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Statements of AFAD
Proceedings:
Articles on the Proceedings on the AFAD Leadership Training
Jan. 27 - 31, 2003, Philippines
AFAD Second Congress Resolutions
August 2003
Remembering Munir
AFAD Second Congress
August 26-30, 2003 in Bangkok, Thailand
AFAD’s Mid-Year Report
Ding Zilin's
Message To
Hong Kong
Again, The KONTRAS – IKOHI Office Was Attacked
“ If they are dead, tell us”!
My sons, where are they? |
Remembering Aasia Jeelani:
A Symbol of Inspiration and Hope for Kashmir
Death can inspire the living. A life given for a noble cause is a worthy sacrifice.
This is exactly how the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) fondly remembers Aasia Jeelani - a young human rights activist from Kashmir who died in a landmine blast en route to an election monitoring duty in Kupwara in North Kashmir on April 20, 2004. Her sudden demise was and continues to be a big loss not only to the human rights community in Kashmir but also to the entire world. She is gone, but definitely not forgotten. For those of us whose lives were touched by Aasia, her memory will always live forever.
Aasia is the symbol of inspiration and hope for all Kashmiri women. She may have died very young but her legacy will live forever. For those who knew her personally, she was a simple lady who had a heart for the needy and the underprivileged. For those whom she had worked with, she was a dedicated human rights defender who championed the cause of the Kashmiri people against all forms of human rights violations particularly those who fell victims of enforced disappearances. She did not only lend the families of the disappeared a hand in their search for their loved ones but also helped them in finding a means to cope up with the trauma of their loss. She was also instrumental in involving women in conflict resolution and nation-building.
Aasia was one of those Kashmiri women who were given a rare opportunity to have a good education and a promising career. But she chose not to be a mere spectator in real-life drama of poverty, social injustice and utter degradation of human rights and dignity in such a beautiful valley yet turned a lost paradise. She did not just turn her back to what might have been a comfortable life, but she made it a purpose-driven one. She did not only make herself involved but courageously took the forefront of the struggle for change. She used her knowledge and skills in journalism to become the voice of the thousands of voiceless women and children who were caught in the middle of the armed conflict. She bravely traveled to far-flung areas to
single-handedly chronicle the woeful tales of her people and made it publicly known through a newsletter called, "Voices Unheard."
In recalling many stories of martyrdom and heroism, Aasia's story is worthy of tribute and emulation. In the land where deathly silence is engulfing the valley, where resounding cries of mothers, wives, sisters and daughters for the death or the disappearance of their loved ones is the order of the day, and where women are menacingly raped and molested, the frail figure of hope like Aasia can resonate a spark of emancipation and empowerment.
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances pays homage to Aasia Jeelani and to those Kashmiri women human rights defenders, albeit very few, who are resolute in their fight for truth, justice, and redress. They are obliged to rise above banality, however limited their rights and options are and despite their lowly status in society.
Long live Aasia Jeelani! Long live all Kashmiri women!
Signed and authenticated by:
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MUGIYANTO |
MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO |
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Chairperson |
Secretary-General |
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