#pakistani media 2021

[beardedmrbean]

An Italian court has given a Pakistani couple life sentences for killing their 18-year-old daughter because she refused an arranged marriage.

Saman Abbas's body was found at a farmhouse in northern Italy in November 2022, 18 months after she disappeared.

Her father, Shabbar Abbas, was arrested in Pakistan and extradited to be tried for her murder in August.

Her mother, Nazia Shaheen, was convicted in her absence. She is believed to be in hiding in Pakistan.

Shabbar Abbas had earlier made an impassioned plea to the court, asserting that "never in my life did I think of killing my daughter".

The teenager's uncle, Danish Hasnain, was given 14 years in jail for involvement in the murder, but two of her cousins were cleared.

Saman Abbas's so-called honour killing by her family in late April 2021 shocked Italy. Following her disappearance, Italy's union of Islamic communities issued a fatwa - a religious ruling - rejecting forced marriages.

The teenager had emigrated with her family from Pakistan to the farm town of Novellara in 2016, according to Italian reports.

She began dating a young man of Pakistani origin, and a photograph of them kissing on a street in the regional capital, Bologna, reportedly drew the fury of her parents.

Italian investigators said Saman Abbas's parents had wanted her to travel to Pakistan for an arranged marriage in 2020, but she refused.

She then lived for several months under the protection of social services from October that year, but returned to the family home in Novellara in late April 2021 in response to a flurry of messages from her family, Italian reports said.

Prosecutors said she had been tricked into returning home and it was at this point she disappeared.

CCTV footage released by the police showed three of Saman Abbas's family members walking with spades, a crowbar and a blue bag on 29 April 2021. The following day, separate footage showed the missing teenager leaving the house with her parents.

Her body was eventually recovered last November, close to a farm house not far from where the family lived, after her uncle had revealed where she had been buried.

A post mortem examination found she had suffered a broken neck bone, possibly as a result of being strangled.

Her parents had immediately left Italy for Pakistan after she disappeared, while her uncle Danish Hasnain and two of her cousins travelled to France and Spain.

The uncle was eventually detained in Paris in 2021, while her father was arrested in 2022 and finally extradited on 31 August this year. Her mother remains at large.

Although Nazia Shaheen was in absentia, the court in the northern city of Reggio Emilia convicted both parents and sentenced them to life in jail.

Shabbar Abbas had earlier told the court he was innocent, insisting he and his wife had only followed their daughter on the night she disappeared because they were unhappy it was so late and they wanted to see where she was going.

"This trial is not complete. I too want to know who killed my daughter," he said, according to Italian media.

The idea that a murder can be "honourable" is believed to have come from some tribal customs, where an allegation against a woman is perceived to bring dishonour to her family.

According to these customs, male family members of a woman who has interactions with unrelated men - however innocuous - should first kill the woman, then go after the man.

Human rights groups say the most common reasons for "honour killings" are when the victim refuses to enter into an arranged marriage or have been raped or sexually assaulted.

But killings can be carried out for more trivial reasons, like dressing in a way deemed inappropriate or displaying behaviour seen as disobedient.

In Pakistan, hundreds of women are killed in this way each year. A much smaller number of men are also murdered in such cases. Last month, an 18-year-old woman in the remote Kohistan district was shot dead by her father and uncle on orders from tribal elders - because of a photo that showed her with a man. The photo, which went viral, was later found to have been doctored. Her father has been arrested while her uncle is on the run.

#nunyas news #cw: rape

[psikonauti]

Nadia Waheed (Pakistani, b. 1992)

Anxiety Drawing V, 2021

Collage, mixed media on paper

#upl #va #art #painting #drawing #collage #mixed media #Nadia Waheed #women

[khalidistan]

Originally published to Twitter on October 11, 2021. Full piece under the cut.

Much of the Squid Game fandom neuters and infantilizes Abdul Ali, the Pakistani migrant worker who participates in the games as Player 199, and this is part of a larger problem where brown men must be emasculated in order to receive any grace or humanity.

“Gendered identities do not exist independently of other factors, and must be viewed as intertwined with, for example, race or ethnicity if we are to understand the hierarchical organization of identities.” —Maryam Khalid

Ali is polite and formal in his interactions with the other Koreans because he has a power differential with all of them. John Lee writes “Ali’s character is an undocumented migrant worker from Pakistan. What that means is that as far as social hierarchies go, Ali is WAY at the bottom of it. It explains why he’s been unpaid by his employer for months” (1). Ali acts subservient because he’ll get beaten if he doesn’t. He’s supposed to express how “grateful” he is for the assistance.

Ali acts subservient because he’ll get beaten if he doesn’t. He’s supposed to express how “grateful” he is for the assistance.

But Ali has demonstrated multiple times that he can fend for himself. He advocates for his fair pay to his Korean boss, even wrestling his paycheck out of his boss’s hands. During the night fight he fights on his own with a metal beam before reuniting with his team. He even has the courage to mock Mi-nyeo after she spews xenophobic statements at him, defending his honor and calling her out on her hypocrisy and doubt of the team’s strategy.

People want to make Ali out to be naïve but fail to recognize that he immigrated to south Korea from Pakistan. He knows nothing of the language and customs. Heather Chen writes that Ali is “an outsider and knows that the odds would always be stacked against him in the unpredictable competition.” Ali cannot be naïve, because Ali is given no reason to doubt Sang-woo’s kindness from earlier: Sang-woo provides bus fare after the first game, offers bread, and shares companionship with Ali all the way until the marble game.

East Asia has a huge racism and colorism problem. Ali is forced to be submissive. He is docile because if he isn’t, he’s immediately labeled a threat. That is the dichotomy people are missing. Why do brown men walk on eggshells when they have to answer to authority or go through security checks? Brown men can either be cunning, savage, sneaky terrorists, or they can be naïve, dumb, effeminate and castrated. There’s never any middle ground or nuance to understanding them.

“The colonized man is simultaneously a boogeyman incapable of redemption, unworthy of saving/advocating for and excluded from occupying a position of vulnerability—that’s reserved for their ‘women & children’ counterparts—while also in-need of (white/colonial) civilizing, fascinating.” —Joshua Briond

Khalid writes that “Orientalist notions of the masculinity of the ‘Eastern’ male as uncivilized also inherently ascribe primitiveness, ineptness and a certain amount of weakness to the barbarized ‘other.’” Those doomed to the mythical Orient are automatically placed lower in masculinity than their white and colonial counterparts.

However, this reduced masculinity co-exists, paradoxically, with the idea that men from the Orient are simultaneously aggressive, belligerent, and violent. Elgin Brunner writes: “Such a framing—the association of the enemy with barbarism, as opposed to the self, which is civilized—includes two, often simultaneous, moves, that is: the ‘hypermasculinization’ of the enemy on the one hand, and his ‘effeminization’ on the other… The very same opponent is, by virtue of being categorized as a cowardly barbarian, rendered effeminate.”

It’s true that Ali is compassionate, looking out for others and not expecting things in return. But the woobification of Ali into a bumbling fool is more than gross misinterpretation—it’s character assassination and fails to recognize how race influences his reception by the community.

Works Cited:

Brunner, E. M. (2008). Consoling display of strength or emotional overstrain? the gendered framing of the early “War on terrorism” in transatlantic comparison. Global Society, 22(2), 217–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600820801887223

Khalid, M. (2011). Gender, orientalism and representations of the ‘other’ in the War on Terror. Global Change, Peace & Security, 23(1), 15–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/14781158.2011.540092

VICE MEDIA GROUP. (2021, October 6). A shout-out to Ali, a character too pure for the dark humanity in 'squid game'. VICE. Retrieved from https://www.vice.com/en/article/5db74b/ali-netflix-squid-game-character-interview-anupam-tripathi

Link to original Twitter thread

#squid game #abdul ali #critical race theory #meta analysis #khalid text

[lenaschin]

Critical Television Analysis: The Good Place

On the surface, The Good Place is well-loved, hilarious, and surrounds a diverse cast with characters that differ from identity-related stereotypes. The show surrounds Eleanor, who wakes up in heaven, referred to as the “Good Place,” alongside Tahani, Jason, and Chidi (who is labeled her soulmate). Michael is the supposed leader of the “Good Place,” but we later discover that–in alignment with Eleanor’s selfishness–he is actually a devil and this is the “Bad Place.” The characters’ out-of-placeness (except for Tahani and Chidi, who initially think they belong) is meant to be their eternal torture, but Eleanor’s repeated solving of this mystery results in endless reboots and failures. The series ends when the humans team up with Michael and they realize that the entire system is off, as everyone is being sent to the “Bad Place” based on its unattainable, binary measures of morality. They successfully reform the system, resulting in Michael’s transformation into a good being–and living out his fantasy of being a ‘human’ on Earth–and Eleanor, Chidi, and Jason transforming into blissful nothingness while Tahani helps to design a better afterlife. 

Photo: Michael and Eleanor.

Although we eventually learn that everyone is being sent to the “Bad Place,” the show’s group of focus is diverse (through their sexuality, gender, or race), generalizing “Bad” people to be those who defy hegemonic norms. This mirrors our current society, especially with those in control being white men (like Michael & the other Devils, and one white female judge) with outdated ideology–I explore this further in my video essay. While the final message of the show recognizes this point system as flawed, revealing the lack of a binary good/badness (the main point of my video essay), it doesn’t at all explore the sexual, gendered, and racial aspects of the characters’ intersectional experiences, making the show more hegemonic than not. I analyze the portrayal of specific characters and how these may be negatively interpreted by viewers despite this show’s positive overall message. 

Photo: Tahani, Jason, Eleanor, and Chidi as they stand before the judge and request the chance to 'start' life--and their "Good" vs "Bad" point count--from scratch.

I critique responses to The Good Place that commend its progressiveness based on the fact that its cast is racially diverse and they don’t align with traditional stereotypes, and instead suggest that in this case, “not all representation is good representation” (Hsu, 2021). The show fails to reconstruct intersectional identities in a positively ‘different’ way due to its “color-blind” approach, which disregards, rather than reconstructs, gendered and racialized oppression throughout history. The non-hegemonic aspects of characters’ racial or gender identities are dampened through their adoption of traits that reinforce hegemonic ideology; this is particularly prominent among the female characters, however I address the male characters prior to my conclusion. Primarily, each female character represents an atypical, but similarly problematic form of femininity that continues to reflect the male gaze; Eleanor’s narrative control as a woman is dampened through her alignment with hegemonic masculinity–this is heightened by Chidi’s femininity (perpetuating an innate gender binary), Janet’s non-binary identity is overridden by their similarity to the ideal, domesticated woman (reasserting heteronormativity as the norm), and Tahani’s Pakistani background is misportrayed through her assumption of a privileged white-washed identity (making racial histories invisible) (Kaplan, 2010). Kaplan, Shohat, and Diawari note that the significance of media’s portrayal of gender and race lies in its influence on the minds of its viewers; what media constructs is perpetuated and eventually, realized within our own reality, pointing to the significance of recognizing ideological media as such before its perpetuation. While the presence of three female characters in the show’s main ensemble provide us with the illusion of gender equality, upon closer analysis it is clear that each reinforces problematic stereotypes surrounding race and gender. 

Primarily, the protagonist is a white woman–the show opens with a shot of her face, bright and glowing, and follows her perspective throughout the narrative. Eleanor’s non-feminine, general indifference is framed as the essence of her personality, and resultantly, the reason behind her punishment. Kaplan notes that attempts to reconstruct female characters in defiance to gender norms can fail through their consistent creation of a male/female binary; “our culture is deeply committed to clearly demarcated sex differences.” Eleanor illustrates Kaplan’s point that emerging female “representation” remains binarized, as she adopts a specifically masculine position that is characterized by her lack of “traditionally feminine traits,” particularly, her “cold and manipulative” personality (Kaplan, 2010). Flashbacks of Eleanor’s life on Earth revealed that everyone hated her because of her manipulative ways and carelessness surrounding others’ feelings. On Earth, Eleanor used to get drunk before going out with her work colleagues on the night she was designated driver, just to joke that the only place she’d be driving was through the “loophole” she found in the system… When she’s (finally) forced to stay sober and drive, she pretends to be doing it out of care for her friends to get the bartender’s attention, and later chooses going home with him while stranding her drunk friends at the bar. Needless to say, Eleanor isn’t invited to go out with her colleagues again.

This careless emotionlessness is counteracted by Chidi’s “kindness, humaneness, and motherliness,” evident in the fact that his personality surrounds his nervous awkwardness and indecisiveness based on a desire to make the most moral, utilitarian decisions possible (Kaplan, 2010). Many viewers think Chidi illustrates “positive masculinity,” but his emotionality and indecisiveness–alongside a resulting inability to “take action” in the way Eleanor does–suggest he may align with the feminized role as described by Kaplan (Kaplan, 2010). Moreover, Chidi is used to counteract Eleanor’s masculinity and keep the gendered binary “structure intact” despite the supposed stray from hegemonic gender norms (Diawara 2014, Kaplan, 2010).  

The idea of Eleanor’s defiance of traditionally feminine gender norms is directly framed as related to her “badness” through her narrative arc, in which her transformation into a “good person” directly aligns with her acceptance of hegemonic femininity; she adopts “kindness, humaneness, and motherliness” and heteronormativity (Kaplan, 2010). When the humans are given the chance to live again and restart their point count, Eleanor struggles; as soon as Chidi kisses her and they recognize their feelings, she finally does better on Earth and becomes “good.” While one could argue the arc’s alignment with heteronormativity is purely coincidental, it contrasts with the show’s previous focus on Eleanor’s bisexuality, aka, its queerbaiting of Eleanor. Throughout early seasons, Eleanor frequently commented on Tahani’s attractiveness, and even came close to kissing Simone (Chidi’s gf at the time); the usage of her bisexuality is, in itself, framed inappropriately comically, and coincides with her previously “masculine” traits– carelessness, moral indifference, and lack of romantic interest in Chidi–suggesting non-heteronormativity to be similarly negative. Moreover, the fact that Eleanor is a woman does not necessarily mean she’s a progressive character, as is evident in her adoption of a non-feminine, but similarly binary form of masculinity, the presence of Chidi as a feminine counterpart , and the show’s aligning of her bisexuality with “badness.”

Photo: Eleanor and Tahani

Janet, a white character, is framed as the perfect woman, which is problematic due to their identification as non-binary, both because it is transphobic and frames servitude (her main purpose) as innately feminine. Primarily, I noticed that Janet mirrors our assignment of femininity to technological sources of servitude: Siri, Alexa, GPS navigation, “the number you have dialed is not in service…” Like these objects, Janet’s “servitude and obedience” are viewed as innately feminine, and are thus assigned a feminine identity (James, 2018). Despite Janet’s attempts to reclaim their lack of alignment with societal labeling norms through the consistent assertion that they are not female, but rather a vessel of knowledge (equating themself to AI), characters always call them a “girl.” Janet never argues with this misgendering, and instead responds with a smile and a kind, “Once again, I’m not a girl” (Beck, 2023). While Janet’s character could have been an opportunity to explore a non-hegemonic perspective, the show harms non-binary identities more than it supports them, by enabling characters to misgender Janet and using their feminine appearance (always fresh, made-up, and in a dress) and feminine subservience to justify this assumption as comically obvious and justifiable (Beck, 2023). The show actually perpetuates their femininity so much that their character is referred to as a girl both within and out of the narrative (among characters and audience members). In the end, Janet is framed as a woman in nature despite their assertion of being non-binary, both aligning femininity with object-ness and servitude and framing non-binary identities as lacking personhood. The show uses Janet as a diversity point without truly questioning binarized views of gender; Janet’s consistent positivity and agreeability disregard the harm of misgendering, and actually works to justify the characters who misgender her by framing Janet’s “femme” physicality and personality as evidence of their ‘obvious’ femininity (Beck, 2023). 

Just as Janet’s intersectionality is subdued through their over feminization, the only other intersectional identity (and the only non-white woman) of focus–Tahini–is made palatable through the show’s white-washing of her personality. While Tahani is a first generation Pakistani in the United Kingdom, her struggle-free experience in white-dominated high society disregards a perspective representative of non-white culture, and instead hides it with a British accent and Tahani’s infinite wealth. Tahani’s lack of race-related struggles are completely disregarded through her defining trait: selfishness. Even her greatest deeds, such as organizing charities on Earth, were all based on selfish intentions surrounding her parents’ validation. Her biggest struggle is framed as her sister’s fame, specifically, her parents’ heightened love of her sister, which aligns with Tahani’s inherent self-focused attitude. In this way, UK’s historical colonization of Pakistan and the current othering of British Pakistani are made invisible. (Aljazeera, 2023). As noted by Shohat, attempting to re-frame gendered and racial history (patriarchy and colonialism) is not always done in an “unproblematic” way, just as The good Place’s color-blindness to Tahani’s racial history actually perpetuates social ignorance of historical oppression. In alignment with Shohat’s explanation of the “mark of the plural,” in which any “negative behavior” (Tahani’s personality-defining selfishness) is viewed differently based on the characters’ race, Tahani’s characterization is more likely to be generalized to Pakistani people than Eleanor’s would be to white people (Shohat, 2014). Tahani’s obliviousness to her culture’s oppression projects a falsely generalized idea of this racialized history as insignificant among Pakistani despite its continued prevalence.

While I mainly focus on female identities (complicated by Janet), The Good Place frames the experiences of Jason, and Chidi (in addition to Tahani) as completely unaffected by their race. Jason’s ability to pass as a Taiwanese monk due to him being Asian–despite the fact that he’s from Florida and is not a monk–perpetuates essentialist ideology surrounding sameness based on race, and his heightened lack of intelligence is a poor choice for the only Asian representation throughout the show. Chidi’s violation of hegemonic masculinity (through his emotionality, indecisiveness, etc.) being framed as the reason he resides in the Bad place aligns with problematic characterizations of Black characters “playing by hegemonic rules and losing” (Diawara, 2014). More broadly, the fact that Chidi, Jason, and Tahani are supporting characters for a white woman–like many other characters of color–repaints white-washed film narratives in which POC don’t hesitate to “protect” the “same order that has punished and disciplined” them (Diawara, 2014).

The afterlife’s similarity to Earth suggests its culture as to be reminiscent of our own, however, the color-blind attitude of the main characters disregards the rampant racism that we still work to subdue. Unfortunately, The Good Place’s opportunity to explore an array of perspectives and lived experiences through characters’ diverse backgrounds is lost, even just based on the nature of their show; they do not take into account that the negative representations assigned to each of its characters have a different impact on their community. The fact that a white man created “The Good Place” isn’t surprising, and points to Shohat’s recognition of the necessity for “historically marginalized” groups to “control their own representation” to avoid reproducing something from a white audience’s lens of “pleasure” (Shohat, 2014).

Photo: Tahani and Jason.

Works Cited:

Beck. “‘I’m Not a Girl’: Janet, Nonbinary Representation and ‘The Good Place.’” The Spool. Accessed December 12, 2023. 

Diawara, Manthia. "13 Black Spectatorship: Problems of Identification and Resistance." Black American Cinema (2012).

Hsu, Leina, Ruchi Wankhede, Ayan Omar, and Jennifer Ammann. “No, the Good Place’s Jason Mendoza Does Not Defy Asian Stereotypes.” Women’s Republic, March 1, 2021. 

James, et al. “The Other Secret Twist: On the Political Philosophy of the Good Place.” Los Angeles Review of Books, October 13, 2018. 

Kaplan, E. Ann. "Is the gaze male?." (2010).

Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the media. Routledge, 2014.

Staff, Al Jazeera. “Braverman Words on British Pakistani Men Discriminatory: Pakistan.” Al Jazeera, April 5, 2023.

@theuncannyprofessoro #oxyspeculativetv #speculativetvanalysis

#oxyspeculativetv #speculativetvanalysis

[mariacallous]

MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan—Mohsin Dawar’s campaign for re-election to Pakistan’s parliament was almost cut short before it began in early January when his convoy was ambushed in a village just a few minutes’ drive from his home in Miran Shah in Pakistan’s North Waziristan district, near the lawless borderlands with Afghanistan. As his car came under attack from militants armed with automatic weapons, sniper rifles, and rocket-propelled grenades, he and his team were lured into a compound by residents who promised them safety.

It was a trap. Once the gates closed behind Dawar, the attack intensified. For almost an hour, he said, they were pinned down. Police and Pakistan Army backup finally arrived but not before two of Dawar’s team had been shot and injured. The vehicle took more than 80 bullets, and the windows show just how accurate the attackers’ aim was: Either one of the shots to the windshield or passenger window would have struck and likely killed him if he hadn’t been protected by bulletproof glass.

The Jan. 3 attack on a popular, outspoken, liberal leader in one of the most vulnerable regions of a country fighting a growing insurgency by extremist militants hardly registered in Pakistan, where most believe the military attempted—and failed—to manipulate the Feb. 8 election in an effort to install Nawaz Sharif as prime minister for a fourth time and where media operate under tight government control.

The election wasn’t quite the foregone conclusion that had been expected, with candidates aligned with the jailed cricket star-turned-populist leader Imran Khan winning more votes than each of the major parties—the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party—forcing them into a coalition to get the majority needed to form a government. PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif nominated his brother, Shehbaz Sharif, to become prime minister and his daughter Maryam Nawaz as chief minister of Punjab province, ensuring the dynastic line continues.

Candidates across the country, not only those loyal to Khan, alleged that the results had been rigged against them and in favor of military-backed candidates. Two days after the election, with his seat still undeclared amid growing concerns nationwide about vote rigging, Dawar and about a dozen of his supporters were injured when security forces opened fire on them as they gathered outside the official counting room.

At least three people died of their injuries; What Dawar had believed was an unassailable lead, according to polling by his secular National Democratic Movement party, had disappeared. In the count that was listed as final by Pakistan’s Election Commission, the seat went to Misbah Uddin of the Taliban-aligned Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam-Fazl party. Dawar is still recovering from a serious leg wound.

Dawar’s hometown is, once again, the battleground of what he calls “Project Taliban”—a war against the Pakistani state.

The Taliban’s transnational ambitions are threatening security beyond the borders of Afghanistan, and nowhere is this more evident than in Pakistan’s northwest, where the militant presence has been growing since the terrorist-led group came back to power in August 2021. Attacks on civilians, soldiers, and police have soared. The region bristles with checkpoints and hilltop outposts and is heavily patrolled on the ground and in the air by the Pakistan Army and armed border police. That’s during daylight hours, Dawar told Foreign Policy. Once night falls, it’s a different story.

“The Army checkposts you will only see during the daytime. Before sunset, they go to their barracks, and the people of Waziristan are at the disposal of the militants. Everyone has to secure himself or herself for their own protection,” he said. “It is militarized, and I believe it is a continuation of a proxy war that was started long ago. ‘Project Taliban’ is still continuing.”

The roots of militancy and terrorism in Waziristan go back to colonial times, when the mostly Pashtun people here were characterized as fearless fighters and pressed into service for the British. The stereotype stuck; the region became a center of recruitment and training for young men to fight the Soviets after Moscow’s 1979 invasion of Afghanistan.

After the United States led an invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 in retaliation for the 9/11 attacks, leaders of the Taliban and al Qaeda moved over the border and for the following 20 years enjoyed the protection of the Pakistani military’s intelligence wing, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

The ISI wanted a tame Taliban-led Afghanistan to thwart the ambitions of archrival India to become the dominant regional power. The Taliban had different ideas. The group’s return to power has inspired affiliated and like-minded groups worldwide, as the extremist regime provides safe haven for dozens of militant groups, according to the U.N. Security Council. They now openly use Afghanistan as a base to train fighters seeking to overthrow governments from China and Tajikistan to Iran and Israel. Among them is Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which, Afrasiab Khattak, a former Pakistani lawmaker and now a political analyst, said, is “just Taliban, there is no difference.”

Earlier this month, the Taliban reiterated the group’s stance on the international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan when the acting foreign minister, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, said the government doesn’t recognize the Durand Line that has delineated the two countries since 1893. The line runs through the tribal regions, dividing ethnic Pashtun and Baloch tribespeople. Recent bilateral tensions have often focused on the border, with tit-for-tat closures impacting cross-border trade.

In comments that Pakistan’s foreign ministry later called “fanciful” and “self-serving”—and which underlined the simmering hostility between Pakistan and the Taliban it helped put in power—Stanikzai said: “We have never recognized Durand and will never recognize it; today half of Afghanistan is separated and is on the other side of the Durand Line. Durand is the line which was drawn by the English on the heart of Afghans.”

The Security Council said in 2022 that the TTP had up to 5,500 fighters in Afghanistan. That number has likely risen, Dawar said, as neither country, mired in economic mismanagement and crisis, can offer its youthful population an alternative livelihood. Victory brought strength, Dawar said, and the Taliban “can attract the youth because money and power is what attracts youth the most.”

The simmering conflict threatens to return Pakistan’s northwest to the wasteland of less than decade ago, when the TTP controlled the region: Dissenters were routinely killed. Terrorists turned the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), now part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after an administrative merger in 2018, into a death zone. Millions of people were displaced as those who could leave fled to peace and safety.

Those who stayed lived in fear and poverty until the Army finally took action in 2016 and ended the TTP’s 10-year reign by simply killing them, often in attacks that also killed civilians, or pushing them over the porous border into Afghanistan, where they joined Taliban forces fighting the U.S.-supported republic until it collapsed in 2021.

The TTP wants an independent state in these border regions. It broke a cease-fire with the government in November 2022 and has demanded that the merger of the FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa be reversed. Attacks on the military and police have escalated alarmingly, presenting what a senior government official, who spoke anonymously, called “not only an existential threat to the state but also to the common man”—a recognition that what Dawar calls “Project Taliban” not only threatens to engulf the northwest but, if not contained, poses a potential threat to a fragile and barely stable state.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar disagreed, telling reporters before the Feb. 8 vote that the military had the upper hand in the region, by virtue of numbers alone. “I don’t see that they pose an existential threat to the state of Pakistan,” he said, while nevertheless conceding it was a “big challenge” that could take years to dislodge.

He could be right. After the failure of peace talks, ironically brokered by the Taliban’s acting interior minister, U.N.-listed terrorist Sirajuddin Haqqani, Pakistan stepped up pressure on the TTP. Asfandyar Mir, an expert on South Asian political and security issues, said this appeared to have made a “marginal” difference.

“For instance, we haven’t seen a complex or suicide bombing attack by the TTP or one of its fronts for a couple of months now,” he said. “In that sense, it appears the Taliban is sensitive to pressure,” though “smaller-scale attacks and the erosion of Pakistani state authority in parts of the northwest continue.” Things could change, he said, once a new government is installed and, perhaps, brings some stability to the political landscape.

For the people of Waziristan, struggling to survive unemployment, a lack of development, and government neglect of basic services such as roads, electricity, clean water, and education—coupled with a downturn in vital cross-border trade with Afghanistan—priorities have again switched to peace. “The local people have learned through their own bitter experience of devastating war” what a Taliban resurgence means, said Khattak, the political analyst. The security establishment is playing a dangerous game, indulging the TTP so that “local people become so desperate they want the military to come in and help them,” he said.

Hundreds of thousands of people have marched through the streets and bazaars of North and South Waziristan over the past year, demanding action against terrorism and an end to state violence. Yet it continues. “No one is safe. Everyone is a target,” said a man in his 30s as he rolled off a list of potential victims: politicians, business people, teachers, doctors, journalists, civic activists, women’s rights advocates, anyone deemed “un-Islamic.” Even barbers are not immune from extremists who ban men from shaving: The day before the Jan. 3 attack on Dawar’s convoy, the bodies of six young hairdressers were found in the nearby town of Mir Ali.

Another local resident pointed to a “Taliban checkpoint” on the road between Miran Shah and the bustling town of Bannu. The long-haired, kohl-eyed, gun-toting youths in sequined caps stand outside their roadside hut in the shadow of an Army post on the hill above. Around the clock, the resident said, they randomly stop vehicles to shake down the drivers. “It’s just for money,” he said. “Money and power.”

But it’s killing, too, “on a daily basis,” said a government worker who left Miran Shah with his family at the height of the TTP terror and visited in early February from Peshawar so he and his wife could vote for Dawar. The aim, he said, is “to create an atmosphere of fear so that people leave and what is here is theirs.”

Dawar said the turning of the Taliban tables on Pakistan “was predictable.” The Taliban “are now a threat to Central Asia. They are now a threat to Iran, to Pakistan, and to even China. All of them thought we will control the Taliban after the takeover. The problem is it didn’t happen,” he said.

In 2011, then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Pakistan’s leaders that they couldn’t keep “snakes,” as she called the Taliban, in their own backyard and “expect them only to bite your neighbors.”

“There used to be a time when people were sent from here to Afghanistan. Now they are coming around, they are biting,” Dawar said.

[historyhermann]

“Amphibia” Emphasizes Chosen Families and Self-Acceptance

What if a Thai-American girl wakes up and finds herself in a world filled with talking frogs? Amphibia answers that question. Anne meets new friends, enemies, and tries to figure out her purpose in this strange world.

Reprinted from The Geekiary, my History Hermann WordPress blog (it will be published on there on Dec. 26), and Wayback Machine. This was the forty-second article I wrote for The Geekiary. This post was originally published on June 25, 2022.

Amphibia is an animated adventure-fantasy-comedy series by Matt Braly, an animator of Thai descent. He is also known for directing episodes of Gravity Falls and Big City Greens.

As a warning, this recommendation discusses spoilers for all three seasons of Amphibia.

Amphibia centers around a 13-year-old Thai-American girl, Anne Boonchuy (Brenda Song), who is transported by a music box to another world with her two best friends, Sasha Waybright (Anna Akana) and Marcy Wu (Haley Tju). In this wild land, filled with marshes and tropical environments, she meets talking frogs and other creatures, including a family of frogs named the Plantars.

This family is headed by the overbearing and traditional grandfather, Hop Pop (Bill Farmer). He has two kids-of-sorts: an excitable frog named Sprig (Justin Felbinger) and a spunky pollywog named Polly (Amanda Leighton). All of them live on a farm of their own in the close-knit town of Wartwood. As Anne bonds with the Plantars, she learns what friendship and being heroic means.

This all-ages animated series is filled with diversity, especially from its characters and voice actors. The latter are of Chinese, Indonesian, Pakistani, Japanese, and Thai descent. The show compliments this with wonderful animation, music, and background art.

Unsurprisingly, the series has been been nominated for four Annie Awards, one Daytime Emmy, and a GLAAD Media Award since it began airing in 2019. It includes some voice actors I'm familiar with, like Tress MacNeille and John DiMaggio, who voice characters in Disenchantment, as well as well-known gay actor George Takei.

From left to right: Sasha, Marcy, and Anne with "cool anime" powers in the final episode of Amphibia, floating the air like anime heroes or Kid Cosmic protagonists

Amphibia is more than a series centered on a girl who is adopted by a family of talking frogs. While there is the classic conflict of good vs. evil, there is also a focus on family separation, self-acceptance, and trauma. As I wrote previously, all of the main protagonists have trauma on same level or another, as the friendship between all three of them faces hardships and strains.

This is all mixed together with fantasy and sci-fi elements, and even occasionally situational comedy acts. These complex characters are written in such a way that you become invested and concerned about them, even after ending the series. The series also has plotlines focused on human and animal experimentation, and robots.

This series is part of a recent set of diverse Disney animated series. Others include The Ghost and Molly McGee, a supernatural fantasy, and will-be-ending horror comedy and fantasy The Owl House. Upcoming series such as Iwaju, Moana: The Series, Tiana, Cookies & Milk, Hailey's On It!, and Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur portend a continuation of this focus.

In the case of Amphibia, Braly based the series on his trips to Bangkok, Thailand where he thought he was an outsider. He also was inspired by video games like The Legend of Zelda and Chrono Trigger. In previous interviews he said he wanted to make the main character a Thai-American because there were few Thai protagonists in TV series or films that he watched as a kid. As a result, he has said he become influenced by the Mortal Kombat and Sonic the Hedgehog franchises.

In a December 2021 interview, Braly noted the themes of immigration, alienation, and xenophobia drawn from his own experiences. All of these themes are deeply integrated into the series. Some of this is heavily informed, according to Braly, by the 1990s series, Pepper Ann. Braly also noted that frogs were chosen for the series because they are metaphor for change and their connection to Thai culture.

Lady Olivia (right) looks at General Yunan (left) lovingly and tells her she wouldn't mind "settling down" in Wartwood with Yunan.

Amphibia is rightly praised for illustrating issues like emotional manipulation, bullying, and delightful characters. The series could also be praised for broadening "ethnic-racial representations" like Craig of the Creek and Elena of Avalor. This is something that groups like the socially conservative family-oriented non-profit, Common Sense Media, would praise.

A 2021 report from the organization notes that when people of color are portrayed stereotypically, it causes harmful views to be promoted among White audiences. This is coupled with underrepresentation of specific groups, such as Latine and Indigenous people, and misrepresentation of others.

Little mentioned is LGBTQ representation in Amphibia. Although it isn't as direct as other recent series, like Dead End: Paranormal Park or The Owl House, Braly stated that in the show's finale, they left it open as to whether someone thinks of Sasha, Marcy, and Anne romantically or not, as he loves shipping. He called it the "greatest expression of love for characters."

This gives queer fans who ship Marcanne (Marcy and Anne), Sasharcy (Sasha and Marcy), Sashanne (Sasha and Anne), or even all three in a relationship together some solace. This the case even if this so-called "Calamity Trio" are only be "gal pals" in the show's canon.

Even so, Sasha was hinted as bisexual in the show's final episode, and confirmed as such by Braly, as I noted in an earlier post. Her voice actress, Akana, is bisexual herself. She voiced Daisy in magical girl esque Magical Friendship Girl Squad: Origins and Magical Girl Friendship Squad. In the case of Daisy, Akana argued that Daisy was bisexual. However, other crew members argued she was a lesbian, and possibly trans, leading to confusion among fans.

Coming back to Amphibia, Sasha joins other LGBTQ characters such as Frodrick Toadstool and Toadie who were confirmed as a gay couple by the show's creator. More significantly is Yunan (Zahra Fazal) and Lady Olivia (Michelle Dockery) as lesbian couple. There's also Ally and Jess who run an Internet video channel together. Their colors are based off the bisexual and pansexual flags.

It is also implied that Mr. X, voiced by RuPaul, is gay, and there are some other minor LGBTQ characters. Similar to Sasha, the sexual identities of these characters are never directly stated. Mr. X is an effeminate FBI agent assisted by a silent assistant named Jenny. After Anne and frog family escape to Amphibia, Anne's birth family convince Mr. X to hear them out and to be on the same side against Andrias. This results in the military and FBI assisting Anne and her friends in the final episode.

The relationship of Yunan and Olivia, was embraced by reviewers like Jade King, who calls herself "TheGamer’s Queen of Gay Cartoons." Braly told King that the ship of these two characters was their favorite ship. He called it "very organic" and "awesome." Fans were jubilant about the news, and fully embraced it. It undoubtedly helped that Fazal was inspired by the protagonist of Darkwing Duck in voicing the character.

Considering that the final episode has a ten year time-skip, it makes the series ripe for a possible spin-off or continuation that happens in that time skip, with different protagonists than this series. While some are conflicted about a spin-off, the show could go a route a la Steven Universe Future, focusing on the aftermath of a victory, with Anne, Marcy, and Sasha having to pick up the pieces.

All three seasons of Amphibia are currently streaming on Disney+, YouTube TV, and Prime Video.

© 2022-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

#amphibia #chosen family #self acceptance #anne boonchuy #matt braly #lgbtq #sasha waybright #marcy wu #kid cosmic #thai culture #thai creator #disney plus #bisexuals #lesbians #craig of the creek #elena of avalor

[xtruss]

Imran Khan Warns That Pakistan’s Election Could Be A Farce

His Party is Being Unfairly Muzzled, the Former Prime Minister Writes From Prison

— January 4th, 2024 | The Economist

Imran Khan, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan. Image: Dan Williams

Today pakistan is being ruled by caretaker governments at both the federal level and provincial level. These administrations are constitutionally illegal because elections were not held within 90 days of parliamentary assemblies being dissolved.

The public is hearing that elections will supposedly be held on February 8th. But having been denied the same in two provinces, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, over the past year—despite a Supreme Court order last March that those votes should be held within three months—they are right to be sceptical about whether the national vote will take place.

The country’s election commission has been tainted by its bizarre actions. Not only has it defied the top court but it has also rejected my Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (pti) party’s nominations for first-choice candidates, hindered the party’s internal elections and launched contempt cases against me and other pti leaders for simply criticising the commission.

Whether elections happen or not, the manner in which I and my party have been targeted since a farcical vote of no confidence in April 2022 has made one thing clear: the establishment—the army, security agencies and the civil bureaucracy—is not prepared to provide any playing field at all, let alone a level one, for pti.

It was, after all, the establishment that engineered our removal from government under pressure from America, which was becoming agitated with my push for an independent foreign policy and my refusal to provide bases for its armed forces. I was categorical that we would be a friend to all but would not be anyone’s proxy for wars. I did not come to this view lightly. It was shaped by the huge losses Pakistan had incurred collaborating with America’s “war on terror”, not least the 80,000 Pakistani lives lost.

In March 2022 an official from America’s State Department met Pakistan’s then ambassador in Washington, dc. After that meeting the ambassador sent a cipher message to my government. I later saw the message, via the then foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and it was subsequently read out in cabinet.

In view of what the cipher message said, I believe that the American official’s message was to the effect of: pull the plug on Imran Khan’s prime ministership through a vote of no confidence, or else. Within weeks our government was toppled and I discovered that Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, had, through the security agencies, been working on our allies and parliamentary backbenchers for several months to move against us.

People flocked onto the streets to protest against this regime change, and in the next few months pti won 28 out of 37 by-elections and held massive rallies across the country, sending a clear message as to where the public stood. These rallies attracted a level of female participation that we believe was unprecedented in Pakistan’s history. This unnerved the powers that had engineered our government’s removal.

To add to their panic, the administration that replaced us destroyed the economy, bringing about unprecedented inflation and a currency devaluation within 18 months. The contrast was clear for everyone to see: the pti government had not only saved Pakistan from bankruptcy but also won international praise for its handling of the covid-19 pandemic. In addition, despite a spike in commodity prices, we steered the economy to real gdp growth of 5.8% in 2021 and 6.1% in 2022.

Unfortunately, the establishment had decided I could not be allowed to return to power, so all means of removing me from the political landscape were used. There were two assassination attempts on my life. My party’s leaders, workers and social-media activists, along with supportive journalists, were abducted, incarcerated, tortured and pressured to leave pti. Many of them remain locked up, with new charges being thrown at them every time the courts give them bail or set them free. Worse, the current government has gone out of its way to terrorise and intimidate pti’s female leaders and workers in an effort to discourage women from participating in politics.

I face almost 200 legal cases and have been denied a normal trial in an open court. A false-flag operation on May 9th 2023—involving, among other things, arson at military installations falsely blamed on pti—led to several thousand arrests, abductions and criminal charges within 48 hours. The speed showed it was pre-planned.

This was followed by many of our leaders being tortured or their families threatened into giving press conferences and engineered television interviews to state that they were leaving the party. Some were compelled to join other, newly created political parties. Others were made to give false testimony against me under duress.

Despite all this, pti remains popular, with 66% support in a Pattan-Coalition 38 poll held in December; my personal approval rating is even higher. Now the election commission, desperate to deny the party the right to contest elections, is indulging in all manner of unlawful tricks. The courts seem to be losing credibility daily.

Meanwhile, a former prime minister with a conviction for corruption, Nawaz Sharif, has returned from Britain, where he was living as an absconder from Pakistani justice. In November a Pakistani court overturned the conviction (Under United States’ Scrotums Licker Corrupt Army Generals’ Directions).

It is my belief that Corrupt to his Core Mr Sharif has struck a deal with the establishment whereby it will support his acquittal and throw its weight behind him in the upcoming elections. But so far the public has been unrelenting in its support for pti and its rejection of the “selected”.

It is under these circumstances that elections may be held on February 8th. All parties are being allowed to campaign freely except for pti. I remain incarcerated, in solitary confinement, on absurd charges that include treason. Those few of our party’s leaders who remain free and not underground are not allowed to hold even local worker conventions. Where pti workers manage to gather together they face brutal police action.

In this scenario, even if elections were held they would be a disaster and a farce, since pti is being denied its basic right to campaign. Such a joke of an election would only lead to further political instability. This, in turn, would further aggravate an already volatile economy.

The only viable way forward for Pakistan is fair and free elections, which would bring back political stability and rule of law, as well as ushering in desperately needed reforms by a democratic government with a popular mandate. There is no other way for Pakistan to disentangle itself from the crises confronting it. Unfortunately, with democracy under siege, we are heading in the opposite direction on all these fronts. ■

— Imran Khan is the Founder and Former Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and was Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022.

— Editor’s Note: Pakistan’s government and America’s State Department deny Mr Khan’s allegations of American interference in Pakistani politics (Bullshit! Hegemonic War Criminal Conspirator United States and Corrupt Army Generals and Politicians of Pakistan Were Clearly Involved. It’s Social Media’s Modern Era, Not 1970). The government is prosecuting him under the Official Secrets Act.

#By Invitation | Pakistan 🇵🇰 #Imran Khan #Elections Under Corrupt Army of Pakistan #The Economist

[hire-a-hacker-online]

Hire A Hacker To Spy On Cheating Partner

Do you feel like your partner is cheating on you? would you love to spy on cheating spouse without them ever knowing ? We are here to help you Hire a hacker today and clear your doubts. Here at Pro Hackers we have professional hackers with years of experience that will help you spy on cheating partner without them ever knowing . We also provide the following services.

Hire a reliable hacker today

Contact Us :

Whatsapp Number: [phone]

WICKR ID: @prohackers2014

Tellegram : @prohackers2014

Hire a hacker in USA

Hire a hacker in the United States

Hire a hacker in Canada

Hire a hacker in Australia

Hire a hacker in United Kingdom

Hire a hacker in London

Hire a hacker in USA

Hire a hacker in the United States

Hire a hacker in Canada

Hire a hacker in Australia

Hire a hacker in United Kingdom

Hire a hacker in London

hire a hacker

how much does it cost to hire a hacker

hire a hacker reviews

hire a hacker fiverr

hire a hacker online reviews

hire a hacker reddit 2022

hire a hacker 2022

hire a hacker to recover instagram

hire a hacker to recover an account

hire a hacker to erase criminal record

hire a hacker to change your grades

hire a hacker to recover an account reddit

is there a way to hire a hacker

hire a hacker to catch a scammer

best place to hire a hacker

hire a hacker to get your account back

hire a hacker in bangladesh

reasons to hire a black hat hacker

hire a hacker in bangalore

can you hire a black hat hacker

hire a hacker canada

hire a hacker cheap philippines

hire a hacker cheap india

hire a crypto hacker

hire a chinese hacker

hire a hacker to change university grades

hire a hacker in chennai

can you hire a hacker on fiverr

can you hire a hacker reddit

does hire a hacker work

hire a hacker in delhi

what happens when you hire a dark web hacker

how to hire a hacker on the dark web reddit

hire a hacker to take down a website

how much does it cost to hire a professional hacker

hire a hacker event

hire a hacker email address

hire a hacker easy

hire a hacker eventbrite

hire a hacker ethical

hire a hacker en español

hire a hacker en free fire

hire a hacker etica

hire a hacker english

hire a hacker entre

hire a ethical hacker

hire a hacker in egypt

hire a hacker experience

can you hire an ethical hacker

does microsoft hire ethical hackers

hire a hacker for social media india

hire a hacker for roblox

hire a hacker forum

fiverr hire a hacker

hire a hacker to fix credit score

hire a hacker game

hire a hacker github

hire a hacker gta 5

hire a hacker guide

hire a hacker gta

hire a hacker gets your ip address

hire a hacker gives you money

hire a hacker gif

hire a hacker growth

hire a hacker girl

hire a game hacker

how to hire a hacker to change school grade

how to hire a hacker to change your school grade

how to hire a hacker in pakistan

how to hire a hacker to catch cheating spouse

how to hire a hacker in roblox

how to hire a hacker in philippines

how to hire a hacker to hack instagram

hire a hacker in pakistan

hire a hacker in kolkata

is it illegal to hire a hacker

is it legal to hire a hacker

is hire a hacker legit

where can i hire a hacker reddit

hire a hacker jobs

hire a hacker jailbreak

hire a hacker javascript

hire a hacker jenna

hire a hacker jurassic park

hire a hacker jennifer

hire a hacker join

hire a hacker jelentése

i hired a hacker

hire a hacker kas

hire a hacker key

hire a hacker kr

hire a hacker klm

hire a hacker king

hire a hacker known as 4chan

hire a hacker kayak

hire a hacker kid

hire a hacker kitchen

hire a hacker malaysia

hire hacker mumbai

hire a hacker nz

hire a hacker nyc

hire ethical hackers near me

hire a hacker pro review

hire a hacker on fiverr

hire a hacker pakistan

hire a hacker perth

hire a hacker in pune

hire professional hacker in india

hire pakistani hacker

hire a hacker reddit

hire a hacker reddit 2021

hire a hacker roblox

hire a hacker uk reviews

hire a hacker.io reviews

reddit hire a hacker

hire a roblox hacker

hire a security hacker

hire a hacker discord server

hire hacksaw

hire someone to catch a hacker

is it safe to hire a hacker

hire a hacker to change grades

hire a hacker to get your money back

hire a hacker upwork

hire a hacker to hack university grade

hire ethical hacker

upwork hire a hacker

hire a hacker via email

hire a hacker vpn

hire a hacker voice changer

hire a hacker voice

hire a hacker vs cracker

hire a hacker vinnie

hire a hacker vancouver

is hackers for hire legit

where to hire a hacker reddit

hire a white hat hacker

how much would it cost to hire a hacker

hire a hacker xbox

hire a hacker xyz

can you hire a white hat hacker

how to hire a hacker to change your school grades

hire a hacker zimbabwe

hire a hacker zoom

hire a hacker zig

hire a hacker zagreb

hire a hacker zendesk

hire a hacker zlaner

z-hire

hire a hacker 01

hire a hacker 0.5

hire a hacker 0.0

hire a hacker 0.2

hire a hacker 101

hire a hacker 1 hour

hire a hacker 1337

hire a hacker 15 minutes

hire a hacker 2020

hire a hacker 360

hire a hacker 3d

hire a hacker 365

hire a hacker 31

hire a hacker 32

hire a hacker 37

hire a hacker 35

3 hackers

hiring a hacker legal

hire a hacker 5k

hire a hacker 60 minutes

hire a hacker 76

hire a hacker 808

hire a hacker 800

hire hacker reviews

hire a hacker 911

hire a hacker 90s

hire a hacker 90 days

#hacker #hireahacker #hackers #cheating #relationship #gaylife #gay couple #gay #usa

[worklabournewsresearch]

Migrant Workers are Flipping the Script and Using Photovoice to Tell Their Own Stories

Kukreja, R. (2022, May 8). Migrant workers are flipping the script and using Photovoice to tell their stories. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/migrant-workers-are-flipping-the-script-and-using-photovoice-to-tell-their-own-stories-180500 

Reena Kukreja writes: “What happens when undocumented Bangladeshi and Pakistani men in Greece pick up their cell phones to record their lives as migrant agricultural workers? ‘This will let the people learn how we live our lives here, said one of the men, referring to the photos and videos they were taking. For the workers, these serve as evidence of their migrant existence. COVID-19 and worries about food security have resulted in increased media coverage about migrant agricultural workers, with stories usually told on their behalf. Four sets of South Asian migrant men in Greece wanted to flip the script and tell their own stories. They used Photovoice, an arts-based social justice tool, to present themselves and their concerns directly to people. This eventually transformed into a travelling multi-media exhibition and a digital archive, This is Evidence.”  

“Each year, thousands of young South Asian men arrive in Greece, Europe’s frontier, often driven by poverty, climate change, political unrest, or ethnic or religious violence in their home countries. ... Despite 90 per cent of Greek agriculture being dependent on migrant labour, they are paid low wages, face wage theft and are forced to work long hours without breaks.” 

“The process behind the exhibition emerged organically as the men used WhatsApp to send me images of their lives. I suggested the use of Photovoice so they could share their lives with a wider audience. Photovoice is a participant-oriented visual research strategy used to collaborate with socio-economically and politically marginalized populations. Participants take images of what they consider important and not what researchers wish to highlight. ... These narratives are often used to advocate for policy changes. This project challenges the stereotypes of migrant men, often vilified because of their gender identity, race and religion. It also serves to empower by allowing the experiences of ‘disposable’ migrant agricultural workers in Greece to reach a wider audience through multi-city exhibitions and the digital archive.” 

Additional Information 

This is evidence: re-picturing south Asian migrant men in Greece. https://www.thisisevidence.com/

Kukreja, R. (2021). Visible yet invisible: the disciplinary mechanism of self-surveillance among undocumented South Asian male migrants in rural Greece. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 47(15), 3660–3676. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2019.1642740 UTL Link: https://doi-org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.1080/1369183X.2019.1642740

Heinrich Böll Foundation. (2017). Temporary migrant workers in Greek agriculture. Heinrich Böll Foundation. https://www.boell.de/sites/default/files/e-paper_temporary-migrant-workers-in-greek-agriculture.pdf

Sutton-Brown, C. A. (2014). Photovoice: A Methodological Guide. Photography & Culture, 7(2), 169–185. https://doi.org/10.2752/175145214X13999922103165 UTL Link: https://doi-org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.2752/175145214X13999922103165

Budig, K., et. al. (2018) Photovoice and empowerment: evaluating the transformative potential of a participatory action research project. BMC Public Health, vol. 18. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-5335-7 Open Access

Photo source: [Photograph]. This is Evidence. https://www.thisisevidence.com/where-we-work 

#migrants #undocumented #agricultural labour #multi-media exhibition #migrant labour #Photovoice #flexible workers

[savefilescomng12]

Watch DuckyBhai viral video on Twitter and reddit

Watch DuckyBhai viral video on Twitter and reddit 

In the ever-evolving landscape of online entertainment, certain individuals emerge as titans, captivating millions with their charisma, talent, and unique approach. Among these luminaries stands DuckyBhai, a multifaceted content creator whose journey from a humble YouTuber to a household name embodies the modern digital success story. With accolades including two-time winner of the prestigious PISA awards and a devoted following on platforms like YouTube, DuckyBhai has transcended boundaries to become a global phenomenon.DuckyBhai's ascent to stardom is a testament to the power of authenticity and dedication. Born and raised in parkistan, DuckyBhai real name  is  Saad ur Rehman , he discovered his passion for gaming at a young age. Armed with a natural flair for entertainment and an insatiable drive, he began creating content on YouTube, initially as a hobby.

Watch DuckyBhai viral video on Twitter 

What set DuckyBhai apart was not just his gaming skills, but his ability to connect with his audience on a personal level. Through candid vlogs, engaging commentary, and infectious enthusiasm, he cultivated a loyal fanbase that eagerly awaited each new upload. As his channel grew, so did his influence, drawing the attention of brands and fellow creators alike.

In 2020 and 2021, DuckyBhai's impact on the digital landscape was formally recognized with back-to-back wins at the prestigious PISA awards. Held in Dubai, the PISA (Pakistani Influencer Summit & Awards) celebrates excellence in content creation across various categories, from fashion and beauty to gaming and vlogging. DuckyBhai's triumph in the gaming category not only solidified his status as a pioneer in the field but also opened doors to new opportunities and collaborations.

Watch DuckyBhai viral video on reddit

Beyond his accolades, DuckyBhai's influence extends far beyond the realm of gaming. As a husband and family man, he provides a refreshing glimpse into his personal life, showcasing the balance between his online persona and his offline responsibilities. This authenticity resonates deeply with his audience, fostering a sense of connection and trust that transcends the digital divide.At the heart of DuckyBhai's success lies his unwavering commitment to entertaining and empowering his audience. Whether he's showcasing his latest gaming conquests, sharing candid insights into his life, or championing causes close to his heart, DuckyBhai's content is a testament to the transformative power of digital storytelling.

Watch DuckyBhai viral video on Twitter and reddit

Through his YouTube channel and social media platforms, DuckyBhai has created a community where fans can not only escape into the world of gaming but also find inspiration, support, and camaraderie. His infectious energy and positive outlook serve as a beacon of hope in an often tumultuous world, reminding us of the boundless potential of online connectivity.As DuckyBhai continues to evolve as a content creator and influencer, one thing remains constant: his unwavering dedication to his craft and his community. With each new video, livestream, and social media post, he pushes the boundaries of what's possible in the digital sphere, inspiring others to follow in his footsteps.From humble beginnings to global acclaim, DuckyBhai's journey is a testament to the transformative power of passion, perseverance, and authenticity. As he blazes new trails and breaks down barriers, one thing is certain: the legend of DuckyBhai will continue to inspire and uplift audiences for years to come.

Watch DuckyBhai viral video on Twitter and reddit

In the fast-paced world of online entertainment, DuckyBhai stands as a shining example of what it means to truly connect with an audience. Through his unique blend of gaming prowess, personal charisma, and unwavering authenticity, he has carved out a niche for himself as one of the most influential figures in the digital landscape. As he continues to inspire and entertain millions around the globe, DuckyBhai's legacy will undoubtedly endure as a beacon of creativity, community, and empowerment. Source link Read the full article

[anhthutranxz]

WEEK 3 DISCUSSION#: TUMBLR CASE STUDY

The reading in Week 3 offered me a comprehensive overview of the evolution of the feminist movement, particularly the #bodypositive movement, on social media platforms. Specifically, the platform selected for this week's subject is not well-known platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, but rather Tumblr - an innovative amalgamation of conventional weblogs and social networking sites.Upon completing the reading for week 3, I proceeded to perform independent research on the following two inquiries: 1/ How does social media promote feminist activism? 2/ Compare the respective roles of the two platforms, Facebook and Tumblr, in the feminist movement. Part 1: How does social media encourage feminism activities?

Prior to commencing, I would like to provide the illustration of how social networks have contributed to the feminist movement, exemplified by the #Metoo movement (If you have the time, there are two further links provided below that offer more comprehensive information regarding this movement). The #MeToo movement rapidly gained significant attention in October 2017 on various social media platforms, serving as a means to illustrate the extensive occurrence of sexual harassment and abuse, particularly in professional settings. On October 15, 2017, Milano posted the phrase "Me too" on Twitter, which garnered over 200,000 uses by the end of the day and surpassed 500,000 uses by October 16. According to Gordon (2023), around 4.7 million individuals on Facebook utilised the hashtag #Metoo in about 12 million postings throughout the initial 24-hour period. The #Metoo movement has attained a degree of popularity, and it is important to note that it is just one among several feminist movements that have been coordinated on social media platforms. Without a doubt, social media has made significant and beneficial contributions to the advancement and dissemination of the feminist cause. According to Taylor (2013), social networks “supply not only the social ties but the cultural context, the strategies, and the tactical repertoires that facilitate the construction of politicized collective identities”. For instance, Facebook offers a unique online environment for building communities and enabling engagement. Previously, feminist organisations utilized their Facebook networks as a cost-free tool for organization and as a strategy to broaden the scope of their offline campaigns (Crossley, 2015).  Social media has become a potent force in the modern day, profoundly influencing several facets of society, including the feminist movement. Social media has significantly transformed feminism by amplifying women's voices, promoting international unity, and catalyzing tangible societal progress. Although women continue to be inadequately represented in the media as a whole, social media provides a more equitable platform that enables women from many backgrounds and countries to have their opinions heard, regardless of their level of influence or popularity. Malala Yousafzai, aged 26, serves as a Pakistani advocate for education. Malala gained recognition for her advocacy of human rights, specifically focusing on promoting education for women and children in her native region of Swat, Pakistan. Notably, the Taliban had previously imposed a ban on girls attending school in this area. Malala utilises social media platforms to sustain her campaign and advance the cause of worldwide female education (Sganzetta & Bracelli, 2021). #The Malala Fund, established by her, has facilitated the provision of educational opportunities for girls in poor nations. Concurrently, her foundation's messaging has been altered by her social media presence.  Social media has facilitated the formation of online communities where women can seek assistance, exchange guidance, and establish connections with persons who have similar interests and beliefs. Instagram and YouTube have facilitated the emergence of a surge in feminist influencers and content makers who utilise their platforms to impart knowledge and motivate (Jackson, 2018). These individuals frequently engage in discussions pertaining to various feminist topics such as body acceptance, the interconnectedness of social identities, the right to control one's reproductive choices, and equitable treatment regardless of gender (Jackson, 2018). They offer a platform for women to seek counsel, discover motivation, and cultivate a feeling of inclusion. Online communities provide a platform for marginalised groups within feminism, including women of colour, LGBTQ+ individuals, and handicapped women, to connect with one another, support each other, and fight for their unique needs and experiences (Jackson, 2018). 

Part 2: Facebook and Tumblr in feminist movement

In recent years, there has been a growing interest among feminist scholars and the general public in how digital media has enabled the visibility and spread of feminist politics in modern times.

Facebook

Facebook presents both potential dangers and advantages for feminists. 

A significant number of adolescent girls interviewed expressed similar views. They believe that Facebook poses a risk not due to anonymous troublemakers, as discussed by British teenagers in relation to Twitter, but because the individuals they are connected to on the platform, such as parents, siblings, relatives, and school peers, are people with whom they have social relationships beyond the online platform (Keller, 2019). Adolescents were generally discerning in their choices of content to share on Facebook, taking into account their "imagined audience" (Marwick & Boyd, 2011) and the anticipated responses from their "friends." Therefore, girls refrained from discussing their personal experiences with sexism on Facebook. However, they were more inclined to share less personal instances of feminist critique, such as sexist advertisements or humorous feminist memes. They chose to share content that would not provoke much controversy, concern, or anxiety among their friends and family. 

Facebook's platform explicitly discourages anonymity, since users are expected to exhibit their "authentic self" by using their true first and last name when creating a profile (Bivens, 2017). The company regularly eliminates profiles that are considered to be fraudulent. Facebook's aspiration for a regulated platform characterised by "genuine identities" influences the nature of social interactions, including feminist activity, occurring on the network. Although anonymity is typically praised for allowing teenagers to express their true selves on social media, in this case, the absence of anonymity on Facebook may have motivated the girls to confront their opposite because they were familiar with him, rather than dealing with an unknown online harasser (Keller, 2019).

Tumblr

The platform distinguishes itself from other social media platforms through several key features. Most notably, it lacks personal profiles and networks of "friends," resulting in the creation of several anonymous "Tumblrs" with elusive owners (Keller, 2019). The anonymity offered by Tumblr is a significant factor that attracts numerous teenage feminists to utilise the platform. Tumblr offers a distinct platform compared to Twitter and Facebook, with its design focused on characteristics such as anonymity and enhanced user control. This design allows females to actively participate in a variety of feminist themes that they may not find appropriate for other platforms (Keller, 2019). This is particularly true for Tumblr, since it provides a unique social privacy for feminist girls, granting them a feeling of protection from both their family and friends, as well as anonymous individuals who engage in malicious online behaviour. As said in the title of this article, Tumblr has become known for being a venue that is supportive of feminism. It is a platform where complex conversations on topics such as intersectionality, patriarchy, and protest often take place (Keller, 2019).

The platform's design intentionally reduces the visibility or priority of certain content in search results, which gives users a feeling of freedom from the limitations of traditional networked social media. This can be compared to being in a black hole, as described by Cho (2015). 

The portrayal of Tumblr as an anonymous and bewildering realm highlights the concern of privacy. Social privacy pertains to an individual's capacity to exercise authority over the dissemination of information, determining who can access it and under what circumstances. By doing so, one can regulate social dynamics and oversee interpersonal connections. Although not explicitly mentioned, the girls' conversations about Tumblr in comparison to Facebook and Twitter imply that girls need to preserve a certain level of social privacy in order to engage in online feminism (Marwick & Boyd, 2011). 

Conclusion

My objective is to delineate the interconnected possibilities and constraints that each platform presents for girls engaging in feminist activism. These prospects involve strategically utilising various social media channels to actively engage in feminist politics, openly demonstrating oneself as a feminist activist, rallying community and peer support, and preserving social privacy as needed.

References:

Bivens, R. (2017). The gender binary will not be deprogrammed: Ten years of coding gender on Facebook. New Media & Society, 19(6), 880-898. doi: 10.1177/1461444815621527

Cho, A. (2015). Queer reverb: Tumblr, affect, time. Networked affect, 43-58.

Crossley, A. D. (2015). Facebook feminism: Social media, blogs, and new technologies of contemporary US feminism. Mobilization: An International Quarterly, 20(2), 253-268. doi: 10.17813/1086-671X-20-2-253

Gordon, S. (2023, April 28). The #MeToo Movement: History, SA Statistics, Impact. Verywell Mind. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-metoo-movement-4774817

Jackson, S. (2018). Young feminists, feminism and digital media. Feminism & Psychology, 28(1), 32-49. doi: 10.1177/095935351771695

Marwick, A. E., & Boyd, D. (2011). I tweet honestly, I tweet passionately: Twitter users, context collapse, and the imagined audience. New media & society, 13(1), 114-133. doi: 10.1177/1461444810365313

Sganzetta, L., & Bracelli, P. (2021, April 17). Malala Yousafzai, a life spent fighting for the right to education. LifeGate. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://www.lifegate.com/malala-yousafzai-biography

Taylor, V. (2013). Social movement participation in the global society: Identity, networks and emotions. The future of social movement research: Dynamics, mechanisms, and processes, 37-57

#mda20009 #digital communities #week 3 #swinburne #Youtube

[warningsine]

The parents and an uncle of an 18-year-Pakistani woman have been convicted of her murder in Italy after she refused her family’s demands to marry a cousin in their homeland.

Saman Abbas’ body was dug up in November 2022 in an abandoned farmhouse near the fields where her father worked in northern Italy, a year and a half after she was last seen alive on surveillance video walking nearby with her parents. Italian prosecutors argued that she was killed by her family on 1 May 2021. A few days later, her parents flew from Milan to Pakistan.

On Tuesday, the parents, Shabbar Abbas and Nazia Shaheen, were sentenced to life in prison, while her uncle, Danish Hasnain, was handed a 14-year prison term by a court in Reggio Emilia. Two cousins were found not guilty and ordered released from jail.

Shabbar Abbas, who was extradited from Pakistan in August, professed his innocence during a tearful statement to the court before deliberations. His wife was tried in absentia and is believed to be in Pakistan.

The trial was the most high-profile of several criminal investigations in Italy in recent years dealing with the murder or mistreatment of immigrant women or girls who rebelled against their family’s insistence that they marry someone chosen for them.

An autopsy revealed the young woman had a broken neck bone, possibly caused by strangulation. She had emigrated as a teenager from Pakistan to a farm town, Novellara, in Italy’s northern region of Emilia-Romagna.

In Italy she stopped wearing a headscarf and began dating a young man of her choice. In one social media post, she and her Pakistani boyfriend were shown kissing on a street in the regional capital, Bologna.

According to Italian investigators, that kiss enraged Abbas’ parents, who wanted her to marry a cousin in Pakistan.

Abbas had reportedly told her boyfriend that she feared for her life, because of her refusal to marry an older man in her homeland.

#Saman Abbas #italy #pakistan #news tag

[daddynews247]

Pakistan Batter Fined for Using a Palestine Flag on a Bat, PCB Intervened

Azam Khan, the batsman, was fined by match officials for wearing the Palestine flag on his bat, however the Pakistan Cricket Board has opted to waive the amount.

Reversing its judgment, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not punish batsman Azam Khan for wearing the Palestine flag on his bat during a home match. Azam Khan wore a Palestine flag on his bat during Sunday’s National Stadium match between his Karachi Whites and Lahore Blues. Following that, Azam was fined 50% of the match cost. Nevertheless, the PCB chose to overlook the fine that the match referees had assessed after reviewing the situation.

“Azam Khan’s 50% fine imposed by match officials has been reviewed and waived by the Pakistan Cricket Board,” the PCB stated in a release.

After being found guilty of a level-I offense during his team’s National T20 Cup 2023–24 match against Lahore Blues at National Bank Stadium, Karachi, the wicketkeeper–batter for the Karachi Whites was fined half of his match money.

Azam was judged to have repeatedly disregarded an umpire’s instruction or directive during a match, in violation of Article 2.4 of the PCB Code of Conduct for Players and Players Support Personnel.

The PCB Cricket Operations Department and the player’s or team official’s cricket association must give their prior approval before any players or team officials may wear, exhibit, or otherwise communicate personal messages on their equipment.”

The International Cricket Council’s code of conduct states that “players shall not be allowed to display messages that carry political, religious, or racial activities or causes.”

50% of the young batter’s match fees were penalized. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which is a signatory to the ICC code of conduct, was informed earlier by the referee that the batter should not wear the unapproved insignia, which is the flag of Palestine, on his bat. A source close to the board notified Geo News of this.

Azam reportedly wore the same sticker throughout the previous two games, but the authorities did not notify or issue a warning to him before Sunday’s game.

Cricket enthusiasts and other people took to social media to express their outrage at the Board’s imposition of the fine.

Live television broadcast the match where Azam received his fine. He was competing against the Lahore Blues for the Karachi Whites.

Despite not having represented his country in cricket since 2021, Azam is still well-known in Pakistani circles for his big-hitting prowess in the T20 format and for being a fixture on franchise cricket circuits across the globe.

Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-battler Muhammad Rizwan also tweeted in favor of the Palestinian people in Gaza during the most recent ODI World Cup in India, but he avoided punishment from the ICC since they felt it was only his personal view.

#pakistan #sports #PCB #cricket #news #T20I

[brexiiton]

Dozens dead after blast in Pakistan at a rally celebrating birthday of Islam's prophet

By Associated Press, 6:38pm Sep 30, 2023

A powerful bomb exploded in a crowd of people celebrating the Prophet Muhammad's birthday in southwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 52 people and wounding nearly 70 others, authorities said. It was one of the deadliest attacks in recent years.

TV footage and videos on social media showed an open area near a mosque strewn with the shoes of the dead and wounded. Some of the bodies had been covered with bedsheets. Residents and rescuers were seen rushing the wounded to hospitals, where a state of emergency had been declared and appeals were being issued for blood donations.

The bombing occurred in Mastung, a district in Baluchistan province, which has witnessed scores of attacks by insurgents. However, the militants normally target the security forces. The Pakistan Taliban have repeatedly said that they do not target places of worship or civilians.

TV footage and videos on social media showed an open area near a mosque strewn with the shoes of the dead and wounded. (AP)

Around 500 people had gathered for a procession from the mosque to celebrate the birth of the prophet, known as Mawlid an-Nabi, an occasion marked by rallies and the distribution of free meals.

Some of the wounded were in a critical condition, government administrator Atta Ullah said. Thirty bodies were taken to one hospital and 22 were counted at another, Abdul Rasheed, the District Health Officer in Mastung, said.

A senior police officer, Mohammad Nawaz, was among the dead, Ullah said. Officers were investigating whether the bombing was a suicide attack, he added.

Friday's bombing came days after authorities asked police to remain on maximum alert, saying militants could target rallies for Mawlid an-Nabi.

Also Friday, a blast ripped through a mosque located on the premises of a police station in Hangu, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing at least two people and wounding seven, said Shah Raz Khan, a local police officer.

He said the mud-brick mosque collapsed because of the impact of the blast and rescuers were pulling worshippers from the rubble. Police say it was not immediately clear what caused the blast.

A boy injured by the explosion receives treatment at a hospital in Mastung near Quetta, Pakistan. (AP)

No one claimed responsibility for the blast in Hangu, and the cause was unclear. About 40 people were praying at the mosque at the time, most of them police officers.

Pakistan's President Arif Alvi condemned the attacks and asked authorities to provide all possible assistance to the wounded and the victims' families.

In a statement, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti denounced the bombing, calling it a "heinous act" to target people in the Mawlid an-Nabi procession.

Youngsters in traditional dress take part in a ceremony celebrating the birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, in Karachi, Pakistan. (AP)

The government had declared Friday a national holiday. President Alvi and caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul-haq-Kakar in separate messages had called for unity and for people to adhere to the teachings of Islam's prophet.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for Friday's bombing, but Pakistani Taliban quickly distanced themselves from it. Known at Tehreek-e-Taliban, or TTP, the Pakistani Taliban is separate from the Afghan Taliban but closely allied to the group which seized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

The Islamic State group has claimed previous deadly attacks in Baluchistan and elsewhere.

Also Friday, the military said two soldiers were killed in a shootout with Pakistani Taliban after insurgents tried to sneak into southwestern district of Zhob in Baluchistan province. Three militants were killed in the exchange, a military statement said.

The gas-rich southwestern Baluchistan province at the border of Afghanistan and Iran has been the site of a low-level insurgency by Baluch nationalists for more than two decades. Baluch nationalists initially wanted a share of provincial resources, but they later launched an insurgency calling for independence.

Muslims chant religious slogans during a rally celebrating the birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. (AP)

Friday's bombing was one of the worst in Pakistan in the last decade. In 2014, 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

In February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters. In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in July, at least 54 people were killed when a suicide bomber dispatched by an Afghan branch of the Islamic State group targeted an election rally by a pro-Taliban party in northwest Pakistan.

#terrorwave #terror wave #terror #news #wave #pakistan #Mawlid an-Nabi #Khyber Pakhtunkhwa #President Arif Alvi #Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti #bombing #islam #Tehreek-e-Taliban #Afghan Taliban #NATO #UN #Baluchistan

[usafphantom2]

Rafale 'slaughtered' by the Pakistani JF-17 Thunder during exercise in Turkey?

An account of how JF-17 "slaughtered" the Rafale fighters belonging to the Qatar Air Force during a war exercise in Turkey may have raised Pakistan's morale.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 10/08/2023 - 20:10 in Military

In June 2021, an air exercise involving air forces from Turkey, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Qatar called "Anatolian Eagle 2021" took place at a Turkish Air Force base in a coastal city of Konya, Turkey. In the exercise, an alleged victory of the Pakistani JF-17 fighters over the Rafales of Qatar was announced.

Among the aircraft participating in the exercise were the Turkish F-16s, the JF-17 'Thunder' Block II of Pakistan, the four new Rafale jets from Qatar and the MiG-29 'Fulcrum' and Su-25 'Frogfoot' combat jets from Azerbaijan, which had already seen action in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

NATO, of which Turkey is a member, also sends an E-3A AWACS aircraft.

Several Turkish media reported that Malaysia sent officers from its air force to the exercise as observers.

The "Anatolian Eagle" exercise is an annual training that aims to improve the capabilities and understanding between the air forces of the participating countries through the execution of various tactics that simulate air combat scenarios.

Systems such as the Post-Mission Analysis System and the Air Combat Maneuver System (ACMI) were also used in the exercise "Anatolian Eagle 2021".

Not much is known about the air exercise, but some military analysts, claiming to have inside information about the "Anatolian Eagle 2021", suggested that the exercise provided an opportunity for the Pakistan Air Force to test the real capabilities of its JF-17 "Thunder" aircraft in air combat simulations, especially against the Qatar Air Force's Dassault Rafale aircraft, which is also used by the Indian Air Force.

In addition to facing Rafale aircraft, the JF-17, which was developed in collaboration with China, can also face MiG-29 aircraft brought by the Azerbaijan Air Force during the Anatolian Eagle exercise.

According to reports from defense analysts with inside information about the exercise, the "mortality rate" of JF-17 aircraft against Qatari Rafale aircraft was 6:2, which means that Pakistan's JF-17 Block II aircraft "slaughtered" Qatar's Rafales six times compared to only two losses in the air in combat simulations during the exercise.

This conclusion was made by defense analysts based on unconfirmed sources. Whether the JF-17 Thunder aircraft managed to "slaughter" much more advanced and modern Rafale aircraft in Turkish exercise is still a matter of debate.

An IAF expert, although he admits that no aircraft is "invincible", said this week that it all comes down to tactics. "The JF-17 has no technological advantage over the Rafale - nothing, nothing," said the veteran IAF test pilot, who flew in Rafale fighters, while asking to remain anonymous.

As the report does not mention details of the aforementioned combat, it is difficult to speculate now, after almost two years. "Anyway, considering a BVR battle scenario, the Rafale will take away the impact of the JF-17 due to its avionics and much superior weapons. In dogfight visual combat, every pilot can have a chance and claim a 'slaughter'.

"These 'slaughter' are difficult to prove on the ground due to the inherently different combat recording systems in the Rafale and JF-17. I feel like it's just a story invented to score points against the IAF," said another retired IAF officer.

The Director General of the Center for Air Power Studies (CAPS), Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retired), said in an article comparing the JF-17 and the Rafale: "Rafale is a game changer in the region, and any comparison with an older generation JF-17 is flawed. Rafale is adding a significant impact to IAF's operational capacity and will help India dominate the Indian Area of Responsibility (AOR) in the regions of South Asia and the Indian Ocean."

It is important to approach the statements of Pakistani defense analysts with caution, as they can potentially be part of Pakistan's psychological war strategy to undermine the morale of the Indian Air Force, which uses Rafale manufactured by the French company Dassault Aviation.

There is also the possibility that the positive statements about the "excellent performance of the JF-17 Thunder" are probably a form of "marketing" using internal sources to promote the capabilities of aircraft manufactured in Pakistan and China.

However, there is also the possibility that the information provided by these sources is accurate.

Tags: Anatolian EagleMilitary AviationCAC/PAC JF-17 ThunderDassault RafaleJoint Exercises

Sharing

tweet

Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

Related news

MILITARY

Ukraine will dismantle old Russian MiGs to repair their own jets

08/10/2023 - 20:19

BRAZIL

FAB highlights six aircraft to bring Brazilians who are in Israel

08/10/2023 - 16:57

MILITARY

Sweden says it will consider sending Gripens to Ukraine only after joining NATO

08/10/2023 - 10:56

MILITARY

Israel retaliaTES for Hamas attacks with operation 'Swords of Iron'

07/10/2023 - 21:55

HISTORY

IMAGES: KC-10 Extender flies its last combat mission as retirement approaches

07/10/2023 - 21:02

AERONAUTICAL ACCIDENTS

Video of the Su-33 fighter that crashed into the sea in 2016 during landing on a Russian aircraft carrier appears

07/10/2023 - 14:57

[noonstouch]

Top places near Barrhaven Ottawa

Barrhaven is a suburb of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located about 17 km southwest of the city's downtown core. Prior to amalgamation with Ottawa in 2001, Barrhaven was part of the City of Nepean. Its population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 103,234.

Canadian Children's Museum

The Canadian Children's Museum lets your kids travel the world, while enriching their lives and broadening their experience by exploring other cultures. Travel the world together on the colourful Pakistani bus. Load packages onto a cargo ship. Visit homes in India, Indonesia and Mexico. Get creative with crafts in the family Studio. Share your travel pics with us on social media by using #CanadianChildrensMuseum or tag @CanMusHistory.

Bytown Museum

Housed in Ottawa’s oldest stone structure, the BYTOWN MUSEUM explores the city’s history from the early years of Rideau Canal construction, through the rough and tumble days of Bytown, to its emergence as Canada’s capital and beyond. Enjoy unique artifacts and exhibits year-round. To assist with a pleasurable visit, and included with admission, is a six-language audio guide available in English, French, German, Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese. Combine your visit with a lovely stroll along the locks and behind the Parliament Buildings, an oasis along the Ottawa River, all within steps of the Museum. You can also head to the adjacent Byward Market for your choice of any number of delightful restaurants and wonderful shopping. A well rounded visit to begin your stay!

The Bytown Museum is Ottawa’s museum, exploring the stories and values of an evolving city and its residents from its First Peoples through the early days as Bytown to present day Ottawa. The Museum is committed to engaging our visitors and community in discovery and dialogue as we aim to deepen the many connections within and between our diverse communities.

The Bytown Museum will enable the residents of Ottawa and visitors to the city to gain an appreciation of the identity of, and pride in Ottawa’s rich story. Through its collections, exhibitions, programs and online access to museum-based information, the Museum aspires to be a model of excellence in furthering knowledge and pride of place among diverse visitors of all ages.

Looking for a wallpaper installer near me? Look no further. We're Noon's Touch, and we're here to help! Our team of professional installers is ready to answer any questions you have about wallpapers, and our installation process is quick and easy. So whether you're looking for a new kitchen backsplash or just want to add some color to your living room, give us a call—we'll be there in no time!

Noon's Touch Ottawa, ON K2A 3W5 343-462-7333 http://noonstouch.com/ https://www.google.com/maps?cid=1690947208961064386