‘Resist, My People, Resist Them’ – Poem by Dareen Tatour

From the site Arabic Literature (in English), Dareen Tatour Palestinian poet was put under under house arrest in Tel Aviv charged with “incitement through social media, and now on 31st July, 2018, an Israeli court has sentenced her to a 5-month prison term.

 

Here, the poet Tariq al Haydar translates Tatour’s words into English:

 

Resist, My People, Resist Them

Resist, my people, resist them.

 

In Jerusalem, I dressed my wounds and breathed my sorrows

 

And carried the soul in my palm

 

For an Arab Palestine.

 

I will not succumb to the “peaceful solution,”

 

Never lower my flags

 

Until I evict them from my land.

 

I cast them aside for a coming time.

 

Resist, my people, resist them.

 

Resist the settler’s robbery

 

And follow the caravan of martyrs.

 

Shred the disgraceful constitution

 

Which imposed degradation and humiliation

 

And deterred us from restoring justice.

 

They burned blameless children;

 

As for Hadil, they sniped her in public,

 

Killed her in broad daylight.

 

Resist, my people, resist them.

 

Resist the colonialist’s onslaught.

 

Pay no mind to his agents among us

 

Who chain us with the peaceful illusion.

 

Do not fear doubtful tongues;

 

The truth in your heart is stronger,

 

As long as you resist in a land

 

That has lived through raids and victory.

 

So Ali called from his grave:

 

Resist, my rebellious people.

 

Write me as prose on the agarwood;

 

My remains have you as a response.

 

Resist, my people, resist them.

 

Resist, my people, resist them

 

From the site:

https://arablit.org/2016/04/27/the-poem-for-which-dareen-tatours-under-house-arrest-resist-my-people-resist-them/

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My reply to an anti-Muslim Hindutva disciple in India

Nasir Khan, July 17,  2018

Hello Ruby Kaushal! Merely out of curiosity, I looked at your Profile and some comments you had made. Most of what you write is in Hindi, but a few small posts and comments are in English. You were exactly as I thought after reading your comment here on this link: A Hindutva extremist who tells Indian Muslims if there is anything they do not like then they should leave India and go to Pakistan!

In fact, it is a popular solution which many anti-Muslim Hindus and their militant Hindutva organization freely offer to over 200 million Indian Muslims!

For instance, in your 9 July post while writing about Muslims, you say, “If u want religious supremacy just leave this place and move to your communal comfort.” By ‘this place’ you had meant India and by ‘your communal comfort’ you meant Pakistan!

Unfortunately, your views as a Hindutva activist are meant to spread hatred and disinformation. You wouldn’t like others to expose the role and activities of the Hindutva either! Just look at what you post in your comments! No doubt, other Hindutva right wingers will support you for what you stand for. No surprise there!

To tell the facts about the activates and political crimes of the Hindutva are ‘prejudiced views’ in your words. So, no one should say anything about the Hindutva forces. If anyone in the world wants to know the truth about them, they should turn to the Hindutva for information!

The Hindutva extremists and hatemongers against India’s religious and marginalized ethnic minorities do not like anyone, like me, to tell the facts about them. That is not difficult to understand why they do so.

But I will continue to expose these extremist right-wing forces and people. They are a danger to India’s multi-religious and multi-cultural State, its secular democracy and its democratic institutions.

The dominant anti-Muslim hatred in Indian Hindus

– Nasir Khan, July 11, 2018

It is not the religion, Islam, but the follower of that religion, Muslims, who are the victims of social, political and economic discrimination by most Hindus, including even those who are not members of militant right-wing Hindutva parties and organizations. There is so much overt and covert anti-Muslim hatred and enmity towards the Indian Muslims that things look quite abysmal and bleak for these marginalized people now and in the future.

However, a tiny minority of progressive and tolerant Hindus is active to combat such communal forces, but they are in the minority and are struggling against the prevailing trend where the right-wing extremist forces have the upper hand.

 —

http://caravandaily.com/portal/very-disturbing-to-see-particular-religion-being-targeted-taapsee-pannu/http://caravandaily.com/portal/very-disturbing-to-see-particular-religion-being-targeted-taapsee-pannu/

 

 Very Disturbing To See Particular Religion Being Targeted in India: Taapsee Pannu

July 11, 2018

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It is “very disturbing” to see a particular community being targeted in the country, says actor Taapsee Pannu, whose latest film “Mulk” centres around a Muslim family caught in a terror plot. — File photo

The discrimination against Muslims was a big reason for her to take up her next film ‘Mulk’, Taapsee Pannu said.

MUMBAI (PTI) — It is “very disturbing” to see a particular community being targeted in the country, says actor Taapsee Pannu, whose latest film “Mulk” centres around a Muslim family caught in a terror plot.

The discrimination against the community was a big reason for her to take up the project, the 30-year-old said.

Referring to the politically charged climate in the country, Pannu said, “It’s very disturbing, I’ll give you an example from my own life. My manager is a Muslim, my driver, my house help are Muslims.”

“… my life is run by them. It’s very disturbing to realise that a particular religion is being targeted,” she told reporters at the trailer launch of the film.

“If I were to feel disturbed in their presence then I would be disturbed whole day and night because my life is run by them. It’s very disturbing to realise that a particular religion is being targeted. These people are inseparable to me. So this was a big reason for me to do the film. I thought if someone has to stand up then I would like to take that responsibility. This fear and this disturbance in my mind, I vented it all out through this film,” she said.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, “Mulk” is a courtroom drama that also features Rishi Kapoor, Neena Gupta, Rajat Kapoor, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra and Ashutosh Rana.

“This (the discrimination) was a big reason for me to do the film. (I thought) if someone has to stand up then I would like to take that responsibility,” she said.

Mr Sinha, who was also present at the event, said the team thought they were swimming against the tide when the film started out. But the positive response to the trailer has vindicated their stand.

“It’s not about Hindu-Muslims, we have had these clashes before. It’s such a diverse country, everybody has fought everybody. Hindus have fought Muslims, Sikhs have fought Hindus, Shias have fought Sunnis, Brahmins have fought Thakurs,” he said while discussing his film.

–Nasir Khan, July 5, 2018

About the gods I have no means of knowing either that they exist or that they do not exist or what they are to look at. Many things prevent my knowing. Among others, the fact that they are never seen.

— Greek philosopher Protagoras (486 BC – 411  BC)
———

I have many Facebook friends who are Muslims, Christians and also the followers of many other major religions.

As a Humanist, I respect all these people for whatever they believe in, but without being part of their outlooks in such matters. Why? I am an ordinary man who is not endowed by the divine powers to delve deeper or comprehend theological intricacies about which only the learned divines and scholars can give some authoritative explanations or interpretations for the intelligent and the chosen people. I know I do not fall in the lucky category of those chosen ones. In saying this, I am not being sarcastic.

In any case, my Muslim and Christian friends and readers should be happy what Protagoras said was a long time before the emergence of Christianity and Islam, the two great religions that taught so many things about God.

No one from such believers should blame Protagoras for his views because he didn’t know what absolutely true and divine religions of Christianity and Islam, which came a long time after his death, would reveal about the true and the really powerful god, the creator of the universe, omniscient and omnipresent.

 

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In memory of Stephen Hawking (1942- 2018)

— Nasir Khan, July 2, 2018

A fine sculpture of Stephen William Hawking, who was a great theoretical physicist, cosmologist and writer whose contributions to the scientific explanations about the origin of the universe make him one of the greatest scientific minds in modern history.

Despite his debilitating disease and his physical problems, he continued his research work and actively took part in many scientific congresses and important seminars worldwide to present his views. His endurance and struggle to overcome his physical disabilities is also a remarkable trait of this great human being.

Thank you Stephen Hawking for all what you did as a scientist and also laid to rest some some mythological accounts of the origin of the universe!

Our memory for what you did and under which difficult conditions as a human being will continue to inspire thoughtful and inquisitive minds now and in the future!

Pervaiz Malik

3 hrs

Stephen Hawking

A Sculpture

In memory of Stephen Hawking (1942- 2018)

— Nasir Khan, July 2, 2018

A fine sculpture of Stephen William Hawking, who was a great theoretical physicist, cosmologist and writer whose contributions to the scientific explanations about the origin of the universe make him one of the greatest scientific minds in modern history.

Despite his debilitating disease and his physical problems, he continued his research work and actively took part in many scientific congresses and important seminars worldwide to present his views. His endurance and struggle to overcome his physical disabilities is also a remarkable trait of this great human being.

Thank you Stephen Hawking for all what you did as a scientist and also laid to rest some some mythological accounts of the origin of the universe!

Our memory for what you did and under which difficult conditions as a human being will continue to inspire thoughtful and inquisitive minds now and in the future!

Pervaiz Malik

3 hrs

Stephen Hawking

A Sculpture