Review of Secrets of the Kashmir Valley
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Kris Hill 1
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- Latest Review: Secrets of the Kashmir Valley by Farhana Qazi
Review of Secrets of the Kashmir Valley
[Following is a volunteer review of "Secrets of the Kashmir Valley" by Farhana Qazi.]
Secrets of the Kashmir Valley by Farhana Qazi is an exceptionally well written book focusing on the narratives of the Kashmiri people caught in the middle of conflict between India and Pakistan for control over the region. Qazi, an American scholar with cultural ties to area, lays out a brief history of Kashmir and the continual struggle, violence, and resilience of its people – a history that is often suppressed from the media and not taught in Western education systems, leaving many people unaware of the atrocities that continue today. This work is a research piece that is accessible to a wide range of audiences rather than being a dry academic book, with easy-to-understand jargon, good descriptions and definitions of cultural words and concepts, along with the author successfully weaving in direct quotes from those she spent time with and interviewed while visiting Kashmir. Along with Qazi’s easily flowing narratives and imagery, she utilizes other research into trauma and why some people turn to violent actions when fighting for their freedom. This work easily inspired me to do some of my own research on Kashmir, seek out music and art from the area, and was provided with numerous Kashmiri activists to look up. I would recommend this work for anyone interested in learning more on this culturally rich region, how India has turned toward oppressive settler-colonialism after freeing itself from British colonialism, the role of women (and men) in conflict and freedom fighting, as well as understanding the importance of sovereignty and the dangers of performative democracy. Qazi’s work is a wonderful example of scholarly work that is accessible to a general audience, giving a voice to those whose voices have been violently suppressed, and features a good range of perspectives of Kashmiri women and men involved in fighting for the right for Kashmiri self-determination. The interviews re-enforce that no one people is a monolith and that those suffering under the boot of oppression have many tactics and ideas of how to overcome their oppressors. The author aptly draws comparisons between the historic and ongoing mistreatment of Indigenous Americans and the conflict in Palestine with what the peoples of Kashmiri have and are currently experiencing through displacement, the rescinding of human-rights protections, unjustified imprisonment and harassment, and the loss of land, property, religious freedom, culture and life. As a content warning, while the author and interviewers do not go into too much detail of events, this book does include discussions of torture and sexual assault, which may want to be avoided by some readers. Exceptionally well written and edited, I would rate this informative piece with a good call to action at the end, a 5/5.
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Secrets of the Kashmir Valley
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Secrets of the Kashmir Valley by Farhana Qazi is an exceptionally well written book focusing on the narratives of the Kashmiri people caught in the middle of conflict between India and Pakistan for control over the region. Qazi, an American scholar with cultural ties to area, lays out a brief history of Kashmir and the continual struggle, violence, and resilience of its people – a history that is often suppressed from the media and not taught in Western education systems, leaving many people unaware of the atrocities that continue today. This work is a research piece that is accessible to a wide range of audiences rather than being a dry academic book, with easy-to-understand jargon, good descriptions and definitions of cultural words and concepts, along with the author successfully weaving in direct quotes from those she spent time with and interviewed while visiting Kashmir. Along with Qazi’s easily flowing narratives and imagery, she utilizes other research into trauma and why some people turn to violent actions when fighting for their freedom. This work easily inspired me to do some of my own research on Kashmir, seek out music and art from the area, and was provided with numerous Kashmiri activists to look up. I would recommend this work for anyone interested in learning more on this culturally rich region, how India has turned toward oppressive settler-colonialism after freeing itself from British colonialism, the role of women (and men) in conflict and freedom fighting, as well as understanding the importance of sovereignty and the dangers of performative democracy. Qazi’s work is a wonderful example of scholarly work that is accessible to a general audience, giving a voice to those whose voices have been violently suppressed, and features a good range of perspectives of Kashmiri women and men involved in fighting for the right for Kashmiri self-determination. The interviews re-enforce that no one people is a monolith and that those suffering under the boot of oppression have many tactics and ideas of how to overcome their oppressors. The author aptly draws comparisons between the historic and ongoing mistreatment of Indigenous Americans and the conflict in Palestine with what the peoples of Kashmiri have and are currently experiencing through displacement, the rescinding of human-rights protections, unjustified imprisonment and harassment, and the loss of land, property, religious freedom, culture and life. As a content warning, while the author and interviewers do not go into too much detail of events, this book does include discussions of torture and sexual assault, which may want to be avoided by some readers. Exceptionally well written and edited, I would rate this informative piece with a good call to action at the end, a 5/5.
******
Secrets of the Kashmir Valley
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Secrets of the Kashmir Valley by Farhana Qazi
