‘InshAllah, football’: Berlin theatres recount struggles of Kashmiri footballer

BERLIN: ‘Inshallah, football’ follows the story of Basharat, a young, ambitious Kashmiri football player wanting to realise his dream of playing in Brazil. Hurdles and obstructions are part and parcel of one’s journey but Basharat’s struggle was made all the more difficult because of being born in the scenic but conflict-ridden Kashmir valley.

The documentary was screened at the event “21 Days of Resistance” at Theatre X in Berlin. The movie was screened for the third time in Berlin by the Free Kashmir Organisation, Berlin and co-producer Guilia Achilli.

“Our aim is to push the discourse on Kashmir up to the level of Palestine. Once the people of Berlin are convinced, they can certainly create a bottom-to-top effect and force European politicians to take notice of Indian atrocities in the occupied valley of Kashmir,” said SameeUllah, part of the Free Kashmir Organisation Berlin as well as the Theatre X artist’s group.

Achilli, the Italian co-producer, told Geo.tv that though the movie was made in 2009, its relevance to the current situation in Kashmir, especially after July 2016, still holds.

She said that the filmmakers couldn’t record the military side of the story. “No soldier was willing to talk to us at any point.”

Panel discussion on “70 Years of Resistance against Indian Occupation of Kashmir”

Theater X has launched a three-week program on different issues of resistance in the commune theatre for youth in Alt-Moabit, Berlin.

Kashmiri poets and artists expressed the pain of suffering as well as the commitment for the rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir. Appreciating the event, Chairman Kashmir Council Europe (KC-EU) Ali Raza Syed said that Theater X has enabled them to spread awareness about Kashmir in Europe.

Culture is the expression of the collective soul of a nation, he said. Nations engaged in freedom struggle always offer resistance through creative expressions such as traditional songs, poetry, theater, painting and literature.

He told Geo.tv that art and culture could be effective tools for raising the rights of the people. Resistance through culture is the best way to offer a non-violent struggle, he added.

Panelists also answered questions of the participants who were mostly German intellectuals and experts from different walks of life. Chairman KC-EU said that bringing arts and artists to the forefront of the struggle against foreign occupation is very important for the Kashmiri movement for self-determination.

Ali Raza Syed said that art and culture has played an important part in the freedom struggle in all nations who won their independence from an occupation force. An artist has immense impact on the minds and hearts of the people, he continued. “A song, piece of poetry, film or a theater play can motivate people and works for a longer period than a speech or slogans.”