Saffron Press

11/02/2024

June 1st, 1984, devotees are beginning to gather at the Darbar Sahib (‘The Golden Temple’) in Amritsar. ✨
By June 3rd 1984, all phone lines coming in and out of Panjab have been cut. Road blocks are installed and all journalists, forced to leave.
A total curfew. ⚠️
10, 000 humans are left trapped in the Darbar Sahib complex.
On June 5th, the army invades the holy complex with tanks.
Simultaneously, 70+ Gurduaras are targeted for maximum impact.🎯
October 31st, Indira Gandhi is assassinated by her two bodyguards.
November 1st, 1984 – the Ghallughara

There were no cell phones, no internet, no live streaming. A complete media blackout had been imposed. A meticulously rehearsed ‘genos’ (Greek origin, meaning a race) ‘cide’ (Latin origin, meaning kill1ng) – using a blanket call for blood – was an opportunity, planned and calculated, to destroy the psyche of an entire population. This was the beginning of a decade and more of human rights violations and disappearances. They thought there would be no witnesses and therefore, no crimes could be recorded but violence is felt, horror is remembered and forty years later, we cannot heal or forget because there has been no justice.


Kaur
Kaur

10/31/2024

Bandi Chhor Divas🪔

The irony.
The historical significance of Bandi Chhor Divas – the day of liberation - this year, pierces at our core. To think that in 1619, Guru Har Gobind Sahib Ji had been imprisoned for no proven crime, just held indefinitely as a prisoner of conscience. It was with the unwavering and tireless advocacy of the community, joined by Muslims and Hindus, that orders were finally given for their release. And yet, while in prison, Guru Sahib had listened to countless experiences, of the assaults and horrors faced by so many and then, when freedom was offered, they could not walk out alone. Their liberation was tied to every person imprisoned at Gwalior Fort.

Ancestral history guides us. It anchors us. It reminds us that liberation does not come while fighting alone.

There could not be a more numbered audience witnessing the horrors of the world today, in real time. It is as if consuming images of dismembered bodies, of children yearning for their mothers under rocks and rubble, of the poisoning of a homeland to destroy and erase an entire population is not enough for our leaders to take unprecedented action. Why is that? Have we lost our ability to empathize? Are we so conditioned to scroll through unimaginable violence on our devices that minds and hearts are becoming numb, unable to function as human beings? It cannot be. I refuse to believe it. 🪔🍉

We have to keep doing whatever we can, speaking, sharing, using whatever humble talents remain to amplify the truth so that we never forget that liberation is fragile.🙏🏽🍃






Illustration by from Kamal’s Kes

Image ID: A dark background with a neutral face in the top right “whispering wisdom older than the sun”. A white whisp flows out of the mouth to a young girl lying in fear on the ground below. Text in white reads Bandi = imprisoned, Chhor = release.

07/20/2024

In a speech, at “The Personal and the Political Panel” at the Second S*x Conference in New York, September 29, 1979, Audre Lorde implored the audience to think critically about the communities we align ourselves with and the intersections that are left out.

Who does it benefit to ignore those differences? When the oppressed are kept occupied with survival, oppressors continue to oil the cogs of the systems that were built to sustain their power.

At the core, Audre Lorde’s comments stand to challenge what today we might refer to as a culturally relevant lens, including the intersectionalities of race, gender, class, age and sexuality. Her statements question the love between feminists who identify beyond white and Black and this is a poignant note to consider. As we have witnessed, the silence of feminists considering the oppression of Palestinian lives, has been evident. Where is the love for Palestinian women and their families? This could be asked of every community currently experiencing war, displacement, hunger and starvation.

And this is why these words matter. “Difference must be not merely tolerated...” Community is not active in silos, it has to acknowledge different identities and experiences to truly work for liberation.

(All thoughts are my own and not meant to be scholarly in nature).

ID: White square with black text that reads: Without community there is no liberation. A gold opening quotation mark at the top centre of the square.

07/15/2024

🪁When words are spoken directly from the mouths of children, there are few, if any other words that can compare. Recent reports provide proof of the truths these children from G@za have expressed for over nine months now. Tens of thousands of these children and their families have been killed and yet this violence is sanctioned by those in positions of power and continues without reprieve. Yesterday, another massacre at al-Mawasi, in Khan Younis – a humanitarian zone, designated to shelter displaced people – left children under rubble once again. Images that would be considered too graphic for children to see are being enacted upon them and these images will never leave our minds or our hearts. 💔

🪁A million kites, is described as a “little-big book” by the curator, Leila Boukarim This collection was gathered and translated by this wonderful human, alongside Asaf Luzon who has contributed the compassionate artwork. ALL profits from this book are being donated to causes supporting the people of G@za. If you can do one thing, please purchase this book.

A post from Leila holds a mirror to the broader world we live in. At a recent art studios event, when doors open to the public for 48 hours, Leila shares the discomfort of visitors walking by their display of A Million Kites. It truly struck me at my core – I felt the grief and deep disappointment - as a moment to reflect on, as a moment to remember that this is very much a reality and not taking place in some concocted dystopian future, and yet many people are moving along, without consciously interacting with the display. A sample of the population, their inner thoughts and the individualism we know exists ‘out there’ was also displayed through those 48 hours. It is shared, I am sure by many more who are still grappling with their interpretation of the truth.

The truth. They say it comes straight “out of the mouths of babes.” Buy this book. Read these poems, please.

https://www.amillionkites.com

ID: Square has a green frame and white centre with an image of the book cover on the left and text on the right that reads: “Testimonies and Poems from the Children of G@za” in black.

04/12/2024

Vocal about the politics of hate, Romila Thapar, like so many of us, questions the world we live in. She talks about the movements of resistance in India and challenges revisionist history, given the impact erasure and misinformation has on how we think and what we believe.

📷ID: A white square with a quote from Romila Thapar in black text:
If we are to survive into a future that is worth waiting for, then the provision and maintenance of basic human rights will be the first requirement.

- Romila Thapar, Historian

03/01/2024

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, We feel your silence.💔

As a collective of children’s book creators, we are asking the preeminent global kidlit organization to speak out against the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza where “there is no safe place for children” — our precious readers. 📚
Current, past, and prospective members: please join us in appealing to to stand in solidarity with Palestinian children and all the storytellers represented in our community.🙏🏽

You are invited to share this image, tag SCBWI, and please sign the open letter!

Link to letter, graphic, and caption in bio of
Art by Hatem Aly

Ilmage description: green bird with closed eyes and mouth taped shut. Background with smoke, explosions, and kites in sky.]

02/11/2024

“If you read with kids, plead for kids!” Artwork and text by .

(Second in the series)
The start of a series collaboration between Julie and Danielle () with the
intention to motivate and move folks in our industry. Because as children’s book creators, we have a responsibility to care for and thus fight for kids–with our words, art, books, voices, hands, actions.

And thanks to for the hashtag!

***************
Our young person is into his second semester in the upper grades of High school. There has not been a single mention of the gen@cide or an opportunity to discuss current world issues. He has intentionally included it in any assignment he felt able to, with the premise “I don’t care if I get detention or kicked out” - he’s been a fierce advocate.

When he plays in the snow, he creates protest signs large enough for all our neighbours to see. Physical protests are challenging for him, given the crowds and startling sounds, so he has found other ways to protest, whether it’s through reading or while playing online games.

He just received the reading list for English class, including 5 titles to choose from: The Handmaid’s Tale, The Kite Runner, The Great Gatsby, Moon of the Crusted Snow (his first choice so far) and All the Light we Cannot See. (I won’t comment here on the misleading readership age groups assigned by the book industry to drive sales). More importantly, as soon as the teacher asked if there were any questions, he posed the idea of Palest1nian authors as a choice. No comment so far but he’s hopeful.

This is all to say, children care deeply about what is happening in the world, especially when it is happening to people of their generation, to kids. They are yearning to speak about it in safe places. They want to learn more through stories and discussion. As creators of works for children, we have a responsibility to make sure that we can amplify those stories, whether through the coverage from grassroots journalists like , , Plestia and Motaz, or stories by Palest1nian creators.
(Cont. in comments)

01/01/2024

When those of us who have access to medical care 365 days of the year, look at the toll on Gaza’s children this year, I for one cannot turn away. Children with disabilities have been front of mind throughout this time. I think of the hopes and dreams the children must have shared at this time last year - some had not even entered this world yet – and not knowing how this year would unfold.

As 2023 draws to an end, the medical needs, loss and grief of families enduring wars around the world will not diminish.

There were 2.2 million people living in Gaza. Now, two-thirds are internally displaced.
According to Human Rights Watch, Palestinian civilians with disabilities have faced even graver difficulties – figuring out how to flee, how to access humanitarian aid, how to find refuge from the constant bombardment.

Evacuation orders do not consider people with disabilities. How would they access safe passage from high-rise buildings without working elevators or advanced warning? Even so, with 3-5 minutes to flee, it would be impossible. Would they have stayed in place without access to food and water? The inhumanity is forever ingrained in our minds and our hearts.

I read the story of sisters Iman and Abir, both with hearing loss who communicate through sign language. They only felt the vibration of bombs dropping and could only sense a need to flee when watching other people run. Homes are made accessible with assistive devices in place, like wheelchairs and communication aids. I read stories of many more deaf civilians who evacuated without their hearing devices.

Continued in comments

12/06/2023

Like you - the people who are raising their voices, condemning through protest, shouting, screaming and/or conveying through art forms - I grieve the utter inhumanity we are witnessing in Gaza. When relentless bombardment on innocent civilians was unleashed after the horrific events of October 7th, the world awakened to the horror of gen0cde – an apparent retaliation that cannot ethically be described as ‘self-defence’ or one that was sparked by a single moment but arising from a long history of settler occupation and brutal oppression of the people of Palstine.

Grassroots journalists have once again become the storytellers of truth, capturing atrocities and the unimaginable horrors kept distant from mainstream media. I have hesitated from sharing a list of books because the gruesome reality is so immediate and the need to do something more, so urgent. But if our work as authors, illustrators and publishers of books for children, is to reach and engage children in thinking critically and detecting injustice and inequities, then children have to hear from the very storytellers who have lived those experiences. And what more accessible tool than picture books?

I share this collection of books so children today might think differently about war tomorrow, for children who might now question media sources and headlines and for those children who wonder if the narratives they see and hear are based on fact, rather than opinion. Our role as authors, educators, librarians and creators is and always has been political.

When we talk to young persons about boycotts, it hits hard because now actions impact things we love to enjoy. Now we have to make informed choices, hard choices. They will surely question, why?

At the root of all of this, our work is about sharing stories that matter, it is about disrupting bias and creating space for growth, so that the soaring hopes and dreams of once carefree children in a land we may not have heard of, can never be forgotten, nor their existence dehumanized ever again.🫶🏽🍉

Please see below for additional links.
Read the blog post (link to site in bio) for links to educator lesson plans.

11/29/2023

Gurpurab🙏🏽

In moments of deep grief and overwhelm, Guru Ji’s hukam guides us. Recently, the katha of Sant Singh Ji Maskeen gave me pause. This moment was a reminder of how necessary it is (for me at least) to consciously pause and listen.🌱

Maskeen Ji spoke about Sanjha Dharam. I will confess that my understanding of the katha needs much more work but what struck me, were the words Sanjha (collective) and Dharam (the product of compassion). As I listened, I considered the depth of these two words – how they could push me to interpret the world at a deeper level and shift perspective.

🪔Guru Nanak Dev Ji questioned constantly. They questioned the treatment of humans based on caste and financial security. They questioned the ongoing violent oppression and hatred between peoples and faith groups. There was so much bloodshed in the name of ‘mazab’ (which can be translated as ‘faithful’) that people began to wonder if faith was needed at all. But Guru Nanak Dev Ji wanted to shift the way faith was considered towards a more collective understanding. Instead of faith that caused divisions and hatred, they wanted people to consider faith as a way for collective liberation – a path to stand in solidarity with each other, no matter a person’s spiritual identity. They shared a belief that all teachings should be respected and we could experience a world where no fear of the other existed and no hatred of the other was known. It was only when we could see the humanity in one another that true faith could be experienced.
To think deeper about ‘Sanjha Dharam’ then, leaves us with a question: What can or will we do on the behalf of others to cultivate Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s vision of conscious existence? 💭We have a choice to act and engage with our surroundings and those actions, however small, impact society and the world in which we travel.🫶🏽

Bhul chuk maaf🙏🏽

11/16/2023

As a small independent press who works to disrupt narratives that perpetuate harmful stereotypes and amplifies creators and voices historically left in the margins, I stand in solidarity for a free Palestine.

We write, publish and sell works for children and that means we have a collective responsibility to speak up against the relentless bombing of hospitals and schools, the 1.4 million people displaced, innocent civilian lives lost, including the lives of over 4000 children. The work of writing is and always has been political. We cannot only benefit from our work in times of peace and calm, but instead it is in these very moments of extreme discomfort and horror that we need to create space for storytellers on the ground to share the experiences of what is happening in real time and with real risks. Please continue to share their stories.

Please go here to read the full text and add your name: https://bit.ly/CanLitResponds

11/16/2023

🇵🇸

Image Credit: Em Berry

ID: poem in black ink on white background reads:
Because of Us
This morning I learned
the English word gauze
(finely woven medical cloth)
comes from the Arabic word (graphic of Arabic text) or Ghazza
because Gazans have been skilled weavers for centuries
I wondered then
how many of our wounds
have been dressed
because of them
and how many of theirs
have been left open
because of us

10/16/2023

A Statement and Global Call for Action from Kidlit Creatives for Palestine.
We come together to collectively voice our thoughts as kidlit creators:
As creatives whose primary audience is children, we can’t sit and watch in silence as children are being killed without international intervention or condemnation.
In the publishing community, there is unprecedented division regarding speaking up about the extensive loss of life we’re witnessing happening in real time. Therefore, we feel compelled to say unequivocally: What’s happening in Gaza is a GENOCIDE. It’s ethnic cleansing. It is against international law.
Our mission is to spread awareness and remind the world that over a million Palestinian children are currently in dire need of safety, security and the protection of their lives.
We write for all children, and will continue to stand up for all children.
We urge and ask everyone to share this message.

To stand with humanity.
Donate to the following reputable organizations:








Call for Action to All Creators for Palestine
is a social media initiative to show support for Palestine and her people. The aim is to share a capsule of works that evokes the spirit of Palestine. Please share your words, music, poems, art, photography, prayers, calligraphy, tatreez embroidery, visual recordings, voice notes or other sounds or visuals to celebrate our beloved Palestine. Please tag to your work and let us come together for Palestine. Most importantly, Please continue to support Palestinians in need at this time through your donations.
Illustration by

10/14/2023

Media has a way of infiltrating our minds and making us believe or question everything we think. Images and headlines hold power.

Heinous atrocities shared through our screens have given voice to the pain and grief of Jewish communities. It has been real and heart-wrenching. Human lives lost cannot be denied. The violence of brutal death cannot be denied.

Understanding that Palestinian lives have been systemically erased for decades in abhorrent ways because of state sanctioned violence, with little (if any) grassroots media coverage having access to our screens, should make us question: why, how and when did all this suffering begin? Palestinian truths cannot be denied or dismissed as lesser than. And now, with the relentless, ongoing attacks in Gaza, where babies were born as refugees and violence has become their childhood ‘norm’, we have failed as a human race once again.

As a mother who shares peoples histories with our young person - about the horrors of the past (and present): the Holocaust, genocides around the world, including that of the Indigenous peoples right here, the 1984 genocide of my own Sikh faith community, and that of Palestinian peoples right in this very moment, I grieve the violence and brutality of this world. The right to food and water should never be denied.

I do not claim to be fully informed of the historical and political contexts – I have been taking this time to read and listen, to learn and think more critically. Sikhi knowledge from our Guru Jis holds us steady during the most difficult of times. In Gurbani, we are reminded that our physical bodies will eventually merge with dust –into the elements of the universe. I stand for each human life deserving dignity and compassion.

State-sanctioned violence is what we need to interrogate and value the innocent civilians who are being targeted and used as currency for political profit.

Hate is a virus.
It spreads unconscionably.

We can stand against oppression and hold systems accountable by acknowledging multiple truths. Being uncomfortable is where it begins.

10/14/2023

Monsters exist in each one of us. It is how we take back our minds and hearts that will matter in the end.
🖌️:

ID: A young brown-skinned girl who feels like a monster is sinking into darkness. Illustration from pb Kamal’s Kes.

04/22/2023

10/25/2022

HAPPY DIWALI and BANDI CHHOR DIVAS to all celebrating!🪔

✨As much as this day is about activism and fighting for justice, it also serves as a time to celebrate joy. It has been so incredibly heart-warming to see how our communities have their own traditions and manner of celebrating this occasion. The south-Asian diaspora is not a monolith, nor do we share a single story.📚

✨Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji was only 16 years of age when they were released from Gwalior Fort, after being imprisoned two years earlier for unpaid ‘head tax’ imposed on Sikhs at the time. It is unimaginable in some ways to grasp the act of resistance - to not leave this ordeal alone - but instead, to advocate for the release of another 52 princes. Fighting for reform in any capacity is taxing but Bandi Chhor Divas is a reminder of how the values of empathy and kindness are first steps toward the goal of fighting persecution in all its forms.🪔

✨Activism demands so much that it is not always possible to remain in Chardi Kala. Joy is our fuel. It can help us get up and try again. Joy charges our minds and souls, sustaining us in times of challenge and uncertainty. Our acts of resistance are needed more than ever before, but the moments of joy nourish us beyond measure. May the divas you light tonight lift your souls and bring you infinite joy.🪔💛

04/28/2022

Gurjot “Jo” Kaur’s advocacy as a civil rights lawyer was redirected to finding a cure for Cockayne syndrome when her son, Riaan was diagnosed with a devasting recessive disorder on March 12, 2021.

Cockayne syndrome is a rare and life-limiting neurogenerative disease, caused by mutations affecting either the ERCC6 or ERCC8 genes. Given there is no cure or known therapeutic treatments for the syndrome, Jo knew she could not wait for it to be too late. Wanting to accelerate the development of a treatment, Jo founded Riaan Research Initiative which raises funds and advocates for a cure so that children like Riaan can dream of attending Kindergarten one day.

I met Jo, a fierce warrior of change, as we shared space on a panel about Mothering, hosted by Kaurs ReImagine. As Sikh women, we do not often find spaces that are safe and open to discussing Mothering in forms that are non-traditional. This space not only offered liberation of voice but also of experience. Jo shared how a sense of belonging in parenting spaces does not feel or offer the support she needs as a new Mum, as she fights to find a cure for a life-limiting disease for her son. By listening and learning, I hope this is something that we can change.

Riaan is blessed with deep heritage – Sikh, Panjabi from Jo and Jewish, Italian from his dad’s side. He loves books and ‘whose smiles and laughter can charm the world’.

I welcome Jo Kaur to the blog and hope that we can offer the kind of support that is needed and necessary.

Please take the time to read this feature, learn about , share and support Riaan’s dad to

🌱link to donate in bio🌱

Segment in Panjabi available via link in blog post