Award for Kashmiri Woman Journalist for exposing Indian Army atrocities to the world

It has been announced that the highest journalism award will be given to Musarat Zahra, a brave woman journalist who has shown the world the atrocities of the Indian Army in occupied Kashmir.

 

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07 JULY SRINAGAR, KASHMIR: A Kashmiri young boy points his toy gun towards an Indian paramilitary trooper during the restrictions imposed by the Indian authorities in the downtown area of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian controlled Kashmir, India. Kashmiri separatist’s leaders had asked people in Kashmir to observe shutdown against the arrest and shifting of a separatist leader of Dukhtaran-e-Milat Asiya Andrabi and her two associates to the Indian capital. Three Kashmiri civilians were killed by Indian government forces after they cordoned the area in the south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, when the civilians were protest demonstrating against the cordon and search operations launched by the Indian government forces to flash out the suspected militants. #igers #reportagespotlight #photojournalism #aljazeera #documentinglife #instaphotooftheday #instagram #akasimagazine #masratjan514_friendsinbnw #MyTelegraph #documentary #streetphotographyindia #dawn_dot_com #jjstreetphotography #street_life #hikaricreative #featureshoot #friendsinperson #friendsinbnw #indiaphotoproject #creativeimagemagazine #35mmstreetphotography #35mmfilm #streetphotographyindia #indiaphotostory #photographers_of_india #storiesofindia #lenspersia #Kashmir #everydayeverywhere

A post shared by Masrat Zahra (@masrat_zahra) on Jul 8, 2018 at 9:53am PDT

Brave Kashmir Valley photojournalist Musarat Zahra was honored by the Global Media Forum Training Group (GMFTG), an organization co-sponsored by Reporters Without Borders and the French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP).

 

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KASHMIR,SRINAGAR,08 JUNE 2018: Kashmiri protesters shout Anti-Indian and pro freedom slogans during an annual protest on last Friday of holy month of Ramadan in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian controlled Kashmir, India. Kashmiri Muslims consecrate last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan as Al-Quds Day or Jerusalem Day to proclaim the international solidarity of Muslims in support of the legitimate rights of the Muslim people of Palestine. #igers #reportagespotlight #photojournalism #aljazeera #documentinglife #instaphotooftheday #instagram #akasimagazine #masratjan514_friendsinbnw #MyTelegraph #documentary #streetphotographyindia #dawn_dot_com #jjstreetphotography #street_life #hikaricreative #featureshoot #friendsinperson #friendsinbnw #indiaphotoproject #creativeimagemagazine #35mmstreetphotography #35mmfilm #streetphotographyindia #indiaphotostory #photographers_of_india #storiesofindia #lenspersia #Kashmir #_soi #one__shot_

A post shared by Masrat Zahra (@masrat_zahra) on Jun 25, 2018 at 8:15am PDT

The Global Media Forum has announced the annual Peter Meckler Award for Kashmiri photojournalist Musarat Zahra.

The Peter Meckler Award is given annually by the international organization to journalists covering important issues.

 

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Children of Conflict #oppression #Resistance Archive image. #masratzahra

A post shared by Masrat Zahra (@masrat_zahra) on Oct 28, 2018 at 5:48am PDT

The Peter Meckler Award was established in 2008 and has been given to 12 journalists around the world, including Musarat Zahra.

A few days ago, the organization announced to give the Peter Meckler Award to a Kashmiri woman journalist for her outstanding work and bravery and she will be given the award in September next year.

 

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Archive image: Indian armed force walks over a burning tire as clashes broke out between Kashmiri protestors and Indian police near the gun battle site, gunfight erupts between the Indian government forces and Kashmiri rebels in Nowgam area of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian administered Kashmir, on 24 October 2018. Two militants were killed and six government force personnel wounded in a fierce gun battle in Sothu Kothair area of Nowgam on the outskirts of Srinagar. (Photo credit: @masrat_zahra )

A post shared by Masrat Zahra (@masrat_zahra) on Dec 3, 2018 at 4:42am PST

Due to the Corona epidemic, the awards ceremony will be held online this year.

Half of the 12 journalists who have been given the Peter Meckler Award so far are women, and the award has also been given to Asma Shirazi, a Pakistani woman journalist and anchor.

 

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As the whole world is under a lockdown and many comparing and seeking tips from Kashmiris who have suffered worst state-imposed lockdowns in the recent years. I want to use a picture everyday here to let the world know how lockdowns are different here. #Kashmirlockdown #masratzahra

A post shared by Masrat Zahra (@masrat_zahra) on Mar 30, 2020 at 8:09am PDT

Asma Shirazi was given the Peter Meckler Award for her bravery and impartial reporting on various issues. When the award was given to her in 2014,

Peter Meckler was a longtime journalist with AFP who covered various events, including the Gulf War, the Afghan War, the Iraq War, the Israeli atrocities in Palestine, and the 9/11 attacks.

 

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“You can build walls all the way to the sky and I will find a way to fly above them. You can try to pin me down with a hundred thousand arms, but I will find a way to resist.” #lockdownisalwayssuffocating #Kashmir #masratzahra

A post shared by Masrat Zahra (@masrat_zahra) on Apr 2, 2020 at 7:11am PDT

After the death of Peter Meckler, his family formed Global Media Training, an organization called Global Media Training, to provide training and scholarships to journalists from around the world. The giving process started.

The organization honored the young Kashmiri photojournalist for his bravery in exposing the atrocities committed by the occupying forces in the Kashmir Valley.

Images of Musarat Zahra’s atrocities against the unarmed Kashmiri people by the Indian Army have been published in the well-known American newspaper New York Times and other international broadcasters including Al Jazeera.

I am glad to receive the 2020 Peter Mackler Award. pic.twitter.com/9lNIFpcUrL

— Masrat Zahra (@Masratzahra) August 22, 2020

Musarat Zahra also expressed happiness on Twitter after being nominated for the award by the international organization.