There's mullahs and then there's the Iranians

We will have a long hard rethink about how a "mullah regime" is standing up to Zionism. How long a "mullah regime" stood up to the West, continued scientific and technological advancement, and a global dignified and respectable place on the global stage. We will have to change our language for the "mullah regime" to something else. There's mullahs and then there's the Iranians.

Pakistanis thought they are fighting "Zionism"

Just now Pakistanis thought they are fighting "Zionism" by attacking India after Pahalgham. Oh no, no, you don't get to defend what was the cycle of events and what came first. You defended Pakistan's war, you defended jingoism, you defended war . You are now having lunch in the White House and adorning Americans with the Nobel Peace Prize in the wake of Gaza and Syria and all the other atrocities. Guess who is fighting Zionism? Iran is fighting "Zionism." 

Latin America had Bolivar

 Latin America had Bolivar.

Africa had Pan Africanists like Nkrumah.

Who does South Asia have? Are we still so colonised that we , even the Left, eagerly embrace and defend these borders? We need a political vision that is for all the people in this part of the world against imperialism, against colonialism, against hatred for each other.

Lunch at the White House

What happened at the Lunch at the White House? Why is Pakistan nominating Trump for Nobel Peace Prize? What happened between the lunch, Pakistan closing up the border with Iran, and then US bombing Iran? And, what happened with the cease fire that Trump brokered between India and Pakistan ? Connect the dots.

US Attacks Iran

If anyone was hoping against hope that the Americans wouldn't attack Iran, it was a false flag. The Americans are an Evil Empire and, it was inevitable. Iran's destruction is the real prize for them in their bloodlust for most of the 20th century and counting. Trump is just an honest Warlord unlike Obama or Hillary Clinton or Genocide Joe. He wants a Trillion Dollar Defense Budget , Greenland, Trump Golf and Towers in Gaza, and China. Are Russia and China (they sent a few cargo planes to Iran) going to do more ? They have defense pacts with Iran. Pakistan is out - we got invited to lunch at the White House and, offered to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize and a few days later , Iran gets bombed by the Americans. Hoping against hope that China and Russia stand up now.

We all broadly know what happened in Iran

 We all broadly know what happened in Iran starting with the 1953 CIA sponsored coup and then installing the blood sucking Shah. Since the Islamic Revolution (which women were part and parcel of), Iran has been HATED by the West, particularly by the Americans. Liberal feminism had many of us blinded including me but this is not the way to look at the material political experiences of Iran. I started changing my views only recently because: 1) I can't believe Western media anymore 2) The West uses puppets, stooges to spread a narrative 3) see: Masih Alinejad 4) the reality is always richer and more interesting than seeing it through liberal feminism lens 5) Iran has ALWAYS been staunchly opposed to Zionism 6) Iran is only one of ...3 countries to support Palestine militarily , Yemen, Lebanon 7) Iran has staunchly been anti imperialist 8 ) Iran has not been colonised like Pakistan and its scientifically and technologically way more advanced 9) Their scientific journals are in Farsi 10) Women are part of the institutions 11) See Prof Marandi's views 12) We have to be in solidarity with Iran as its being attacked by the West, by imperialism.

Israel attacks Iran

Israel is the rabid dog that just attacked Iran (has attacked occupied Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Iran in the past). It is a terrorist entity acting at the behest of the West, specifically the Americans. Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is struggling against Israel. In full solidarity with Iran. Trump is just naked imperialism, he's honest. He has displayed the open hatred for Iran that American liberals will politely mask. Americans have hated Iran since the Iranian Revolution which overthrew the brutal regime of the Shah and its Western supporters. American hatred of Iranians has been going on for a long time. They supported Saddam Hussein in the terrible war with Iran and, Israel defends its right to attack Iran with lies and bullshit while Iran's stance against Israel is anti imperialist. Too bad Pakistan's elegant rhetoric against Israel is so empty matched with lack of action. Is our military might only for our neighbours, only to sustain colonial hatred against our own or against imperialism?? I remember where I was and what I was feeling in my early 20s when US attacked Afghanistan in 2001 the start of the War on Terror. I could only feel blind rage that a power like the US was bombing a poor country in supposed retaliation. I feel the same rage as our neighbour Iran is being bombed by Israel which is just an extension of the US.

________

All of you who went for Hajj to Saudi Arabia, what did you all pray for there?? Very curious.

"Arab regimes—including Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan—are demonstrating a coordinated regional effort with Israel by allowing the use of their airspace to counter Iranian retaliatory strikes. " __________ We all broadly know what happened in Iran starting with the 1953 CIA sponsored coup and then installing the blood sucking Shah. Since the Islamic Revolution (which women were part and parcel of), Iran has been HATED by the West, particularly by the Americans. Liberal feminism had many of us blinded including me but this is not the way to look at the material political experiences of Iran. I started changing my views only recently because: 1) I can't believe Western media anymore 2) The West uses puppets, stooges to spread a narrative 3) see: Masih Alinejad 4) the reality is always richer and more interesting than seeing it through liberal feminism lens 5) Iran has ALWAYS been staunchly opposed to Zionism 6) Iran is only one of ...3 countries to support Palestine militarily , Yemen, Lebanon 7) Iran has staunchly been anti imperialist 8 ) Iran has not been colonised like Pakistan and its scientifically and technologically way more advanced 9) Their scientific journals are in Farsi 10) Women are part of the institutions 11) See Prof Marandi's views 12) We have to be in solidarity with Iran as its being attacked by the West, by imperialism. __________________ In 5th or 6th grade at the American School of Bucharest, our class teacher made us watch "Not Without My Daughter" with Sally Field. I was only one of two Muslims in the class and, I remember being horrified with the film. Years later I understood how problematic and racist that movie was and, how inappropriate it was to make small kids watch it. But it goes to show how American state and cultural machinery is anti Iran. A civilisation that has continuously existed for thousands of years while Americans are bunch of settler colonialists. No matter how hard they try, they can't become more than that. ________________ Over and over again, I'm reminded and realise what a great distraction liberal feminism is, what a ruse it is against the Global South and, imperial agendas. We have been distracted against imperialism against Iran, a country so heavily sanctioned and harassed and tortured by the West, in the name of feminism and "human rights." We can't divide a people along gender. We can't use that against ourselves.

Pakistan and India's diplomatic delegations

Pakistan and India's diplomatic delegations to convince everyone around the world that the other is a bully is height of absurd comedy. Wonder how many trips around the world it will take to complete the mission?

The celebration of war with our own neighbours

The celebration of war with our own neighbours who live in states carved out of colonialism, is so tragic that today's generation and children will never have a sense of, don't have the tools to acknowledge. The only war that can be defended is one against imperialism.

Where is the outrage over climate change?

We experienced extreme weather patterns in May which is unprecedented, even until 2 days ago.

We hardly had a winter and it was warming up already in February. Spring rains were delayed and, instead we have had days with high speed winds knocking down trees, hail and lashings of rain. There are severe water shortages. There is hardly any national outrage and concern expressed by the same elite and civilian war mongers on what these extreme weather days actually signify.

In the 4-day war, everyone was pumped but it's back to business now. The climate catastrophe, unbearable heat waves, urban flooding because of lack of maintenance and planning, river flooding because of mismanagement of rivers, water table shrinking, etc. None of this seems to bother the same folks who were defending the war, jingoism, seemed to suddenly have developed a political awareness of Hindutva and, defended Pakistani Army.

This temporary heightened political consciousness shaped really by social media trolls and, deranged Indian media has suddenly evaporated. For a moment, Pakistanis seem to think we are more self righteous since we are defending ourselves against a "regional bully."

One must ask progressives, if India is a big bully, how exactly do they see Pakistan within South Asia? A Buddhist monk studying in a remote monastery?

Everyone was touting this line, including progressives, including Leftists. We had a lot to say: that we are also affected by terrorism so, somehow Indians must have sympathy for us, too. And, we have no choice but to defend ourselves.

The support or passionate idea we must defend ourselves, forgetting the war with the Army, and then support for the Army, praising their prowess, their Chinese jets, was a bizarre moment.

War is important , necessary , for liberation , for throwing off the colonial yoke. But wars which don't serve an anti-imperial purpose are impossible to justify.

So, now this temporary heightened political consciousness is gone. The elite and civilian war mongers are silent and, going on about their lives, probably planning spending sprees for the Bakra Eid. As for progressives and Leftists, they (I would like to include myself) go back to critique of the canals, what's happening in KP, Balochistan, etc. (Is there any confirmation/explanation/information on this drone attack? There was at least one last year, too. )

In peacetime, we don't really have much of a push towards "peace" and, calling for permanent measures to lead us to permanent peace.

I suppose it's the condition of these post colonial states, forged out of European empires.

So, let's go back to Climate Change and, absence of rage. Sindh and South Punjab has been demonstrating against the canals on Indus and, these protests encapsulate everything that Climate Change /anti-Mega-Project protests are about: environmental destruction, destruction of livelihoods and ways of life, cultural desolation, and, destruction of indigenous way of life that is intrinsically tied to the land and rivers and forests.

But the same celebrities, the same elite, the same seemingly apolitical well to do upper middle class, goes back to a status quo. The same status quo means :

- no connection, no conversations, contact with Indians across the border

- an almost forgotten history that is pre-Partition

- no movement, no process towards real peace with out neighbours

- a colonial condition where we are at war with all our neighbours

- a colonial condition where we can't think for ourselves, can't imagine a more peaceful prosperous reality

- no progress towards reducing poverty, inequality , debt, environmental degradation, etc

- frenzy to immigrate to the West

There is no consciousness , discussions around the extreme weather patterns.

There is no introspection after what was a very a dangerous military confrontation.

There aren't any questions for accountability from our state.

Children

There isn't enough rage over the slaughter of children in Palestine. But there isn't enough rage over Sudanese children or Yemeni children. There is a global hierarchy and, there isn't enough rage about children. In Pakistani society, we aren't even close to thinking about children as children. They are stratified, classified according to poor, caste, ethnicity gendered and are invisible. How many are embarrassed at how many children beg on streets or are out of school? Or just seen as property of parents, religion and state to embody everything as dictated. We have a long way to go.

Rampaphosa handled himself with great patience

 Rampaphosa handled himself with great patience, grace and humour. Gotta give it to him! Trump only wanted to listen to the white South Africans. One of the white golfers patronised one of the black delegation members by saying this one used to to be in the youth party of the small political parties shown in the video. It's remarkable that South Africa was reduced to 'white genocide'! This the country that peacefully ended apartheid without any vows for revenge. True, they should have included economic redistribution as part of the peace deals with the apartheid regime but black South Africans don't owe an explanation to Trump. Mandela should have negotiated a better deal for the black peoples. Now, SA's government needs to work on wealth redistribution , end xenophobia for other Africans, and deliver the promised revolution of 1994. South Africa is the country that took Israel to the ICJ! I was impressed that Ramphosa brought a trade union leader as part of his delegation.

UN warns 14,000 babies in Gaza could starve

UN warns 14,000 babies in Gaza could starve. Almost 20,000 children have already been slaughtered by Israel. (These are figures, estimates, can be more buried under rubble) I have a huge problem with the indignity of turning struggles into humanitarian sympathy attractions instead of putting forth an anti colonial political legitimate struggle.