Qamar Ul-Zaman'sreception is enormous. Between 1,000 to 2,000 people in attendance and we are his special guests. I have never seen anything like it.
This is the transcript of myspeech.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Assalam aleckum. Iam Maxine Bowler, I am the treassuer of the Kashmir Earthquake Relief Fund Iam proud to be back in Bagh. Last time I visited was as part of the original delegation that came in December 2005.
And yes I am proud to bbe wearing a shalwar kameez that was bought for me by ladies from the Heeley AsianWomen's Group but regrettably I am still unable to speak to you in Urdu or Pari. I am still awaiting lessons from the extremely busy Professor Abul Assim. We have received fantastic hospitality from the people of Kashmir and enthusiastic support, in particular fronm Sardar Qamar Ul-Zaman and I have to correct an earlier speaker for I understand that he is known as the lion of Bagh and not the tiger and for good reason as his opposition will know! He is one of the peole who convinced us of the impoprtance of an educational project and in particular to rebuild the Girls' College in Bagh.
Since then we have been working very hard since the day w returned we have spoken at hundreds of meetings, we have put the forgotten tragedy back on the agenda with Julia Armstrong and Phil Turner's press coverage. We have even appeared on the Islam Channel. We have organised a series of sponsored events including school students who formed a giant Kfor Kashmir in the Sheffield city centre. We have had donations to build rooms in their organisations' names from the fire service, from the police and trade unions.
Last summer 12 teachers came at their own expense and taught for the whole summer at thesite of the old school, keeping alive our dream.
And now we have come back and this time with the first lady of our city, the Lord Mayor Jackie Drayton and weare proud that she has agreed to support our project.
We know from the experience of visiting the five sewing schools set up in ther mountainous areas by Kubra Assim that the notion of girls' education was absolutely correct. Qamar Ul-Zaman was correct when he insisted there will be no rehabilitation without education and quoted to us the Prophet Mohammed, PBUH, give us a boy and i will educate a boy, give us a girl and I will educate a nation. Yesterday, when handing out certificates to the girls trained during the summer, I asked one of them what thecourse had meant to her. She said, it has helped her mentally and psychologically to get back on with her lifeand helped her to overcome the pain she was suffering from the tragic events.
We have helped so far approximately 700 women in the sewing and teaching projects but what we really want to do is to build a girls' college. We want to build this as a gift from the people of Sheffield as an act of solidarity, as a kickback against some of the demonising images of Muslims we are subjected to in our country to legitimise their war.
Our project is about humanity and I want to see the prospect of hundreds of women moving forward, building confidence, being educated and helping to rebuild their country.
transcript ends
I was really pleased that Qamar Ul-Zaman thanked me for my tremendous speech and when he spoke said that if I had spoken in a graveyard, even the skeletons could not fail to be moved by what I had said. He has agreed that he will support my election campaign and that this can be used as a quote on my literature.
Jackie Drayton the Lord Mayor describes the little acts that have taken place to raise money including her fasther, who had been scrubbing and washing all the coins that are thrown into the Sheffield fountains to go to the Lord Mayor's Appeal. She announces that we will be accepting one of the plots of land and asks Sardar Qamar Ul-Zaman and the District Commissioner to attend the stone-laying ceremony at 10am the following morning. This they agree. She talks about this being the first step towards building a continuing relationship between Sheffield and Bagh.
This takes place the following morning, a historic and exciting day for our project. I want to pay tribute to our delegation leader and the secretary of Kashmir Earthquake Relief Fund, Professor Abdul Assim, who has worked like a slave, organising this trip and making sure that it happens. His health is not fantastic but he is a determined and passionate Kashmiri, like many of his people.
Iam now fretting about my eleection campaign, so if you are reading this, please please go out and help me! If you want to contribute to Kashmir Earthquake Relief Fund, money to be sent c/o Kashmir Education Trust, Abbeyfield House, Abbeyfield Raod, Sheffield.Cheques payable to Kashmir Earthquake Relief Fund.
Tuesday 10 April 2007
Presenting certificates to students of our summer teaching project
Saturday continued
Following breakfast we go to the press club, where Julia and the Lord Mayor once again urged the press to help us to secure the land for our college. The press club is in a tin hut. Julia told me that she had noticed on our first visit back in December 2005 that it had been destroyed in the earthquake. Julia is a member of the National Union of Journalists and union convenorat The Star and agrees to use her union contacts to help raise money to rebuild it. This is important for this place is not just place to socialise, it is their workplace and it gets boiling in the searing Kashmiri summer.
The journalists are fantastic, the coverage they have given us in the press is quiteamazing. Julia was embarassed to find herself on the front page of some newspapers here!
Our next event is the presenatation of the certificates to all the girls and boys who were taught by the12 teachers who gave up their own time and paid their own air fares to teach during the summer holiday. They will be pleased to know that many people were asking after them and singing their praises. There must be over 200 women and 100 men in the room and Jackie Drayton presents a certificate and speaks to every one. Again, the women tell me how important this project has been and how they need more courses.
Next we visit the site of the girls' college. I have not seen this since December 2005 but we were disappointed that the new principal does not turn up to meet us. We still can't quite work out what is going on.
Because the people of the area were so overwhelmed that the Lord Mayor of Sheffield was visiting, which hasbeen key to our project, many groups including the Bar Council put on receptions for her.
Easter Sunday
Today we visit Ravli school. This involves driving across a wooden suspension bridge, an interesting experience to say the least. This was what I describe as another of my Indiana Jones moments! Ravli, like all the schools, is high in the mountains and the road is extremely dangerous.Once again the scenery is breathtaking but it is so hot, unlike last time we visited this area. The sun is sweltering.
We are overwhelmed by the reception at Ravli school ,so overwhelmed that allof us are in tears, including the Lord Mayor, Kubra, Julia, myself and even Shahbaz. One of the young women sang a beautiful song called Naat which is a song in praise of the Prophet Mohammed, PBUH. Such a beautiful vouice, Julia is talking about using her singing as the soundtrack to the film she is making. Not only is Julia speaking at meetings, she is also filming everything that is going on.
This is the most impressive of all our schools. Here they talk about how they sell the clothes to make money. You can see the potential for this providing employment anda source of income for many of these women who have lost their husbands. Shahbaz agrees to buy all the clothes on display and take them back to England to sell them. We interview a young woman who praises the schools and tells us that if they didn't have the schools they would be isolated, that theschool privdes them with skills and work to support their families. She also talks about the relatives and loved ones she has lost and her eyes well up with tears. We are crying again as we are writing this.
Madame Kubra, as she is called, is becoming a professional public speaker, speaking in English, Urdu and Pari and Professor Abdul Assim is known everywhere we go.
Next stop is up snother mountain to Panyali. This school is in a Nissan hut-shaped tent. The women seem less confident and more timid but they come to life when they discuss their work. This is the home village of our development worker Shoaib, to whom we must give credit for developing the schools. Most of his family moved to Bagh after their house collapsed in the earthquake.
Our next mission is to see the two pieces of land which we have been offered by the local goverment as an alternative to the old college site. We still are not clear on how long it will take to get clearance to build on the old site, or the one that will be included in a redrawn city maasterplan, and we need to start to rebuild.
We visit twosites and the best one we could only consider if the government agree to build an access road and supply water and electricity. Initially we are a bit disappointed with the land offered, not because of its location but because of the shale bank. But we are told it is possible to turn the rock into aggregate that forms the foundations and it would even save us 20,000 pounds. After much discussion we decide to accept. This annoucment will be madeat ther recepiton organised by Qamar Ul-Zaman, the minister for education and the leader of the opposition, the PPP. He is our good friend who helped us make our first visit to the earthquake zone in December 2005 a great success.
Following breakfast we go to the press club, where Julia and the Lord Mayor once again urged the press to help us to secure the land for our college. The press club is in a tin hut. Julia told me that she had noticed on our first visit back in December 2005 that it had been destroyed in the earthquake. Julia is a member of the National Union of Journalists and union convenorat The Star and agrees to use her union contacts to help raise money to rebuild it. This is important for this place is not just place to socialise, it is their workplace and it gets boiling in the searing Kashmiri summer.
The journalists are fantastic, the coverage they have given us in the press is quiteamazing. Julia was embarassed to find herself on the front page of some newspapers here!
Our next event is the presenatation of the certificates to all the girls and boys who were taught by the12 teachers who gave up their own time and paid their own air fares to teach during the summer holiday. They will be pleased to know that many people were asking after them and singing their praises. There must be over 200 women and 100 men in the room and Jackie Drayton presents a certificate and speaks to every one. Again, the women tell me how important this project has been and how they need more courses.
Next we visit the site of the girls' college. I have not seen this since December 2005 but we were disappointed that the new principal does not turn up to meet us. We still can't quite work out what is going on.
Because the people of the area were so overwhelmed that the Lord Mayor of Sheffield was visiting, which hasbeen key to our project, many groups including the Bar Council put on receptions for her.
Easter Sunday
Today we visit Ravli school. This involves driving across a wooden suspension bridge, an interesting experience to say the least. This was what I describe as another of my Indiana Jones moments! Ravli, like all the schools, is high in the mountains and the road is extremely dangerous.Once again the scenery is breathtaking but it is so hot, unlike last time we visited this area. The sun is sweltering.
We are overwhelmed by the reception at Ravli school ,so overwhelmed that allof us are in tears, including the Lord Mayor, Kubra, Julia, myself and even Shahbaz. One of the young women sang a beautiful song called Naat which is a song in praise of the Prophet Mohammed, PBUH. Such a beautiful vouice, Julia is talking about using her singing as the soundtrack to the film she is making. Not only is Julia speaking at meetings, she is also filming everything that is going on.
This is the most impressive of all our schools. Here they talk about how they sell the clothes to make money. You can see the potential for this providing employment anda source of income for many of these women who have lost their husbands. Shahbaz agrees to buy all the clothes on display and take them back to England to sell them. We interview a young woman who praises the schools and tells us that if they didn't have the schools they would be isolated, that theschool privdes them with skills and work to support their families. She also talks about the relatives and loved ones she has lost and her eyes well up with tears. We are crying again as we are writing this.
Madame Kubra, as she is called, is becoming a professional public speaker, speaking in English, Urdu and Pari and Professor Abdul Assim is known everywhere we go.
Next stop is up snother mountain to Panyali. This school is in a Nissan hut-shaped tent. The women seem less confident and more timid but they come to life when they discuss their work. This is the home village of our development worker Shoaib, to whom we must give credit for developing the schools. Most of his family moved to Bagh after their house collapsed in the earthquake.
Our next mission is to see the two pieces of land which we have been offered by the local goverment as an alternative to the old college site. We still are not clear on how long it will take to get clearance to build on the old site, or the one that will be included in a redrawn city maasterplan, and we need to start to rebuild.
We visit twosites and the best one we could only consider if the government agree to build an access road and supply water and electricity. Initially we are a bit disappointed with the land offered, not because of its location but because of the shale bank. But we are told it is possible to turn the rock into aggregate that forms the foundations and it would even save us 20,000 pounds. After much discussion we decide to accept. This annoucment will be madeat ther recepiton organised by Qamar Ul-Zaman, the minister for education and the leader of the opposition, the PPP. He is our good friend who helped us make our first visit to the earthquake zone in December 2005 a great success.
Presenting certificates to students of our summer teaching project
Saturday continued
Following breakfast we go to the press club, where Julia and the Lord Mayor once again urged the press to help us to secure the land for our college. The press club is in a tin hut. Julia told me that she had noticed on our first visit back in December 2005 that it had been destroyed in the earthquake. Julia is a member of the National Union of Journalists and union convenorat The Star and agrees to use her union contacts to help raise money to rebuild it. This is important for this place is not just place to socialise, it is their workplace and it gets boiling in the searing Kashmiri summer.
The journalists are fantastic, the coverage they have given us in the press is quiteamazing. Julia was embarassed to find herself on the front page of some newspapers here!
Our next event is the presenatation of the certificates to all the girls and boys who were taught by the12 teachers who gave up their own time and paid their own air fares to teach during the summer holiday. They will be pleased to know that many people were asking after them and singing their praises. There must be over 200 women and 100 men in the room and Jackie Drayton presents a certificate and speaks to every one. Again, the women tell me how important this project has been and how they need more courses.
Next we visit the site of the girls' college. I have not seen this since December 2005 but we were disappointed that the new principal does not turn up to meet us. We still can't quite work out what is going on.
Because the people of the area were so overwhelmed that the Lord Mayor of Sheffield was visiting, which hasbeen key to our project, many groups including the Bar Council put on receptions for her.
Easter Sunday
Today we visit Ravli school. This involves driving across a wooden suspension bridge, an interesting experience to say the least. This was what I describe as another of my Indiana Jones moments! Ravli, like all the schools, is high in the mountains and the road is extremely dangerous.Once again the scenery is breathtaking but it is so hot, unlike last time we visited this area. The sun is sweltering.
We are overwhelmed by the reception at Ravli school ,so overwhelmed that allof us are in tears, including the Lord Mayor, Kubra, Julia, myself and even Shahbaz. One of the young women sang a beautiful song called Naat which is a song in praise of the Prophet Mohammed, PBUH. Such a beautiful vouice, Julia is talking about using her singing as the soundtrack to the film she is making. Not only is Julia speaking at meetings, she is also filming everything that is going on.
This is the most impressive of all our schools. Here they talk about how they sell the clothes to make money. You can see the potential for this providing employment anda source of income for many of these women who have lost their husbands. Shahbaz agrees to buy all the clothes on display and take them back to England to sell them. We interview a young woman who praises the schools and tells us that if they didn't have the schools they would be isolated, that theschool privdes them with skills and work to support their families. She also talks about the relatives and loved ones she has lost and her eyes well up with tears. We are crying again as we are writing this.
Madame Kubra, as she is called, is becoming a professional public speaker, speaking in English, Urdu and Pari and Professor Abdul Assim is known everywhere we go.
Next stop is up snother mountain to Panyali. This school is in a Nissan hut-shaped tent. The women seem less confident and more timid but they come to life when they discuss their work. This is the home village of our development worker Shoaib, to whom we must give credit for developing the schools. Most of his family moved to Bagh after their house collapsed in the earthquake.
Our next mission is to see the two pieces of land which we have been offered by the local goverment as an alternative to the old college site. We still are not clear on how long it will take to get clearance to build on the old site, or the one that will be included in a redrawn city maasterplan, and we need to start to rebuild.
We visit twosites and the best one we could only consider if the government agree to build an access road and supply water and electricity. Initially we are a bit disappointed with the land offered, not because of its location but because of the shale bank. But we are told it is possible to turn the rock into aggregate that forms the foundations and it would even save us 20,000 pounds. After much discussion we decide to accept. This annoucment will be madeat ther recepiton organised by Qamar Ul-Zaman, the minister for education and the leader of the opposition, the PPP. He is our good friend who helped us make our first visit to the earthquake zone in December 2005 a great success.
Following breakfast we go to the press club, where Julia and the Lord Mayor once again urged the press to help us to secure the land for our college. The press club is in a tin hut. Julia told me that she had noticed on our first visit back in December 2005 that it had been destroyed in the earthquake. Julia is a member of the National Union of Journalists and union convenorat The Star and agrees to use her union contacts to help raise money to rebuild it. This is important for this place is not just place to socialise, it is their workplace and it gets boiling in the searing Kashmiri summer.
The journalists are fantastic, the coverage they have given us in the press is quiteamazing. Julia was embarassed to find herself on the front page of some newspapers here!
Our next event is the presenatation of the certificates to all the girls and boys who were taught by the12 teachers who gave up their own time and paid their own air fares to teach during the summer holiday. They will be pleased to know that many people were asking after them and singing their praises. There must be over 200 women and 100 men in the room and Jackie Drayton presents a certificate and speaks to every one. Again, the women tell me how important this project has been and how they need more courses.
Next we visit the site of the girls' college. I have not seen this since December 2005 but we were disappointed that the new principal does not turn up to meet us. We still can't quite work out what is going on.
Because the people of the area were so overwhelmed that the Lord Mayor of Sheffield was visiting, which hasbeen key to our project, many groups including the Bar Council put on receptions for her.
Easter Sunday
Today we visit Ravli school. This involves driving across a wooden suspension bridge, an interesting experience to say the least. This was what I describe as another of my Indiana Jones moments! Ravli, like all the schools, is high in the mountains and the road is extremely dangerous.Once again the scenery is breathtaking but it is so hot, unlike last time we visited this area. The sun is sweltering.
We are overwhelmed by the reception at Ravli school ,so overwhelmed that allof us are in tears, including the Lord Mayor, Kubra, Julia, myself and even Shahbaz. One of the young women sang a beautiful song called Naat which is a song in praise of the Prophet Mohammed, PBUH. Such a beautiful vouice, Julia is talking about using her singing as the soundtrack to the film she is making. Not only is Julia speaking at meetings, she is also filming everything that is going on.
This is the most impressive of all our schools. Here they talk about how they sell the clothes to make money. You can see the potential for this providing employment anda source of income for many of these women who have lost their husbands. Shahbaz agrees to buy all the clothes on display and take them back to England to sell them. We interview a young woman who praises the schools and tells us that if they didn't have the schools they would be isolated, that theschool privdes them with skills and work to support their families. She also talks about the relatives and loved ones she has lost and her eyes well up with tears. We are crying again as we are writing this.
Madame Kubra, as she is called, is becoming a professional public speaker, speaking in English, Urdu and Pari and Professor Abdul Assim is known everywhere we go.
Next stop is up snother mountain to Panyali. This school is in a Nissan hut-shaped tent. The women seem less confident and more timid but they come to life when they discuss their work. This is the home village of our development worker Shoaib, to whom we must give credit for developing the schools. Most of his family moved to Bagh after their house collapsed in the earthquake.
Our next mission is to see the two pieces of land which we have been offered by the local goverment as an alternative to the old college site. We still are not clear on how long it will take to get clearance to build on the old site, or the one that will be included in a redrawn city maasterplan, and we need to start to rebuild.
We visit twosites and the best one we could only consider if the government agree to build an access road and supply water and electricity. Initially we are a bit disappointed with the land offered, not because of its location but because of the shale bank. But we are told it is possible to turn the rock into aggregate that forms the foundations and it would even save us 20,000 pounds. After much discussion we decide to accept. This annoucment will be madeat ther recepiton organised by Qamar Ul-Zaman, the minister for education and the leader of the opposition, the PPP. He is our good friend who helped us make our first visit to the earthquake zone in December 2005 a great success.
Foundation stone laid for Sheffield Girls' College, Bagh
Hello from Kashmir! We've just managed to get online here in Kotlee, Azad Kashmir -- no internet connection in Bagh. Although, with the opening of our IT centre, maybe things will change...
Read on for my journal of an exciting few days for our project and Kashmir Earthquake Relief Fund.
Forgive any little inaccuracies please because we have done so much in such a short space of time.
Good Friday
We were completely shattered after a seven-hour flight and a long, hot drive but this was all made worthwhile when we arrived at Deerkhoat. It is the first time I've seen any of the five sewing schools set up in the summer of 2006 in the hill villages around Bagh, which is where we are working to rebuild the girls' college that was destroyed in the 2005 earthquake, killing more than 270 people. All our projects are based in that area.
How talented, how well organised and how confident the100 young women who greeted us are.Like all people, they have asipirations and it made me think more about the lack of opportunities for them, something I hope in asmall way may have impacted on or changed their lives.
The school has reinforced all the reasons why we chose education as the theme of our projects.
We got to the school and there was a big banner welcoming thedelegation, in particular the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Coun Jackie Drayton. We climbed down the rocky hillside to where we could hear girls welcoming us on a PA system.There were so many women to see us that they could not get in the room. The first thing we saw when we went into the room was the colour of all the garments displayed on the walls. They sang Welcome Welcome to us and gave us gifts. The reception they organised was overwhelming and humbling.
The gifts they gave us included ornaments made of white plastic with holes in that are then enmbroidered with metallic thread. These are fantastic and very cleverly done.
The route up to Bierponi, the next school we visited, was breathtaking. We had our first of several Indiana Jones moments! We crossed several rivers and we had to get out of our van and wade through the river in the dark on the way back.
It looked like everyione from the village had turned out to greet us, something that happened everywhere we went. When we arrived we were all garlanded by students and then looked around and met the teachers. We went up on to the roof and had a photograph taken with staggering views over the valley to the mountain villages that most of the young women walk from to the school.
Then we went into a wooden meeting room and I spoke about the importance of education and how it enriches the lives of people and enables them to neet their needs and raise their horizons. I explained that this was also what the Heeley Asian women's sewing project that Kubra Assim, who set up the sewing schools for us, is the teacher of and I am treasurer, that 17women from this group are paying five pounds per month to maintain one of the schools. It's difficult because people assume that we are some enormous NGO instead of a small group of ordinary people who in a small way are hoping to deliver as much aid as possible by the direct links we build. It's quite clear that we are the only people going to visit these remote areas, so who else can they ask for the things they need, which range from computers to more sewing machines?
Saturday
We had breakfast with journalists from Bagh to update them on our projects and ask them to help in any way they could, as we were bewildered by some hold-ups in confirming whether we could rebuild the college on its original site or not. This is because a major part of the city will nowhave to be re-sited off the earthquake faultline. One of the speakers was Sheffield Star journalist Julia Armstrong, who is a member of the delegation and she said that journalists can play a role in asking questions about what is happening in the decision-making process. Incidentally, she is proud to be a member of Respect, one of four on this trip, but we are happy to work with anyone who is willing to help us highlight the hidden disaster of the earthquake. The extent of this co-operation has been shown by the fact that Jackie, the Labour Party Lord Mayor, was happy to join us on this trip. At the end of the trip she said, I think we agree on a great many things, which is correct, and her support for the project has made a real difference. She is a really nice woman and it's such a shame that she's part of the Labour Party, the party of war and privatisation of public services. Too many people like her should have left by now. *next post for rest of Saturday
Read on for my journal of an exciting few days for our project and Kashmir Earthquake Relief Fund.
Forgive any little inaccuracies please because we have done so much in such a short space of time.
Good Friday
We were completely shattered after a seven-hour flight and a long, hot drive but this was all made worthwhile when we arrived at Deerkhoat. It is the first time I've seen any of the five sewing schools set up in the summer of 2006 in the hill villages around Bagh, which is where we are working to rebuild the girls' college that was destroyed in the 2005 earthquake, killing more than 270 people. All our projects are based in that area.
How talented, how well organised and how confident the100 young women who greeted us are.Like all people, they have asipirations and it made me think more about the lack of opportunities for them, something I hope in asmall way may have impacted on or changed their lives.
The school has reinforced all the reasons why we chose education as the theme of our projects.
We got to the school and there was a big banner welcoming thedelegation, in particular the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Coun Jackie Drayton. We climbed down the rocky hillside to where we could hear girls welcoming us on a PA system.There were so many women to see us that they could not get in the room. The first thing we saw when we went into the room was the colour of all the garments displayed on the walls. They sang Welcome Welcome to us and gave us gifts. The reception they organised was overwhelming and humbling.
The gifts they gave us included ornaments made of white plastic with holes in that are then enmbroidered with metallic thread. These are fantastic and very cleverly done.
The route up to Bierponi, the next school we visited, was breathtaking. We had our first of several Indiana Jones moments! We crossed several rivers and we had to get out of our van and wade through the river in the dark on the way back.
It looked like everyione from the village had turned out to greet us, something that happened everywhere we went. When we arrived we were all garlanded by students and then looked around and met the teachers. We went up on to the roof and had a photograph taken with staggering views over the valley to the mountain villages that most of the young women walk from to the school.
Then we went into a wooden meeting room and I spoke about the importance of education and how it enriches the lives of people and enables them to neet their needs and raise their horizons. I explained that this was also what the Heeley Asian women's sewing project that Kubra Assim, who set up the sewing schools for us, is the teacher of and I am treasurer, that 17women from this group are paying five pounds per month to maintain one of the schools. It's difficult because people assume that we are some enormous NGO instead of a small group of ordinary people who in a small way are hoping to deliver as much aid as possible by the direct links we build. It's quite clear that we are the only people going to visit these remote areas, so who else can they ask for the things they need, which range from computers to more sewing machines?
Saturday
We had breakfast with journalists from Bagh to update them on our projects and ask them to help in any way they could, as we were bewildered by some hold-ups in confirming whether we could rebuild the college on its original site or not. This is because a major part of the city will nowhave to be re-sited off the earthquake faultline. One of the speakers was Sheffield Star journalist Julia Armstrong, who is a member of the delegation and she said that journalists can play a role in asking questions about what is happening in the decision-making process. Incidentally, she is proud to be a member of Respect, one of four on this trip, but we are happy to work with anyone who is willing to help us highlight the hidden disaster of the earthquake. The extent of this co-operation has been shown by the fact that Jackie, the Labour Party Lord Mayor, was happy to join us on this trip. At the end of the trip she said, I think we agree on a great many things, which is correct, and her support for the project has made a real difference. She is a really nice woman and it's such a shame that she's part of the Labour Party, the party of war and privatisation of public services. Too many people like her should have left by now. *next post for rest of Saturday
Sunday 1 April 2007
Welcome
Hello, Assalam Alekum,
Tomorrow I depart from Manchester Airport and fly to Islamabad. I am traveling with some trepidation because last time i visited Pakistan and Azad Kashmir- i was saddened and shocked by the sight of such massive destruction and in comparable hardship for the thousands of people whose lives had been destroyed.
I am hoping that things will have improved but i know that a very large number of people are still, a year and a half later, living in temporary accommodation- tents.
As you will know i am also standing in the local council elections in Burngreave and it is difficult to leave during an election campaign- but we have worked on this project for over a year and continue to raise the forgotten disaster.
I suppose i have made it my mission, alongside other friends, to raise the profile of Kashmir a land where one of the biggest and most brutal occupations is taking place, an occupation rarely mentioned and a people who have suffered for to long.
I believe that the people of Kashmir should have the right to self determination and that the governments hypocrisy is breath taking,for some countries like India and Israel who are in Breach of UN resolutions are traded arms whilst others are invaded.
It saddened me greatly that a people who have suffered so long then suffered the tragic earthquake that hit in October 2005.
But worse still was the media coverage- it has been the forgotten disaster- for it appears that the only images the press were interested in are the images which demonise all Muslims and their religion. to me this is about humanity.
For tony Blair and George Bush it seems their is a bottomless well of money for war and trident- but very little when it comes to thousands of people who lives have been devastated- their cries remain unheard and that's why i am going back to Azad Kashmir and Bagh in particular where we have established 5 sewing schools and are in the process of raising the money to rebuild a girls College- Sheffield girls College- a gift from the people of Sheffield - flying in the face of what i believe has become almost a respectable form of racism Islamaphobia.
Tomorrow I depart from Manchester Airport and fly to Islamabad. I am traveling with some trepidation because last time i visited Pakistan and Azad Kashmir- i was saddened and shocked by the sight of such massive destruction and in comparable hardship for the thousands of people whose lives had been destroyed.
I am hoping that things will have improved but i know that a very large number of people are still, a year and a half later, living in temporary accommodation- tents.
As you will know i am also standing in the local council elections in Burngreave and it is difficult to leave during an election campaign- but we have worked on this project for over a year and continue to raise the forgotten disaster.
I suppose i have made it my mission, alongside other friends, to raise the profile of Kashmir a land where one of the biggest and most brutal occupations is taking place, an occupation rarely mentioned and a people who have suffered for to long.
I believe that the people of Kashmir should have the right to self determination and that the governments hypocrisy is breath taking,for some countries like India and Israel who are in Breach of UN resolutions are traded arms whilst others are invaded.
It saddened me greatly that a people who have suffered so long then suffered the tragic earthquake that hit in October 2005.
But worse still was the media coverage- it has been the forgotten disaster- for it appears that the only images the press were interested in are the images which demonise all Muslims and their religion. to me this is about humanity.
For tony Blair and George Bush it seems their is a bottomless well of money for war and trident- but very little when it comes to thousands of people who lives have been devastated- their cries remain unheard and that's why i am going back to Azad Kashmir and Bagh in particular where we have established 5 sewing schools and are in the process of raising the money to rebuild a girls College- Sheffield girls College- a gift from the people of Sheffield - flying in the face of what i believe has become almost a respectable form of racism Islamaphobia.
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