South Asian Progressive Action Collective » News

SAPAC Mourns Passing of Ifti Nasim

SAPAC — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 22:59:52 +0000

Yesterday Chicago’s South Asian and LGBTQ communities lost a true pioneer—poet, journalist, and activist Ifti (Iftikhar) Nasim. There have been numerous tributes to Ifti written in the last couple days, especially on his Facebook page. We would like to share one from our friend Kareem Khubchandani, who got to know Ifti well over the last few years through their work with Trikone-Chicago:

I am privileged to have met, known, and spent time with Ifti Nasim. Ifti was a gifted artist, an inspired activist, a successful businessman, and a truly spectacular being. Ifti was born in Pakistan, and moved to the U.S. to pursue an education in law, but he found that art (specifically poetry) truly moved him. He committed his life to writing, and has performed and published poetry in English, Urdu and Punjabi all over the world. His book Narman has been taken up as a source of inspiration and strength by young people in Pakistan who have had trouble reconciling their sexual orientation and gender identities with what society expects of them. Ifti has been an activist not only through his poetry, but on the ground in Chicago: establishing Sangat for LGBTQ South Asians, rallying South Asians to protest in the wake of post-9/11 hate crimes, and educating South Asians about HIV risk and prevention. Between his art-making and activism, Ifti also worked selling Mercedes cars, and prided himself on his sales skills. Every step of the way, he looked fabulous! Fur, silk, leather, diamonds, gold, sequins, glitter, wigs, makeup, ruffles, and jewelry, he wore it all in style. This is what I will remember most about Ifti, that there was always pleasure to be had; no matter how dire the situation, no matter how painful the issue, there was always pleasure to be found. Ever time I asked Ifti, “How are you?” his answer was, without fail, “Honey, I’m just trying to survive in this big, bad, heterosexual world.” But the grace, flair, and humor with which he “survived” assured me that he was doing more than just getting by, he was finding happiness in the crevices of what truly is a difficult world for an outspoken, queer, immigrant, Muslim, South Asian.

Our community has lost an important figure, but we must continue to be inspired by his activism, his art, and his exuberance. I have lost a special friend, but I will attempt to sustain the difficult work that he has done, and widen the path he has laid for queer desis in Chicago.

Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

Ifti was buried Saturday on the north side of Chicago, the area he had called home for many years.

The last time some of us saw Ifti perform was at KalaKranti 2010, Trikone’s annual celebration of queer South Asian art. Fortunately Trikone caught his performance on video, and we’d like to share it with you (parts of it are NSFW):

Tracy Baim, publisher and managing editor of Windy City Media Group, has also compiled a biography and series of video interviews with Ifti on her Chicago Gay History website.

Please feel free to use this space to share your own thoughts about our friend Ifti, his impact on the community, and his artwork and life.

We’ll miss you, Ifti.

Liveblogging the SAALT South Asian Summit

SAPAC — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:42:27 +0000

: SAPAC member Chirayu Patel (2nd from left) speaks at the 2011 SAALT South Asian Summit

Four of our fierce members–Rabya, Aparna, Chirayu, and Shilpa–drove from Chicago to Washington, D.C., to represent SAPAC at the SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) annual South Asian Summit this weekend.

Follow along and join the conversation as they tweet their findings and activities from the conference! @sapacchicago #SouthAsianSummit

SAPAC Is on Twitter!

SAPAC — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:37:03 +0000

Exciting news: SAPAC has joined Twitter. Now you can have 24/7 access to SAPAC and stay on top of all the exciting things we’re planning, like finding out how you can be part of our 10th anniversary celebration of Voices of Resistance.

We’re venturing into the world of online organizing where we hope to meet and connect with like-minded folks and groups, and expand our network into the great beyond. We’re following fellow activists, artists, community partners, Holly/Bollywood peeps, and the list goes on.

Maybe we’re following you! If not, follow us and drop us a line so we can connect.

Here’s a sampling of who we’re following: community groups like the Asian American Institute, Chicago Foundation for Women, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), our boys Ravi and Azeem working on interfaith harmony at Dharma Deen, newly elected 47th Ward Alderman Ameya Pawar, Chicago Desi celebrities Alpana Singh and Ravi Baichwal, artists and awesome past VOR performers Mary Anne Mohanraj and Funkadesi, and lots more. Find out who else here: http://twitter.com/sapacchicago

The revolution will be tweeted. Come join us on Twitter. Tweet Tweet.

Let the Games Begin…

Guest Blogger — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 14:00:04 +0000

Guest blogger Samir Goswami, a Chicago-based writer from India, originally wrote this article on the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi for Human Goods.

Samir spent the last fifteen years working toward policy reform for the issues of homelessness and housing, workforce development, human rights, violence against women, and sex trafficking, specifically working with survivors to have a direct say in their governance.

In 2008, the construction site was just a dusty field swarming with hundreds of men, many in tattered clothing and shorts, wearing boots and flimsy hard hats. Hundreds of thousands of visitors would one day go through the New Delhi airport they were rebuilding to attend the 2010 Commonwealth Games, hosted by India for the first time in a sweeping attempt to mold its 17-million-resident capital into a first-rate destination for the sporting fans of the world. For the next two years, the city would rumble with migrants and machines erecting stadiums, metro lines, hotels, and bridges, some of which were doomed to collapse before even being used. But this summer night, a Bobcat was the only piece of heavy machinery on the entire site.

Since the Indian government was spending millions on infrastructure improvements in anticipation of the CWG, my friend had decided to dabble in the construction business. In that typically adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit characteristic of many Delhi-ites, he bought himself a subcontract to build an exterior wall for one of the new terminals at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The prevailing wage for an unskilled laborer was 120 Indian Rupees per day ($2.60), and skilled workers earned 40 Rupees (90 cents) more. My friend, who provided about twenty-five of the hundreds of laborers for the section of the wall that he was subcontracted to build, made a 20 percent profit over his costs. Later, I met the general contractor and asked, if the laborers were offered a better wage and the contractors increased safety precautions—would that not reduce both the financial and human cost of completing the project?

He replied, “Why should I invest in a Bobcat, and pay to train someone to run it, when I can just hire thirty men for half that cost to dig a hole?”

Digging a Hole

Two years later, Delhi finds itself in a hole of its own digging, the depth of which no one is yet quite sure of. From October 3 – 14 New Delhi is hosting the 19th Commonwealth Games, held every four years. Since 1930 the Games have been open to athletes from countries once under the colonial rule of Great Britain. According to the Commonwealth Federation (CGF), “Underlying every decision made by the CGF are three core values: HUMANITY – EQUALITY – DESTINY. These values help to inspire and unite millions of people and symbolize the broad mandate of the CGF within the Commonwealth.”

The 2010 Games, however, have reflected anything but these principles. Reports of exorbitant cost overruns, shoddy construction work, the use of child labor, and the documented increase in sex trafficking to meet the demand for commercial sex have shrouded the Games in controversy. Sadly, when British Olympian Tom Daley was asked by ITN News about the allegations of child labor to build some of the facilities in India in which he will be competing, he replied, “I just have to focus on my performance, because that is the only thing I can do. I can’t sort out what else is happening in India.”

But in a country where a booming economy has not had a significant impact on reducing exploitation and alleviating poverty–a country that is hosting the Commonwealth Games in the first place to showcase itself as a “world class” nation–what better issue is there to “sort out?”

“The sex industry is out-organizing the Games’ planners!”

Human trafficking, the fundamental devaluing of a human being as a good, is not new in India. Unlike under British colonialism where a foreign government enslaved our grandparents, 90 percent of trafficking in India is internal. We traffic our own. According to the extensive 2010 Trafficking In Persons report, published by the U.S. State Department, India’s efforts to prevent exploitation and provide services to victims are dismal. And it’s no wonder: Along with the corruption and extreme poverty that make trafficking rampant is the ongoing mass migration of disenfranchised rural workers to urban centers, crippling the ability of governments and organizations to identify victims of actual slavery.

Building a road in the President’s Estate Quarters as Delhi rushes to finish work for the Commonwealth Games. (photo by Carol Mitchell)

Migration of poor workers into Delhi in search of job opportunities related to the Games exacerbates this already increasing movement of rural Indians to wealthy cities to escape the dearth of options and social infrastructure in their poorer home states. Apne Aap Women Worldwide, an Indian organization working to end sex trafficking and the exploitation of women, led a campaign to pressure the Indian government to address the issue of women who have migrated to Delhi from depressed areas of India to help construct the new, urban, world-class dreamscape.

A specific CWG-related concern of Apne Aap is the lack of planning to accommodate these female migrants. The organization has pressured the Indian government to invest in housing to ensure safety from sexual exploitation that is a common experience of migrant women, and provide for transportation back to their home states upon completion of their work for the Games.

The organization’s director, Ruchira Gupta, is concerned about the lack of options faced by these “hundreds of thousands of migrant young women who have come to Delhi to build the new New Delhi, which is the stadiums, the roads, [and] the houses where the people for the CWG will be living.”

A road in Delhi where laborers build drainage. Women do a lot of the hauling in construction work. There are not enough mobile creches so women bring their children to the work site. Several media outlets have documented the apparent utilization of these children to help speed construction. (photo by Carol Mitchell)

Apne Aap has also documented the increased trafficking of women into Delhi from Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and other poor areas to satisfy a demand for prostitution from an influx of tens of thousands of foreign men. According to Gupta, “There are tourists coming from all over the world and from inside of India to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games, and based on experience with other sporting events around the world such as the [2010 FIFA] World Cup in South Africa, the sex industry has anticipated a rise in need for prostituted sex. So they have organized very fast to cater to what they anticipate will be a huge demand…in fact they have organized much faster than the organizers of the games!”

Apne Aap alleges that brothel owners anticipate such a high demand for prostitution that they are injecting young girls with Oxytocin, a hormone that hastens puberty and premature physical development, to cater to the many male CWG visitors. Many of these young women are also being taught certain English words to facilitate basic conversations with these buyers of sex.

Unacceptably, according to Gupta, the predictability of these concerns is falling on deaf ears.

Missed Opportunities

A government’s priorities are reflected in its budgets, and we, the citizens, are responsible for electing and re-electing those who set these priorities. The Indian government has already spent 114 times more on the construction of the Games’ facilities than initially projected. Total expenditure has thus far dwarfed investments into crucial social programs such as health and family welfare, the government’s flagship “Education for All” initiative, and schemes to bolster rural employment opportunities that would discourage migration into Delhi. Furthermore, the promises that the Games would actually generate revenue are being debunked in the Indian press. Of the $2.5 billion spent on the Games so far, only $75 million has been recouped from much-hyped corporate sponsorships, merchandise and ticket sales.

Plans for the Commonwealth Games Village luxury apartments, built to house athletes, media, and other visitors during the 10-day festivities. The units will be sold, some by the Delhi Developmental Authority, to new residents after the Games.

These fiscal policies are not the actions of a state that prioritizes social welfare in any meaningful way. As of this writing, calls by Indian media pundits to call off the Games, as well as decisions by acclaimed athletes to skip the trip to Delhi, are dominating headlines. The re-interpretation of the Games’ acronym, CWG, as Conmen’s Wealth Gains is seen frequently as the status updates of Delhi’s Facebook users. The government’s continued response is to dismiss such allegations–further evidence that the state is willfully ignoring the values of equality and humanity that the event is supposed to engender.

I am an Indian citizen living in Chicago. My parents live in New Delhi. I visit India every two years, and still consider New Delhi as my hometown. I achieved U.S. Permanent Residency exactly one year ago, but I have no intention to give up my Indian passport to pursue U.S. citizenship when I become eligible for it in four years for one simple reason: Pride.

Many of us expatriates living abroad are proud of the economic progress our country has made and the cultural acceptance Indians have achieved abroad. The latest Bollywood movies are now routinely shown in major U.S. theatres and many of the latest sitcoms now feature Indian characters, however stereotypical. U.S. corporations are increasingly doing business in India and with Indian companies, and investors are looking at the country’s growth and educated workforce as a major opportunity for their own progress. According to most economic and cultural indicators, in a very short period of time since our independence from Great Britain in 1947, we’ve done well.

With a history of institutionalized inequality that pre-dates the establishment of the British Raj in India in 1858, in 1950 we adopted one of the world’s most progressive constitutions when we became a self-governing democracy. Our constitution was supposed to eliminate a rigid and hierarchical caste system that Mahatma Gandhi fought tirelessly against. Laws, enacted through democratic processes, were created to bolster human rights and guarantee equality of opportunity to those who had been oppressed on the basis of caste, economic condition, or gender.

A rickshaw driver pedals a couple past sprawling construction of Delhi’s expanded metro system. (photo by Bruce Thomson)

The 2010 Commonwealth Games were intended to catapult my country into the status of a “world class” nation based upon real progress. It was an opportunity to showcase India’s evolution as the world’s largest democracy whose recent exponential economic growth has benefited all. Instead, the international spotlight is focusing its bright beam on the failure of the illusion of progress that India’s ruling class has unsuccessfully tried to portray to the world.

Instead of trying to rectify this failure in a meaningful way, organizers and elected officials are now attempting to shamelessly save face by rejecting and ignoring the mountains of evidence of mishandling that plague the Games.

How the other half lives: Old (North) Delhi. (photo by Mani Babbar)

The finger-pointing will undoubtedly continue and reigning officials might lose the next election. But that is not enough. If New Delhi wants to establish itself as a “world class” city, then we must hold it and ourselves to a higher standard. It is up to all of us–Indian citizens, foreign visitors, audience members, Commonwealth athletes and members of the Commonwealth Federation. We must set and enforce a basic set of moral standards grounded in human rights that any city that aims to host the world’s next global sporting event should adhere to.

In a few months I will return to Delhi to visit my parents. I will probably go through the terminal that now stands on the field swarming with migrant laborers that I visited in 2008. I’m sure the airport will seem as modern and spectacular as the Indian government claims it to be, and New Delhi will be as vibrant and bustling as ever with the dream of collective prosperity. When I land at the airport, however, I will know that I am walking through a deep, deceptive hole into a city relentlessly hawking what has become as much a commodity as the hands that built it: Illusion.

Header images by Seaview99, Esthr, and Eileen Delhi

Protest photo by Joe Athialy

Pakistan Flood Relief: What You Can Do to Help

Rabya — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:51:59 +0000

by Rabya, Sabba, and Aparna

A girl floats her brother across flood waters while salvaging valuables from their flood ravaged home on August 7, 2010 in the village of Bux Seelro near Sukkur, Pakistan. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

“When faced with the tsunami, the earthquake in Haiti and other natural disasters, we showed extraordinary humanity. Let us do so again today. Together, let us stand with the people of Pakistan. Let us act so that this natural disaster does not become a man-made catastrophe. Let us give this our all.” — UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon

The magnitude of the flooding is affecting more individuals than the tsunami, the earthquake in Haiti, and Hurricane Katrina combined, affecting more than 20 million people–unprecedented in Pakistan’s history.
IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO DONATE OR HELP; EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS, WHETHER IT’S $1 OR $100. If you are unable to give a monetary donation, please pass on the information, remember the flood victims in your prayers/thoughts, do your own fundraising (like a flood relief run, jewelry/accessories sale, or bake sale), or do whatever else you can. Below is a list of agencies doing work on the ground for flood relief in Pakistan, and links. Please check their websites for details.

NEWS UPDATES:

Pakistan floods on Twitter

Pakistan floods: Before and after photos

Challenges in distributing flood relief aid

Chapati Mystery – Pakistan Flood 2010

Link TV updates and relief guide

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RADIO INTERVIEWS:

Asia Pacific Forum interviews with Dr. Ahmed Muktar of Doctors Without Borders in Pakistan and Saadia Toor of Action for a Progressive Pakistan

WBEZ Chicago interview with Navaid Abidi, Human Development Foundation board member, on their flood relief efforts

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AGENCIES:

Note: Numerous NGOs are doing important work that may benefit Pakistan flood victims. Use due diligence in giving donations to any unknown group.

The Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation: The Edhi Foundation has a long history of working across Pakistan doing a range of charitable relief work. It has one of the most extensive networks across each of the country’s provinces. Please call the numbers below or send an email for directions on how to donate. Please note that this organization has U.S. status and can receive checks.
42-07 National Street
Corona, New York, 11368 USA
Tel: (718) 639-5120 or (718) 639-5120
Fax:(718) 335-1978
Toll Free# 1-888-899-EDHI or 1-888-899-EDHI
Email: edhi@cyber.net.pk

AmeriCares: Medicines, medical supplies and equipment, nutritional support, etc.

Direct Relief International: Mobile health teams and medical supplies, including Pedialyte and antimicrobials.

Helping Hand Foundation: Their Chicago office collected clothes/supplies and shipped out this past weekend.

Human Development Foundation: Relief/reconstruction, including clean water, supplies, disease prevention, sewage disposal, temporary school facilities.

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders): Medical care; clean water; supply kits, including mosquito netting, tarps, blankets, hygiene supplies, clothes.

Mercy Corps: Water supply kits, including tanks, purification tablets, filtration units; food supply kits, including rice, oil, staples; tool kits.

Omar Asghar Khan Development Foundation: The Omar Ashgar Khan Development Foundation has offices in Islamabad and Abbotabad and field offices and staff throughout Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. They are also providing flood relief.

Account Name: Omar Asghar Khan Development Foundation
Account Number: 058512020005422
Bank Name: MCB Bank (0585), Main Branch, Abbotabad, Pakistan
Swift Code: MUCBPKKAMCC

Oxfam International: Hot food; clean water; boats for search/rescue; installation of tanks and toilets; sanitation kits; hygiene supplies; cash-for-work programs.

Red Crescent: Emergency services; food packs; bulk rice; tents; other supplies; help with field operations, including shelter, water, sanitation, logistics, other relief.

Relief International: Distributing “Survival Kits,” including dishes/utensils; water purification tablets; cooking stove; jerrycan; floor mat; mosquito netting; hygiene kits; etc.

Sarhad Rural Support Programme: SRSP is working in the different flood-affected valleys of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including in Shangla, Kohistan, Dir, Swat, and Chitral.

Account Name: Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP)
Account Number: (US Dollar Account) 05-7772777-90
Bank Name: Standard Chartered Bank Peshawar Branch
Bank Address: P.O Box # 18, 35 Sharah e Quaid-e-Azam, Peshawar, Pakistan Zip/Post: 25000
Swift Code: SCBL PKKX
Tel Number: +92915275665, +92915275665
Fax Number +92915275367

ShelterBox: Distributing water carriers; filtration systems; ShelterBoxes, including 10-person partitioned weatherproof tents, insulated ground sheets, thermal blankets, mosquito netting, tool kits, stoves, dishes/utensils, water purification supplies, children’s kits, etc.

Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre: Shirkat Gah – Women’s Resource Centre (SG), Pakistan, is actively engaged in providing and coordinating relief to those affected across Pakistan through its partner community-based organizations in synchronization with all three Shirkat Gah offices in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar. Shirkat Gah is also a grantee partner of the Global Fund for Women (a peer/ally of Grassroots International–see below). For further information please contact (any) of the following:

Ms. Humaira Sheikh
humairamshaikh@gmail.com
Mobile: +92-300-846-1142

Ms. Sadia Ahmed
sadia@sgah.org.pk
Phone: +92-42-35836554

Please note: All individuals/organizations transferring funds to SG should intimate them of the details of transfer. You can send your contribution to the following Shirkat Gah accounts:

Shirkat Gah’s Bank Details – USD account (US Dollar account):

Account Title: Shirkat Gah
Branch Office Lahore Account No: 05-5307597-79
Account Currency: US$
Bank Name: Standard Chartered Bank (Pakistan) Ltd
Bank Address: 27 Ali Block, New Garden Town Lahore, Pakistan
Swift Code: SCBLPKKX

Sindh Labour Relief Committee: A number of progressive labor, women’s, youth, and other groups have formed the Sindh Labour Relief Committee (SLRC) to coordinate relief efforts in areas of Sindh affected by the floods.

Contact persons:

Nasir Mansoor
ntufpak@gmail.com
Phone: 92300-3587211

Abira Ashfaq
abira_a@hotmail.com
Phone: 92314-2003885

You can send checks or money orders to the following New York-based accounts for further credit to Pakistan banks in Karachi and the SLRC account as indicated below.

JP Morgan Chase Bank Ltd, New York
SWIFT Code: CHASUS33

American Express Bank Ltd, New York
SWIFT Code: AEIBUS33

Further credited to: NIB Bank Ltd, Gulshan, Karachi, Pakistan, SWIFT Code: NIBPPKKA

Favoring: Labour Education Foundation, Account Number: 0009-0270652 (with NIB Bank Ltd, Gulshan, Karachi)

Sindh Rural Support Organisation: SRSO is now accepting donations from philanthropic individuals, nonprofit organizations, and corporations to provide relief in flood-affected areas of upper Sindh. You can send your contributions to:

Standard Chartered Bank, New York
to transfer to

JS Bank Ltd. , Karachi, Pakistan
Swift Code: SCBLUS33 (Standard Chartered)
Account number of JS Bank (with Standard Chartered): 3582039975001
Swift Code: JSBLPKKA (JS Bank Ltd)
Number of SRSO Flood Relief Account (with JS Bank): 198068

For more information on relief efforts and how to donate please contact:

Mr. Ghias Muhammad Khan (Coordinator Sindh RSP’s Consortium)
ghiasmkhan@gmail.com

Dr. Ghulam Rasool Samejo
grsamejo@thardeep.org

Sungi Development Foundation:
US$ Account: Sungi Development Foundation
Account Number: 412-2
Branch Code: 0585
Online transfer code: 058512020004122
MCB Star Branch, Abbottabad, Pakistan
Swift Code: MUCBPKKA

The Citizens Foundation: They build schools in Pakistan.

UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees): Through partner NGOs, distributing tents, sheeting/tarps, cooking sets, buckets, sleeping mats, blankets, etc.

U.S. State Department Texting Program: Forwards $10 donations to UNHCR for distribution of supplies in two provinces. Text “SWAT” to 50555.

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WITHIN PAKISTAN:

Eisaar Trust: SAPAC Core Member Sabba’s friend & her mother are working with them in Lahore.

Pakistan Red Crescent Society: Offices in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Muzaffarabad.

RONAQ-E-QAINAAT: Young doctors are in the process of arranging a series of free medical camps in the flood-affected areas. First Camp is at Nowshera. Contact Ms. Alina Akhyar at alinaakhyar@yahoo.com to email you the Trust’s past activities, bank account details, and other queries. They have reportedly done some pretty impressive work.

Account number: 00400101065364
Account Title: Khadija Nadeem; Askari Bank Chaklala Scheme 3 branch Rawalpindi
Khadija is the founding member and is handling all donations.

The Volunteers/Voice of the Civil Society: VOTCS is a registered (No. DSW 3369-K) welfare organization in Pakistan, operating as a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt nonprofit public charity in North America. They are sending provisions to affected areas with the help of Pakistan Army. For more info call:

Hadia Khan
Phone: +92-3018245999

Sadia Haroon
Phone: +92-3218251122

Irum Farooque
Phone: +92-3002332142.

For donations: Habib Bank Limited
Account Number: 1549-79001393-03

This Week – Asia Pacific Forum

Aparna — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:53:03 +0000

A great weekly show for all of you interested in Asian American politics to check out…

Asia Pacific Forum
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
8:00-9:00 pm EST

WBAI 99.5 FM, New York City
Podcasting and streaming live at Asia Pacific Forum

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NYC Solidarity with Immigrants in Arizona: On July 29th, the State of Arizona is expected to implement the controversial immigration law SB 1070. To stand in solidarity with those fighting the law, groups in New York have organized a march across the Brooklyn Bridge and protest on Thursday, July 29th. We speak with the event organizers, MONAMI MAULIK of Desis Rising Up and Moving and MICHELLE FEI of Immigrant Defense Project, about the solidarity action and how laws like SB 1070 are relevant to immigrant communities here in New York City.

Experimental Prison Units for Muslims and Environmental Activists: The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates two “Communications Management Units”–experimental prison units in Illinois and Indiana designed to isolate prisoners from the general population. Two-thirds of the prisoners housed there are Muslims who have been banned without explanation from interacting with other prisoners and regular phone calls and visitation. Environmental rights activists are housed there too. RACHEL MEEROPOL, Staff Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, joins us to talk about the recent federal lawsuit she filed against the Federal Bureau of Prisons challenging the CMUs, and the government’s recent attempt to have the suit dismissed.

MI21: Mother India–the 21st Century Remix: MI21 reimagines and reworks Mother India, the epic Bollywood film that captures the post-colonial Indian psyche, into a performance piece–60 minutes of visual images accompanied live by a DJ and musicians. We’ll talk about the relevance of the film for contemporary audiences and the creative process behind adapting such an iconic film with JOYOJEET PAL and INDY HUNJAN of Kala Phool in advance of the U.S. premiere of MI21 at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park on Thursday, July 29th.

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This program is brought to you by Silky Shah, Chitra Aiyar, Naureen Shah, and Amna Akbar of the APF Collective.

For last week’s show on Chenoan and US militarism, gentrification in Chinatown, and a “non”Asian-American arts exhibition, click here.

Every Tuesday from 8-9 PM EST, Asia Pacific Forum brings you coverage of Asian American and Asian news, politics, and culture. For more information see Asia Pacific Forum or contact them via info@asiapacificforum.org.

Bhopal Justice – Call to Action

Aparna — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:58:38 +0000

The BP oil spill disaster in our own backyard points to the need for us to keep up the pressure on corporate accountability. We cannot forget the disaster in Bhopal and the lack of accountability for the countless deaths and the continuing health challenges being faced by those who survived.

This is your time to take action! See talking points below put out by the International Campaign for Bhopal.

Photo Credit: www.bhopal.net

Dear Friends,

We are sure you know about the unjust verdict in Bhopal. The punishment for killing 20,000+ people in the world’s worst industrial disaster has been reduced to the equivalent of a road accident. Seven persons, including Keshub Mahindra, who knowingly approved cost-cutting measures compromising the safety and disaster mitigation in the plant, who knowingly approved an inferior technology that resulted in this disaster, have been let off on bail.

Add to this the fact that the compensation was paltry and the real perpetrators [Warren Anderson] are getting away scot free.

Indian lives cannot and should not be seen as cheap, send a FAX to the Indian PM (http://action.bhopal.net/fax.php). Let him know that you don’t agree with this. Let him know that you expect better of him.

People around the world are angry. Angry at the Indian Government for betraying its people; angry that the world’s largest democracy has succumbed to the power of the corporation; angry at corporations and Corporate bosses for their callous indifference to human suffering; angry at our legal system, and our pliant judges who refuse to be judged themselves.

LET THIS ANGER AND OUTRAGE NOT GO TO WASTE. Take action for justice in Bhopal, and to reclaim our democracy.

Organise:

Candlelight vigils
Press conferences and seminars
Protests outside CBI and/or Central Government offices in India, outside Indian embassies
Meetings to strengthen laws against Corporate Crime, and for speedy compensation and rehabilitation of victims of pollution.

Let us know about your action – email shana@panna.org to let us know what you’re planning.

You can also write or call the Prime Minister:
ADDRESS – The Honourable Prime Minister
Government of India
South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi, 110 011.
PHONE – (011) 23018939, (011) 23012312, (011) 23018668, (011) 23015470

And ask him -
Why he has failed to take any action despite being the minister in charge of the CBI and despite making promises three times to do everything within law to hold to account those responsible for the disaster and for environmental contamination?

Other talking points -

Mr. Singh has failed to initiate extradition proceedings on Warren Anderson and Union Carbide Corporation despite being ordered to do so in July 2009 by the court.
Mr. Singh has failed to take action against Dow Chemical for bribing Indian agriculture ministry officials to register their toxic pesticides.
Mr. Singh has actively encouraged Dow in selling absconder Union Carbide’s technology to Reliance Industries.
Mr. Singh has failed to set up an Empowered Commission on Bhopal to execute rehabilitation schemes
Mr. Singh has failed to direct CBI to pursue Dow Chemical to enforce the appearance of Union Carbide USA in court to face trial.

For our supporters outside India please write or call the Indian Embassies, consulates and High Commissions around the world —-

ISSUED BY:
International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal

www.bhopal.net
www.studentsforbhopal.org

Transform Defacement into Defiance – May 15

Rabya — Fri, 14 May 2010 04:10:41 +0000

Anida Yoeu Ali is a Chicago-based artist, activist and performer. Anida is completing her graduate work at the School of the Art Institute. Her recent installation, “1700 % Project: Otherance,” focuses on hate crimes against Muslims, Arabs and those perceived to be either Muslim or Arab. From the website description: “The project challenges monolithic stereotypes of a ‘Muslim’ identity while acknowledging the significance of historical persecution.” The number 1700 represents “the exponential percentage increase of hate crimes against Arabs, Muslims and those perceived to be Arab or Muslim since the events of September 11, 2001.”

Anida’s installation was vandalized this week. The phrase “Kill All Arabs” was highlighted from the exhibit. The Chicago Police are currently investigating the incident, and the Council on American Islamic Relations is working with Anida in addressing this act of hate.

Chicago Public Radio featured Anida as part of its Islamic Reform series last week, and interviewed her today to discuss the vandalism attack.

In response to the vandalism, Anida has sent out a public invitation to take a stand together as a community against this hateful attack: “Transform Defacement into Defiance,” this Saturday, May 15 at 12:30 pm at the installation, Sullivan Galleries, 33 S. State Street, 7th floor. The closing performance is on Friday, May 21 at 4:30 pm. The galleries are open to the public Tuesday- Saturday, from 11am-6pm.

And, come see Anida perform at Takin’ it to the Streets, an Urban International Festival which will be held on Saturday, June 19, 2010 in Marquette Park.

Please bring your friends this Saturday, May 15 and/or next Friday, May 21 to show your support. Spread the word!

Additional media clips can be found on the 1700% News section.

SAPAC joins South Asian Organizations in Condemning Anti-Immigrant Arizona Law

SAPAC — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:24:32 +0000

[SAPAC is a member of the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations, led by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT).]

National South Asian Organization Condemns Anti-Immigrant Arizona Law Resulting in Profiling

April 26, 2010 - South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a national organization whose mission is to elevate the voices and perspectives of South Asian individuals and organizations to build a more just and inclusive society, condemns the enactment of SB 1070 in Arizona. Signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer on April 23, this measure allows state authorities to question individuals based upon the mere suspicion that they may be undocumented and requires immigrants to carry proof of their immigration status or else face criminal penalties.

“SAALT opposes this policy as it will undoubtedly lead to profiling of communities of color, regardless of immigration status. Anyone who appears to be an immigrant can be questioned by police and have to prove their immigration status,” said Deepa Iyer, Executive Director of SAALT.”South Asian community members are all too familiar with the pernicious effects of profiling resulting from ineffective national security policies instituted following September 11th.” Profiling results in community members being viewed with suspicion by not only law enforcement but also the general public and does little but fuel discrimination.

The new Arizona law also underscores the need for immigration reform and anti-profiling policies. In the absence of federal measures, state and local governments are implementing their own immigration enforcement policies that result in profiling, undermine trust between communities and police, and diminish public safety. SAALT calls upon policymakers to oppose the Arizona law, and to enact policies that respect fundamental civil rights.

What can South Asian community members do?

There are a few simple steps that community members can take to oppose Arizona’s new law and to support policies that respect civil rights:

Contact Arizona Governor Jan Brewer with the following message: “I am deeply disappointed that you have signed SB 1070. This law promotes discrimination and profiling by legitimizing suspicion based upon appearance. I ask that this law be rescinded immediately.” Her office can be reached at (602) 542-4331 or azgov@az.gov.

Email President Obama and Congress and ask them to support just and humane immigration reform and to strengthen anti-profiling policies.

Join rallies occurring across the country on May 1 in support of immigration reform. Click here to find a rally in your area.

Learn more about the impact of profiling and immigration on the South Asian community by checking out SAALT’s resources.

For more information, contact SAALT at info@saalt.org.