tell all your friends from all races and backgrounds to attend. The protection of human rights is a universal issue, and the plight of Kashmiris must be brought to the world’s attention.

Huge protests have already been held in Delhi and London. The movement will continue in Toronto.

The address of the Indian Consulate is 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, M4W 3L4. The nearest intersection is Bloor and Mount Pleasant Road. The nearest subway station is Sherbourne.

Hope to see you all there.

Rua Wani, Mueen Hakak and Khaoula Siddiqi.

Asalamualaikum,

As you know, the G20 summit is taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Center this weekend. With world leaders descending upon Toronto, many non government groups, institutions, organisations and community groups all over Canada are voicing their concerns about the ongoing humanitarian, economical and political injustices all over the world. They are also voicing their concerns about the resolutions of conflicts around the world especially, Kashmir, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other social issues facing humanity.

The Canadian Government and the City of Toronto has recognized the need for public voice to be heard and has reserved space for protesters to voice their opinion and views using peaceful measures such as signs and slogans.

Other issues being brought up on June 25-27 are:

- self-determination for indigenous peoples
- climate justice
- income equity and community control over resources
- migrant justice and end to war and occupation
- gender justice, queer and disability rights

Please visit the following site for more information:

http://g20.torontomobilize.org/node/242

Our Kashmiri community, in association with the Azad Kashmiri community, has also organized a rally in ‘Protest Park’, which is where all groups wishing to demonstrate at the G20 will be gathering. Being the sons and daughters of Kashmiri soil, it is our responsibility to show our concerns about the human right abuses which have become a norm of governance in Kashmir.

Therefore we appeal to all conscious minded Kashmiris irrespective of their caste, religion, or creed that they should join the peaceful protest. Please see the location and timing below:

Date: Saturday, June 26th
Time: 09:30 AM
Location: Queens Park, near Queens Park Subway Station (Major intersection: University Ave. and College St.)

Please bring snacks, water, and any other accessories with you as there will be also a sit-in in the park.

Please feel free to bring signs and slogans stating the Kashmiri cause.

Please call any of the following numbers for more information:

647-300-6354
905-599-6222
416-995-6260
416-827-6336

Download this PDF to learn more about human right abuses in Kashmir.

Farooq Siddiqi

Hart House at University of Toronto (downtown) is screening a new documentary on Kashmir. The focus of the film is the non-violent activism of Muslims in Kashmir. The event is free for public.

Film name: Kashmir: Journey to Freedom
Date: March 3, 2010 (Wed)
Time: 6:30pm
Venue: Hart House Library

For more info: Hart House Doc Fest